Molecular Markers in Plant Breeding and Genome Analysis

Dear Colleagues,

Unravelling the structure and level of genetic variation constitutes the first step in the improvement of a plant. In the last four decades or so, greater emphasis has been placed on the application of molecular techniques to explore genetic variations, and as a consequence, specific nucleotide sequences have been used to tag these variations. Such sequences are called molecular markers, which are closely related to the variant sequence/gene of interest. In this way, several markers such as RFLP, AFLP, SNP, SSR, DArT, retrotransposons, CAPS, SCAR, etc. were developed and extensively used not only for diversity assessment but also for linkage mapping, Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping, chromosome walking, association mapping, and genome analysis, to name a few. With the advent of Next-Generation Sequencing technology, the genome sequences of a large number of plants became available. To further study the genetics of natural variations, Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) platforms were developed in several crop plants. In addition, molecular markers have been applied in MAS and genomic selection. In spite of technological advancements, the availability of complete genome sequences of many important crops, and highly advanced molecular tools, in many cases, the desired goals in this field could not be achieved. The inaccurate phenotyping of plants is one of the major causes of this failure. The use of modern tools of Artificial Intelligence paired with high-throughput phenotyping techniques will help in the collection of accurate data, which is a basic requirement is goals regarding breeding are to be achieved successfully. CRISPR technology has revolutionized plant breeding and genetics, and researchers are focusing on editing the genomes of all economically important plants. In the coming years, it is likely that we will see continued innovations in molecular marker technology which will make it more precise, productive, and cost effective, and the underlying biology of various traits of interest will be investigated. Additionally, there is a greater need to integrate molecular-marker-based genotypic data and precise phenotypic data to identify candidate genes and allelic variants controlling various important traits which can increase crop productivity. In addition, the deeper analysis of genomes of economically important plants, especially wild accessions for genetic diversity, the identification of novel genes against different biotic and abiotic stresses, and genome analysis can help in breeding varieties for sustainable agriculture and to ensure the food security of the ever-increasing human population. 

Prof. Dr. Manoj Dhar
Prof. Dr. Brijmohan Singh Bhau
Guest Editors

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