1. Introduction to plant breeding –
Domestication –
Classical plant breeding –
Modern plant breeding –
Steps of plant breeding –
Marker assisted selection –
Reverse breeding and Doubled Haploid (DH) –
Genetic modification –
Issues and concerns –
Participatory plant breeding –
2. Mechanisms of transfer: DNA into plant cells –
Horizontal gene transfer –
Prokaryotes –
Eukaryotes –
Importance in evolution –
Plants –
Viral transformation –
3. Importance of cultigens and cultivars –
Bailey's definitions –
Cultigens and cultivars –
Recommended usage –
4. Domestication of plants –
Degrees –
Limits –
5. Selection methods in plant breeding based on mode of reproduction –
Importance of mode of reproduction –
Self fertilizing crops (autogamous crops) –
Mass selection –
Single plant selection (pure line selection) –
Pedigree selection –
Bulk population selection –
Single Seed Selection (SSD) –
Doubled haploid method –
Traditional selection methods –
Selection of cross-pollinated crops –
Half-sib selection with progeny testing –
Full-sib selection with progeny testing –
Selections with test cross performance –
Selfed family selection –
Breeding of asexually propagated crops –
Improving asexual plant material through selection –
Selection of asexual plants –
New clone development –
6. Enzyme catalysis –
Induced fit –
Catalysis by induced fit –
Mechanisms of transition state stabilization –
Catalysis by bond strain –
Catalysis by proximity and orientation –
Electrostatic catalysis –
Covalent catalysis –
Quantum tunneling –
Triose phosphate isomerase –
Enzyme units –
Enzyme activity –
Specific activity –
Related terminology –
Continuous assays –
Spectrophotometric –
Direct versus coupled assays –
Fluorometric –
Chemiluminescent –
Light scattering –
Discontinuous assays –
Radiometric –
Chromatographic –
Factors to control in assays –
7. Classical plant breeding for pest resistance –
Hybridization –
Ways in which hybridization is used –
Resistance breeding before Mendel –
Resistance breeding after Mendel –
8. Sustainable organic plant breeding –
Subproject 1 method –
Principles for organic breeding –
Plant-environment interaction –
Natural reproductive ability –
Independent adaptation to the environment –
Crop characteristics –
Species characteristics –
Breeding methods –
Development in plant breeding –
Current plant breeding objectives –
A critique of the breeding race –
Crossing methods at the whole plant level –
Hybrid varieties –
How natural are hybridisation techniques –
Socio-economic consequences –
Breeding at the cell level –
Breeding at DNA level –
Genetic modification techniques –
A brief description of the technique –
Ecological objections –
Socio-economic objections –
Diagnostic techniques –
9. Genetic engineering and plant breeding –
Scope of gene transfers –
Location of gene insertion –
Breeding always leads to genetic alterations in offspring –
GM crops on the market –
GM crops of tomorrow –
Renewable resources –
10. Plant tissue culture –
Techniques –
Choice of explant –
Applications –
Laboratories –
The methodology of tissue culture –
The tissue culture laboratory –
Tissue culture propagation of woody species –
Impact of the tissue culture industry –
11. Plant hormones –
Characteristics –
Classes of plant hormones –
Potential medical applications –
Hormones and plant propagation –
Seed dormancy –
12. Marker assisted selections techniques in plant breeding –
Genetic mapping an linkage analysis –
13. Biocatalysis –
Advantages of biocatalysis –
Asymmetric biocatalysis –
14. Plant nutrition –
15. Plant nutrition deficiences –
Processes –
Functions of nutrients –
Carbon –
Hydrogen –
Oxygen –
Phosphorus –
Potassium –
Nitrogen –
Sulphur –
Calcium –
Magnesium –
Iron –
Molybdenum –
Boron –
Copper –
Manganese –
Zinc –
Nickel –
Boron deficiency (plant disorder) –
Calcium deficiency –
Symptoms –
Treatment –
Magnesium deficiency –
Manganese deficiency –
Nitrogen deficiency –
Phosphorus deficiency –
Potassium deficiency (plants) –
Micronutrient deficiency –
List of essential trace minerals for plants –
16. Enzymes and the synthesis of proteins –
Theory of catalysis –
Enzymes as theoretical catalysts –
Various possible synthetic reactions –
Purely catalytic synthesis –
Synthesis by the addition of energy –
Formation of native as distinct from denatured proteins –
Specificity of synthesis –
Autocatalysis –
A working hypothesis for the synthesis of proteins –
Formation of normal proteins –
Formation of enzymes from their precursors –
Formation of viruses –
Formation of antibodies –
Antibody formation from proteinogen –
Rate of appearance of antibodies in the circulation –
17. Plant growth hormones –
Hormones' effect on plant growth.

This comprehensive book provides a detailed account of the plant breeding methodology, covering particularly pre- and post-Green Revolution era. It elaborates on plant breeding and gene manipulation, utilization of self-incompatibility in developing hybrids, different plant breeding methods for development of crop varieties and hybrids in self- and cross-pollinated crops, nature of gene action and genotype-environment interaction. This book offers the most recent detailed knowledge of plant reproduction and their environmental interaction, which can help guide new breeding programs and help insure continuing progress in providing more food for growing populations produced with netter care of the environment. The text will be of immense use to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Agricultural Sciences and Botany for their course study. Besides, research scholars and professional will also find the book as an excellent source of reference. This thoroughly interdisciplinary and balanced account serves as an essential resource for everyone involved with plant breeding research, policy and funding, as well as those whishing to engage with current debates."