Ebook: Genomics of the Saccharinae

The Saccharinae clade of the Poaceae (grass) family of flowering plants includes several important crops with a rich history of contributions to humanity and the promise of still-greater contributions, as a result of some of the highest biomass productivity levels known, resilience to drought and other environmental challenges that are likely to increase, amenability to production systems that may mitigate or even reverse losses of ecological capital such as topsoil erosion, and the recent blossoming of sorghum as a botanical and genomic model for the clade.

In Genomics of the Saccharinae, advances of the past decade and earlier are summarized and synthesized to elucidate the current state of knowledge of the structure, function, and evolution of the Sorghum, Saccharum, and Miscanthus genera, and progress in the application of this knowledge to crop improvement. As a backdrop, it is important to understand the naturally occurring diversity in each genus, its organization and distribution, and its evolutionary history. Genomic tools and methods for Saccharinae biology and improvement have improved dramatically in the past few years – a detailed summary of these tools and their applications is a central element of this book. Application of genomic tools to priorities in crop improvement, including understanding and manipulating plant growth and development, composition, and defense, as well as increasing the quality and productivity of seed/grain, sugar, biomass, and other value-added products under a range of conditions and inputs, are addressed. In particular, as the first native African crop to emerge as a genomic model, sorghum offers an excellent case study of challenges and opportunities in linking new advances in biosciences to solving some of Africa’s major agricultural problems. Several members of the clade, exemplified by Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass) offer insights into weediness and invasion biology. The first sequence for a member of the clade, sorghum, as well as progress and challenges toward sequencing of additional members and the new opportunities that this will create, are also explored. Indeed, the very complexities that have hindered study of some clade members also offer intriguing opportunities to gain insight into fundamental questions such as roles of polyploidy in agricultural productivity and post-polyploidy evolution.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Phylogenetic Relationships of Saccharinae and Sorghinae....Pages 3-21
The Gene Pool of Sorghum bicolor and Its Improvement....Pages 23-41
The Gene Pool of Saccharum Species and Their Improvement....Pages 43-71
The Gene Pool of Miscanthus Species and Its Improvement....Pages 73-101
Front Matter....Pages 103-103
The Sorghum Genome Sequence: A Core Resource for Saccharinae Genomics....Pages 105-119
Transcriptome Analysis in the Saccharinae....Pages 121-139
Sorghum and Sugarcane Proteomics....Pages 141-168
Gene Mutagenesis Systems and Resources for the Saccharinae....Pages 169-185
Association Genetics Strategies and Resources....Pages 187-203
Sorghum Transformation: Overview and Utility....Pages 205-221
Front Matter....Pages 223-254
Bridging Classical and Molecular Genetics of Sorghum Plant Stature and Maturity....Pages 255-301
Bridging Classical and Molecular Genetics of Sorghum Disease Resistance....Pages 303-330
Bridging Conventional and Molecular Genetics of Sorghum Insect Resistance....Pages 331-331
Genetic Enhancement of Sorghum for Biomass Utilization....Pages 333-345
Front Matter....Pages 347-366
Comparative Genomics of Grasses: A Saccharinae-Centric View....Pages 367-389
Comparative Genomic Analysis of C4 Photosynthesis Pathway Evolution in Grasses....Pages 391-425
Differentiation of Seed, Sugar, and Biomass-Producing Genotypes in Saccharinae Species....Pages 427-427
Front Matter....Pages 429-445
Perennialism and Weediness in the Saccharinae....Pages 447-477
Front Matter....Pages 479-502
Bringing the Benefits of Sorghum Genomics to Africa....Pages 427-427
Synthesis: Fundamental Insights and Practical Applications from the Saccharinae Clade....Pages 503-515
Back Matter....Pages 517-517
....Pages 519-540