Plant genotyping, or DNA fingerprinting of plants, is a technology that has matured and is poised for widespread practical application in the fields of breeding, commerce and research. This book examines the technologies available and their application in the analysis of: Wild plant populations, Germplasm collections and Plant breeding. Contributors include leading research workers in this field from North America, Europe and Australasia.

Cereal uses range from human food and beverages to animal feeds and industrial products. It is human food and beverages which are the predominant uses covered in this book, since the nutritional quality of cereals for animal feed is described in other publications on animal nutrition, and industrial products are a relatively minor use of cereals. Cereals are the main components of human diets and are crucial to human survival. Three species, wheat, rice and maize, account for the bulk of human food. Barley is the major raw material for beer production and ranks fourth in world production....

Since the publication of Plant Genotyping: the DNA Fingerprinting of Plants in 2001, the techniques available for plant DNA analysis have advanced considerably. Recent developments focus on high throughput methods, and generally target single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery and analysis. SNPs represent the most common form of genetic variation in both plants and animals, and play a key role in revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying traits. Plant Genotyping II: SNP Technology describes some of the import recent developments in this field, with the main focus on...