Tropical plant breeding

Plant breeding has progressed considerably in the last ten years, with conventional strategies enhanced through the development of new biotechnological tools to probe genetic resources and develop improved varieties. Further aspects have now to be addressed by plant breeding programmes-biodiversity management and sustainable agriculture. Recent advances in tropical plant breeding, mainly achieved by French research teams of CIRAD, INRA and IRD, in collaboration with their counterparts in tropical countries, are reviewed in this book, the updated English edition of "L'amélioration des plantes tropicales" published in French in 1997. Each of the twenty-four chapters concerns a specific crop and has been written by scientists working in the fields of plant breeding and genetic improvement of that particular species. For each plant or group of plants, the authors analyze trait diversity in cultivated forms and links with related wild species. In addition, they review breeding techniques and biotechnological innovations utilized by breeders, assess genetic progress based on examples from varietal improvement programmes, and discuss distribution of improved varieties. (Résumé d'auteur