Incluye bibliografía e índice: páginas 377-382

Contributors.. Preface.. Acknowledgements.. Part I. Role of Genetic Resource Collections in Research and Breeding.. 1. Germplasm collections and the public plant breeder.. 2. Germplasm collections and the private plant breeder.. 3. Germplasm collections and the experimental biologist.. Part II. Use of Collections.. 4. International use of a sorghum germplasm collection.. 5. Current use of potato collections.. 6. Use of collections in cereal improvement in semi-arid areas.. 7. Limitations to the use of germplasm collections.. Part III. Size and Structure of Collections.. 8. The case for large collections.. 9. The Case for core collections.. 10. The role of networks of dispersed collections.. Part IV. Evaluation.. 11. Characterisation and evaluation of okra.. 12. Evaluation of cereals in Europe.. 13. Evaluatling the germplasm of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea and wild Arachis species at ICRISAT.. 14. Practical considerations relevant to effective evaluation.. 15. Principles and strategies of evaluation.. Part V. Wild Relatives of Crops: 16. Collection strategies for the wild relatives of field crops.. 17. Wild relatives as sources of disease resistance.. 18. Ecological and genetic considerations in collecting and using wild relatives.. Part VI. Technological or Scientific Innovations that Affect the use of Genetic Resources: 19. In vitro conservation and germplasm utilisation.. 20. Screening for resistance to diseases.. 21. Restriction fragments as molecular markers for germplasm evaluation and utilisation.. 22. Molecular biology and genetic resources.. Index

This 1989 volume stresses the way in which the pool of plant genetic resources provides vital raw material for producing new and improved crops and as source materials for experimental biologists. The availability of germplasm - particularly from wild relatives of crop plants - has become increasingly important with the development of new technology. These sophisticated new techniques now enable the plant breeder to make even greater use of many of the beneficial characteristics found in wild plants - such as disease- and drought- resistance - and to transfer these characteristics to improve existing crops. The first four sections of the volume provide a detailed survey of the role of plant collections in research and breeding, some case histories for specific plants, guidance on the size and structure of plant collections, and, finally, the principles and strategies of evaluation. The last two sections look at wild relatives of crops and also the impact of new technology. The volume will be of use to plant breeders, crop scientists, conservationists and plant biologists. Inglés