Sustainable Utilization and Conservation of Plant Genetic Diversity

This book collates a wide spectrum of topics relevant to contemporary research achievement in sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources and conservation of plant genetic diversity within the framework of different crop systems. It introduces the status of crop genetic diversity and provides prospects for conservation of crop genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture. Plant genetic diversity is crucial for food security and agro-ecosystem maintenance paving ways to achieve sustainable agriculture development. This necessitates, consciously and judiciously, the conservation of all existing plant genetic resources for sustainable use in a variety of applications for human welfare. The wild and traditional landraces have generated an increased interest as a repertoire of valuable traits for breeding and improvement of cultivated germplasm. Internationally, concerted actions and policies toward for the conservation and management of plant genetic diversity are mounting, fromthe organization levels to national policies as deemed appropriate for the sustainable development goals. This needs an understanding of genetic diversity of different crops, ecological drivers and the structural changes within genetic diversity due to climate change. It is also equally important to evolve knowledge on what, how and where to conserve the existing plant genetic resources for present and future use. Assessment of the genetic diversity presents in a wild and traditional agro-ecosystem is another step towards effective utilization.  In the past few years, advanced breeding tools have been developed which have offered great promise for efficient modification of targeted traits. This book consolidates current knowledge in the above core areas of plant genetic diversity and conservation. It is an essential reference for professionals, researchers, policy makers and commercial entrepreneurs concerned with plant genetic diversity and breeding to achieve enhanced agricultural productivity and sustainability of food resources to ensure food security. The book is also invaluable for graduate students involved in agriculture research.

Professor Jameel M. Al-Khayri is affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. He received B.S. Biology in 1984 from the University of Toledo, M.S. in Agronomy in 1988, and Ph.D. in Plant Science in 1991 from the University of Arkansas. He is the National Correspondent of the International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology. Al-Khayri has authored 110 research articles, 60 chapters and edited several journal special issues. In addition, he edited 25 reference books on plant biotechnology, genetic resources, breeding, genomics and nanotechnology. In addition to teaching, advising and research, he held administrative responsibilities as the Assistant Director of Date Palm Research Center, Head of Department of Plant Biotechnology and Vice Dean for Development and Quality Assurance. Al-Khayri served as a Member of Majlis Ash Shura (Saudi Legislative Council) for the 2009-2012 term. He is interested in agricultural innovations and sustainability.

Professor S. Mohan Jain (Adjunct) is a Consultant and Plant Biotechnologist, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Received M. Phil, 1973 and Ph.D., 1978, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He served as a Technical Officer, Plant Breeding, and Genetics, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, 1999-2005 when the agency was awarded Nobel Peace Prize, 2005. He is on the Editorial Board of Euphytica, In Vitro, Propagation of Ornamental Plants; a reviewer in Plant cell and organ culture, Plant cell reports, and Plants, His publications are more than 175 peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings, and edited 70 books; invited speaker and acted as a Chairperson in several international conferences worldwide. He is a former consultant to the IAEA, the European Union, The Government of Grenada, the IranianPrivate Company, and the Egyptian Government.

Professor Suprasanna Penna, Ph.D. in Genetics, is formerly, Head of Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, and currently a professor & Director at the Amity Institute of Nuclear Biotechnology, Amity University of Maharashtra, Mumbai. He made significant contributions to plant science covering plant biotechnology, mutation breeding, stress tolerance and radiation depolymerized oligo-chitosan which has been successfully used in enhancing plant productivity in crop plants and vegetables. He has conducted research on plant abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants and salinity-adaptive mechanisms in halophytes.  He is on the editorial board of several international journals and, published over 350 publications and has edited books on plant mutation breeding, salinity tolerance, genome editing and plant-metal interactions. He is the Guest Editor of special issues in Frontiers in Plant Sciences, Physiologia Plantarum (Wiley), Current Plant Biology (Elsevier) and, Physiology & Molecular Biology of Plants (Springer).