Abstract
Grasses are all-pervading across the planet. Among those likely to figure prominently in the new global agricultural economy are those species belonging to Panicum. Since the density of its biomass/acre is significant, these grasses are likely candidates either as an inexpensive source of cellulose-derived biofuel or as a foundation for grazing feed. Most importantly, some Panicum species are able to reproduce by apomixis, thus allowing for the genetic stabilization of desired genotypes through maternal inheritance. Given this, the possibility exists of transferring this trait to the sexual species either by somatic cell hybridization or through genetic cloning. Indeed, the successful mapping of apomixis to a specific chromosomal region in Panicum coupled with the availability of a vast array of molecular markers and tools makes its transfer to more traditional food crops such as rice, corn, and wheat, an achievable goal in the not too distant future.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Wild Crop Relatives |
Subtitle of host publication | Genomic and Breeding Resources: Millets and Grasses |
Publisher | Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg |
Pages | 175-196 |
Number of pages | 22 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783642143878 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783642143861 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2011 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences