Potential of Molecular Plant Breeding for Sustaining the Global Food Security

Abstract

New alleles are continuously added to bring novel traits which are selected using genetic manipulations. Understanding the genes responsible for a particular phenotype involves recent genomic approaches which are to be integrated with conventional breeding programs for the crop improvement. Use of biotechnological tools merged with the conventional breeding practices has resulted molecular plant breeding which has significant contributions to food production, despite the presence of narrow genetic base in current materials used for breeding purposes. Use of molecular markers along with high-throughput genome sequencing efforts, have dramatically augmented our information to characterize the elite germplasm for the production of hybrids and improved populations. This review focuses on possibilities for the need and application of molecular breeding tools in the genetic improvement of the crop plants which can ensure sustainable food production for the increasing global population.