Genomics of the Saccharinae Plant Genetics and Genomics Crops and Models

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. 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 Genetic Engineering of Saccharum ....Pages 223-254 Genetic Engineering of Miscanthus ....Pages 255-301 Saccharinae Bioinformatics Resources....Pages 303-330 Front Matter....Pages 331-331 Bridging Classical and Molecular Genetics of Sorghum Plant Stature and Maturity....Pages 333-345 Bridging Classical and Molecular Genetics of Sorghum Disease Resistance....Pages 347-366 Bridging Conventional and Molecular Genetics of Sorghum Insect Resistance....Pages 367-389 Genetic Enhancement of Sorghum for Biomass Utilization....Pages 391-425 Front Matter....Pages 427-427 Comparative Genomics of Grasses: A Saccharinae-Centric View....Pages 429-445 Comparative Genomic Analysis of C4 Photosynthesis Pathway Evolution in Grasses....Pages 447-477 Differentiation of Seed, Sugar, and Biomass-Producing Genotypes in Saccharinae Species....Pages 479-502 Front Matter....Pages 427-427 Perennialism and Weediness in the Saccharinae....Pages 503-515 Front Matter....Pages 517-517 Bringing the Benefits of Sorghum Genomics to Africa....Pages 519-540 Synthesis: Fundamental Insights and Practical Applications from the Saccharinae Clade....Pages 541-549 Back Matter....Pages 551-567 Rising interest in biofuels, concern over a looming global water crisis, a need for precise, environmentally benign weed control: these factors are driving new research on the Saccharinae clade. This book reviews recent progress and anticipates new advances.