The Pigeonpea Genome

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is a crop of small land holding farmers in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It has a number of usages starting from protein rich food to vegetarian families; fuel wood; nitrogen supplier to soil; recycling minerals in soil to animal feed etc. Pigeonpea has been considered to be originated and domesticated in central India from where it travelled to different parts of the world such as Africa and Latin America. In ongoing scenario of climate change, biotic and especially abiotic stresses will make the conditions more challenging for entire agriculture. This volume focusing on the pigeonpea genome will collate the information on the genome sequencing and its utilization in genomics activities, with a focus on the current findings, advanced tools and strategies deployed in pigeonpea genome sequencing and analysis, and how this information is leading to direct outcomes for plant breeders and subsequently to farmers.

Pigeonpea genome: An overview.- Key plant and grain characteristics and their importance in breeding and adaptation of pigeonpea cultivars.- Botanical description of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.)Millsp.].- Wide crossing technology for pigeonpea improvement.- Modern genomic tools for pigeonpea improvement: Status and Prospects.- Molecular mapping of genes and QTLs in pigeonpea.- Germplasm characterization and trait discovery.- Whole-genome sequencing of pigeonpea: requirement, background history, current status and future prospects for crop improvement.- Sequencing pigeonpea genome.- Future prospects.