Indian Society of Genetics & Plant Breeding
Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) conserved in gene bank
provide genetic variability for efficient utilization in breeding
programmes. Pre-breeding is required for broadening the
genetic base of the crop through identification of useful
traits in un-adapted materials and transfer them into better
adapted ones for further breeding. So, pre-breeding is a
promising alternative (due to use of un-adapted materials)
to link genetic resources and breeding programs. Utilization
of PGR in crop improvement programmes including prebreeding have been very limited. Advances in genomics
have provided us with high-quality reference genomes,
sequencing and re-sequencing platforms with reduced cost,
marker and QTL assisted selection, genomic selection and
population level genotyping platforms. Further, genome
editing tools like, CRISPR/Cas9 and its latest modification
base editing technology can be used to generate target
specific mutants and are important for establishing gene
functions with respect to their phenotypes through
developing knockout mutations. These new genomic tools
can be used to generate, analyse and manipulate the genetic
variability for designing cultivars with the desired traits.
The genomic tools have not only accelerated the utilization
of PGR but also assisted pre-breeding through rapid
selection of trait-specific germplasm, reduced periods in
breeding cycle for confirming gene of interest in
intermediate material and validation of transfer of gene of
interest in the cultivated gene pool. In crops, where limited
genetic and genomic resources are available, pre-breeding
becomes very challenging. We can say that genomics
assisted utilization of PGR and pre-breeding has accelerated
the pace of introgression of complex traits in different crop
cultivars.
Keywords: Exotic germplasm, QTL, GBS, genome sequencing, genotyping, GWAS, marker assisted selection, NGS
Year: 2019
Volume: 79
Issue: 1, Supplement
Article DOI: 10.31742/IJGPB.79S.1.1
Print ISSN: 0019-5200
Online ISSN: 0975-6906
Kuldeep Singh*, Sandeep Kumar, S. Raj Kumar, Mohar Singh1 and Kavita Gupta info_circle
Download PDF
