1st Edition

Rye Genetics, Breeding, and Cultivation

By Rolf H. J. Schlegel Copyright 2014
    388 Pages 66 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    388 Pages 66 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Owing to its considerable winter hardiness, rye is a cereal that played a major role in the feeding of European populations throughout the Middle Ages. Recent data shows that rye is grown on about 5.4 million hectares, with a world production of approximately 13 million tons. While still an important bread food in many countries, rye produced for bread making has decreased or stagnated, whereas production is increasing for other market segments. Particularly, rye for feeding, ethanol processing, and biogas is promoted in Europe.

    The first comprehensive monograph on rye, Rye: Genetics, Breeding, and Cultivation gathers all the relevant and historic information from botany and genetics to utilization and sustainability of rye. The book covers taxonomy, morphology, and other botany-related aspects of rye. It describes its physiology, cytology, and genetics, including use for genetic improvement of other cereals. The author addresses various types of breeding such as population, hybrid, and molecular breeding. He also discusses rye cropping, including seeding techniques, fungal and viral diseases, and predators.

    The book examines the various uses for rye beyond bread making. This includes feeding, biomass and biogas production, ethanol production, and other important characteristics such as phytosterol content and antioxidant activity. It also explores the nutritional value of rye. Written by a leading expert in the field, this monograph compiles the most important facets of rye research, past and present.

    Introduction

    Botany
    Origin
    Taxonomy and Cytotaxonomy
    Gross Morphology
    Root System
    Seeds
    Flowering, Fertilization, and Apomixis
    Rye Genebanks and Collections

    Physiology
    Life Cycle
    Cold Tolerance
    Drought Tolerance
    Nutrition
    In Vitro Behavior
    Preharvest Sprouting
    Vernalization

    Cytology
    Genome Structure
    Chromosome Number
    Karyotype and Homeology
    Chromosome Pairing
    Sporogenesis
    Primary Aneuploids
    Reciprocal Translocations
    Genetic Donor for Other Crops

    Genetics
    Nomenclature and Designation of Genes
    General
    Chromosomal and/or Regional Localization of Genes and Markers
    Linkages
    QTL Mapping
    Physical Mapping
    Comparative Mapping
    Gene Regulation
    DNA and Gene Transfer

    Cytoplasm, Cytoplasmic Male Sterility, and Restorer
    Cytoplasm
    Alloplasmic Rye

    Breeding
    Diploid Rye
    Tetraploid Rye
    Dual-Purpose Rye
    Breeding Activities, Varieties, and Institutions Worldwide

    Rye Cropping
    No-Till Rye
    Seeding
    Diseases, Susceptibility, and Resistance
    Growth Regulators
    Incorporation in Crop Rotation
    Allelopathic Effects
    Volunteering
    Allergenic Pollen

    Utilization
    Nutritional Value
    Feeding
    Bread Making
    Biomass and Biogas Production
    Catch Crop
    Ethanol Production
    Other Uses

    Epilogue
    References
    Index

    Biography

    Rolf H. J. Schlegel, PhD, DSc, is a professor of cytogenetics and plant breeding with over 40 years of experience in research and teaching advanced genetics and plant breeding in Germany and Bulgaria. Professor Schlegel has authored more than 200 research papers and other scientific contributions, co-coordinated international research projects, and been a scientific consultant at the Bulgarian Academy of Agricultural Sciences for several years. He earned his master’s in agriculture and plant breeding and his PhD and DSc in genetics and cytogenetics from the Martin Luther University, Halle/S., Germany. His latest book contributions include Dictionary of Plant Breeding (2009), 2nd ed. (Taylor & Francis, Inc., New York), Concise Encyclopedia of Crop Improvement: Institutions, Persons, Theories, Methods, and Histories (2007) (Haworth Press, New York).