Cytogenetics of the Festuca-Lolium Complex: Relevance to Breeding

Presented here are modern and classical aspects of cytogenetics as well as biotechnology in relation to improvement of the Festuca-Lolium group of grasses. Festuca and its close relative Lolium are very valuable genera of temperate agriculture. These fascinating genera contain some highly productive, nutritious, and well-adapted grasses widely used for agricultural and recreational purposes world wide. The book is organizedinto 15 chapters devoted to taxonomy and systematics; species evolution and divergence by increase in chromosome number as well as by change in DNA content; genetic control of chromosome pairing and its breeding and phylogenetic implications; B chromosomes, induced polyploidy and haploidy inrelation to varietal improvement; wide hybridization, genome relationships, and plant improvement; genomic balance in relation to hybrid fertility and hererosis breeding; biotechnology and its potential applications in plant improvement. It is of special interest to geneticists, taxonomists, evolutionists, biotechnologists, and plant breeders.