Textbooks

Crop Genetics by Walter Suza (Editor); Kendall Lamkey (Editor); William Beavis; Arden Campbell; Jode Edwards; Shui-Zhang Fei; Thomas Lübberstedt; Laura Merrick; and Deborah Muenchrath (CC BY-NC).

This book provides an introduction to the genetic concepts of reproductive systems, recombination, mutation, segregation and linkage analysis, inbreeding, quantitative inheritance, fertility regulation, population genetics and polyploidy.

Cultivar Development by Rita H. Mumm (CC-BY-NC).

This open textbook places emphasis on the design of a process pipeline for continuous development of new improved cultivars as a means to implement the cycle of crop improvement. Essential topics in New Line Development and New Line Evaluation are addressed, such as choice of parents, creation of progeny, and evaluation and selection of progeny.

Crop Improvement by Walter Suza (Editor); Kendall Lamkey (Editor); Asheesh Singh; Teshale Mamo; Arti Singh; Jessica Barb; Shui-Zhang Fei; and Anthony A. Mahama (CC BY-NC).

This book covers basic principles in the genetic improvement of crop plants. Emphasis is on methods of cultivar development in self-pollinating, cross-pollinating and asexually propagating crops. Relevant examples of crop improvement research in Africa are utilized to cover factors affecting cultivar release, multiplication, and distribution of high-quality seed.

History and Science of Cultivated Plants  by Sushma Naithani (CC BY-NC).

This textbook narrates how humans transitioned from foragers to farmers and have arrived at present-day industrial agriculture-based civilization. It entails myths, historical accounts, and scientific concepts to describe how human efforts have shaped and produced easier to grow, larger, tastier, and more nutritious fruits, vegetables, and grains from wild plants. Using examples of various economically and socially important crops central to human civilization, the book describes the origin of crop plants, the evolution of agricultural practices, fundamental concepts of natural selection vs. domestication, experimental and methodical plant breeding, and plant biotechnology.

Molecular Plant Breeding by Walter Suza (Editor); Kendall Lamkey (Editor); Thomas Lübberstedt; William Beavis; Madan Bhattacharyya; Laura Merrick; and Ursula Frei (CC BY-NC).

This book focuses on genomics and plant biotechnology approaches used in plant breeding, the analysis of genomic data, and their application in quality control measures. The application of alternative genomic technologies to enhance conventional breeding strategies is also presented.

Plant Breeding Methods by Walter R. Fehr and Walter P. Suza (CC BY-NC).

This text has been compiled to provide an overview of how plant breeders develop cultivars of plant species. The methods that breeders use depend directly on the type of cultivar used to produce a commercial crop. The four most common types of cultivars are (a) clonal cultivars (b) synthetic cultivars (c) pure-line cultivars and (d) hybrid cultivars. These types of cultivars will be discussed throughout the book, alongside review questions for self-study.

Quantitative Methods for Plant Breeding by Ken Moore, M. L. Harbur, Ron Mowers, Laura Merrick, Dennis Todey, Kendra Meade, William Beavis, Reka Howard, Ursula Frei, and Anthony Assibi Mahama (CC BY-NC).

This open textbook covers common statistics used in agriculture research, including experimental design in plant breeding and genetics, as well as the analysis of variance, regression, and correlation.

Quantitative Genetics for Plant Breeding  by  William Beavis, Katherine Espinosa, Mark Newell, and Anthony Assibi Mahama (CC BY-NC).

This open textbook is intended to expose students to the application of quantitative genetic models to plant breeding populations. Specific topics include conducting and interpreting multi-environment trials, resource allocation using engineering principles, genetic modeling of quantitative traits, simulation modeling, variance, covariance and heritability.