Applications of Genetic Engineering to Crop Improvement

The contributions of plant genetics to the production of higher yielding crops of superior quality are well documented. These successes have been realized through the application of plant breeding techniques to a diverse array of genetically controlled traits. Such highly effective breeding procedures will continue to be the primary method employed for the development of new crop cultivars; however, new techniques in cell and molecular biology will provide additional approaches for genetic modification. There has been considerable speculation recently concerning the potential impact of new techniques in cell and molecular biology on plant improvement. These genetic engineering techniques should offer unique opportunities to alter the genetic makeup of crops if applied to existing breeding procedures. Many questions must be answered in order to identify specific applications of these new technologies. This search for applications will require input from plant scientists working on various aspects of crop improvement. This volume is intended to assess the interrelationships between conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering.

Contenu

I. Nitrogen Fixation.- 1. Breeding Legumes for Improved N2-Fixation.- 2. In vitro Systems for Studying Nitrogen Fixation.- 3. Molecular Genetics of Nitrogen Fixation.- II. Photosynthesis.- 4. Breeding for Improved CO2 Fixation.- 5. Aspects of Photosynthetic Plant Tissue Cultures.- 6. The Chloroplast Nuclear Photosynthesis Genes.- III. Seed Quality.- 7. Breeding for Grain Quality.- 8. Tissue Culture and Related Approaches for Grain Quality Improvement.- 9. Genetic Engineering of Genes Controlling Seed Quality.- IV. Stress Tolerance.- 10. Breeding Crops for Environmental Stress Tolerance.- 11. Cellular Approaches to Environmental Stress Resistance.- 12. Molecular Mechanisms of Heat Stress Tolerance.- V. Disease Resistance.- 13. Breeding for Disease Resistance.- 14. In vitro Approaches to Disease Resistance.- 15. Genetic Engineering for Improved Crop Disease Resistance.- VI. Secondary Products.- 16. Conventional Breeding for Secondary Products.- 17. Secondary Products in Tissue Culture.