Developing maize-breeding methods and cultivars to meet the challenge of climate change

Description

Sustainable maize production will be possible only with the development of the next generation of maize products carrying genetic diversity. This chapter addresses ideas to develop not only unique cultivars but also breeding methodologies to better assist breeders managing genetically complex traits in an efficient and sustainable way.

Table of contents

1 Introduction
2 Early developments in breeding
3 Hybrid breeding: heterosis
4 Inbred–hybrid breeding
5 Limitations in current breeding techniques
6 Exploiting genetic diversity
7 Breeding for marginal environments
8 High-throughput phenotyping
9 Case study: use of exotic germplasm
10 Case study: short-season quality maize hybrids
11 Case study: cold and drought-resistant varieties
12 Summary and future trends
13 References