Maize Germplasm: Characterization and Genetic Approaches for Crop Improvement

Maize is an important staple food crop worldwide. It is the third most important cereal crop after wheat and rice and is economically used for both livestock feeds and human consumption. The latest maize research has opened up new opportunities for crop improvement. Oilseed crops, including maize, also play an important role in the agricultural economy. Globally, the demand for vegetable oils is increasing due to the increasing per capita consumption of oil in our daily diets and its use as biofuels. A range of new technologies have been developed to enhance the productivity of this crop.

This book brings together recent works and advances that have recently been made in the dynamic fields of genetic characterization, molecular breeding, genetic engineering technologies, and mapping of agronomic traits of global maize germplasm. It also provides new insights into and sheds new light regarding the current research trends and future research directions in maize. This book will provoke interest in many readers, researchers, and scientists, who can find this information useful for the advancement of their research works to- ward maize improvement.