Breeding Plantation Tree Crops: Tropical Species

Tree species are indispensable to support human life. Due to their long life cycle and environmental sensitivity, breeding trees to suit day-to-day human needs is a formidable challenge. Whether they are edible or industrial crops, improving yield under optimal, sub-optimal and marginal areas calls for uni?ed efforts from the s- entistsaroundtheworld. Whiletheuniquenessofcoconutaskalpavriksha(Sanskr- meaning tree-of-life) marks its presence in every continent from Far East to South America, tree crops like cocoa, oil palm, rubber, apple, peach, grapes and walnut prove their environmental sensitivity towards tropical, sub-tropical and temperate climates. Desert climate is quintessential for date palm. Thus, from soft drinks to breweries to beverages to oil to tyres, the value addition offers a spectrum of pr- ucts to human kind, enriched with nutritional, environmental, ?nancial, social and trade related attributes. Taxonomically, tree crops do not con?ne to a few families, but spread across a section of genera, an attribute so unique that contributes immensely to genetic biodiversity even while cultivated at the commercial scale. Many of these species in?uence other ?ora to nurture in their vicinity, thus ensuring their integrity in p- serving the genetic biodiversity. While wheat, rice, maize, barley, soybean, cassava andbananamakeup themajorfoodstaples,manyfruittreespeciescontributegreatly tonutritionalenrichment inhumandiet. Theediblepartofthesespeciesisthesource of several nutrients that makes additives for the daily diet of humans, for example, vitamins, sugars, aromas and ?avour compounds, and raw material for food proce- ing industries. Tree crops face an array of agronomic and horticultural problems in propagation, yield, appearance, quality, diseases and pest control, abiotic stresses and poor shelf-life.

Tree species, spread across a wide range of genera, are indispensible to human life. Their breeding, poised to satisfy human needs, presents significant challenges. Tree crops face a variety of agronomic and horticultural problems in propagation, yield, appearance, quality, diseases and pest control, abiotic stresses and poor shelf-life. Additionally, shrinkage of cultivable land and the pressure of growing demand have resulted in growth of tree crops under marginal conditions that call for concerted efforts for their genetic improvement. Increased attention to the environment, sustainability and diet in recent years in turn magnifies the importance of study of these crops. With the use of modern molecular and biotechnological tools, the task of improving yield in tree crops is foremost in the acumen of future global agricultural research for sustainable production.

This 2-volume book series deals with both tropical and temperate tree crop species, and represents aneffort toward compilation of all available worldwide research on these subjects. This volume covers fruits and nuts (banana, mango, guava, papaya, grape, date palm, litchi, avocado, and cashew), oil crops (coconut, oil palm and olive), industrial crops (rubber) and beverages (coffee, tea and cocoa). The contributing authors are internationally-known specialists who provide first hand comprehensive knowledge. All contributory book chapters have been peer reviewed and revised accordingly. This book series is an indispensable reference for scientists, researchers, teachers, students, policy makers and planters.

 

S. Mohan Jain, Plant Biotechnologist, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

P. M. Priyadarshan, Plant Breeder, Rubber Research Institute of India.