Advanced Methods in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology

Book excerpt: Breeding plants for the twenty-first century; Chromosomal organization and gene mapping; Gene transfer to plants using Agrobacterium; Electroporation for direct gene transfer into plant protoplasts; Microprojectile techniques for direct gene transfer into intact plant cells; Localization of transferred genes in genetically modifically modified plants; Somatic embryogenesis: potential for use in propagation and gene transfer systems; Chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes: manipulation through somatic hybridization; Modification of the chloroplast genome with particular reference to herbicide resistance; Breeding for resistance to insects; Resistance to fungal diseases; Advances in breeding for resistance to bacterial pathogens; Genetic engineering for resistance to viruses; Breeding for resistance to physiological stresses.