Breeding Fruit Crops

A comprehensive guide to the principles, strategies and modern approaches used in the breeding and genetic improvement of important fruit crops.

Breeding Fruit Crops provides focused coverage of fruit crop improvement, including genetic resources, reproductive biology, breeding objectives, conventional and modern breeding approaches, and improvement programmes for major fruit crops.

Key Features

• Comprehensive coverage of fruit crop breeding
• Explains the importance and scope of fruit breeding
• Covers origin, diversity and genetic resources
• Discusses reproductive and breeding systems
• Covers heterozygosity and polyploidy
• Explains polyembryony and apomixis
• Covers incompatibility and sterility
• Discusses parthenocarpy and seedlessness
• Covers selection and hybridization techniques
• Includes mutation and polyploid breeding
• Covers resistance breeding
• Introduces biotechnology and modern breeding approaches
• Covers breeding and improvement of major fruit crops
• Useful for university studies and ICAR-related examinations

The major subject areas align closely with ICAR’s Fruit Crop Breeding curriculum, including heterozygosity, polyploidy, polyembryony, parthenocarpy, incompatibility, apomixis, biotechnology and crop improvement.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Fruit Crop Breeding
2. History and Importance of Fruit Breeding
3. Origin, Diversity and Distribution of Fruit Crops
4. Domestication and Adaptation
5. Genetic Resources and Germplasm
6. Reproductive Biology of Fruit Crops
7. Heterozygosity in Fruit Crops
8. Polyploidy and its Role in Crop Improvement
9. Polyembryony
10. Parthenocarpy and Seedlessness
11. Incompatibility and Sterility Systems
12. Apomixis and its Applications
13. Breeding Objectives and Ideotypes
14. Selection and Hybridization
15. Mutation Breeding
16. Polyploid Breeding
17. Breeding for Quality Traits
18. Resistance Breeding for Biotic and Abiotic Stresses
19. Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement
20. Breeding of Mango
21. Breeding of Banana
22. Breeding of Citrus
23. Breeding of Grapes
24. Breeding of Papaya
25. Breeding of Sapota
26. Breeding of Pomegranate
27. Breeding of Pineapple
28. Breeding of Guava
29. Breeding of Apple and Other Temperate Fruit Crops

The ICAR syllabus specifically identifies improvement of mango, banana, citrus, grapes, papaya, sapota, pomegranate, pineapple, guava, apple and other Rosaceous crops as major areas of study.

Learning Outcomes

After studying this book, learners should be able to:

• Understand the principles of fruit crop breeding.
• Explain genetic and reproductive characteristics of fruit crops.
• Understand breeding challenges such as heterozygosity and incompatibility.
• Apply knowledge of selection and hybridization.
• Understand mutation and polyploid breeding.
• Explain the role of germplasm in crop improvement.
• Understand breeding for quality and resistance.
• Gain knowledge of biotechnology in fruit crop improvement.
• Understand breeding strategies for major tropical, subtropical and temperate fruit crops.

Ideal For

• B.Sc. Agriculture students
• B.Sc. Horticulture students
• M.Sc. Horticulture students
• Fruit Science students
• Plant Breeding students
• Ph.D. scholars
• ICAR examination aspirants
• Agricultural university students
• Researchers and teachers in horticulture

Why Buy This Book?

• Focused specifically on fruit crop breeding.
• Covers both conventional and modern breeding approaches.
• Explains important biological challenges in fruit crop improvement.
• Covers major commercial fruit crops.
• Useful for undergraduate and postgraduate horticulture studies.
• Relevant for competitive and agricultural examinations.
• Written with a focus on breeding strategies and crop improvement.

About the Author

R.K. Yadav

R.K. Yadav is the author of Breeding Fruit Crops, published by Kalyani Publishers.