February 2009

Microtubers in yam germplasm conservation and propagation: The status, the prospects and the constraints

The conservation of yam genetic resources using field genebanks, in vitro plantlets, pollen and seed storage are constrained by high losses and space requirements, maintenance cost and an irregular flowering, respectively. Microtubers produced from in vitro plantlets are proposed for conservation and propagation, as they have a longer shelf-life due to dormancy, and are also hardier and less bulky...

Author(s): Morufat Oloruntoyin Balogun

February 2009

Emerging trends in enhancement of cotton fiber productivity and quality using functional genomics tools

Cotton, the most preferred natural fiber in the world, is the mainstay of global economy for severalcenturies. However, the fiber productivity has reached its plateau in the past decade which forced the research community to develop high-yielding and high quality cotton cultivars. In this genomics era, cotton researches focussed on two aspects: identification of genes for important agronomic traits...

Author(s): N. Manikanda Boopathi and R. Ravikesavan