l History of the development, current status and latest refinements of plant breeding l Describes breeding plans with their genetic bases l Alternate approaches for the exploitation of heterosis and population improvement elaborated with schematic diagrams l Detailed account of biometrical procedures in molecular biology for genetic analysis and improvement of quantitative traits through QTL-mapping

Preface / Introduction / Reproduction in Crop Plants / Plant Genetic Resources-Origin, Conservation and Utilization / Genetic Basis and Application of Selection in Self-pollinated Crops / Mendelian Consequences of Planned Hybridization in Self-pollinated Crops / Quantitative Inheritance / The Analysis of Genotype-Environment Interactions / Application of Biometrical Genetics in Plant Breeding / Pedigree Method / Bulk Population Breeding Method / The Single Seed Descent Method / Backcross Method / Fertility Regulating Mechanisms / Genetic Basis of Hetrosis / Breeding for Hetrosis / Genetic Structure of Cross-pollinated Crops / Population Improvement in Cross Pollinated Crops / Population Improvement Methods / Synthetic and Composite Varieties / Breeding for Asexually Propagated Crops / Breeding for Resistance to Diseases and Insect Pests / Mutation Breeding / Polyploidy in Plant Breeding / Tissue Culture in Crop Improvement / Molecular Approaches to Crop Improvement / Genetic Transformation and Production of Transgenic Plants / Biometry in Relation to Molecular Biology in Plant Breeding/ Field Plot Techniques in Plant Breeding / Plant Breeder’s Rights, Release and Multiplication of Varieties / Glossary / Index

Undergraduate and Graduate students in Plant Breeding.