Increasing applications of molecular markers and progressive improvements to the various technologies involved have also ensured that the molecular markers continue to be deployed for plant breeding work regularly. Since the proposition of the concept in 1980, various types of molecular markers such as RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, SSR, SNP among others have been developed. These markers vary in their resolution power, genome coverage and linkage or otherwise to loci controlling traits of relevance to the breeder. Likewise, these markers have also varying levels of complexities of experimental designs, ease of field level application and the need for advanced skill sets and resources for successful application in breeding strategies. Successful applications of these markers have depended on their deployment as markers of choice based on exhaustive studies over a large time period (more than 3 decades) and across a large number of crop plants. These markers have been developed as general markers while at the same time we also now have specific sets of molecular for specific crops that can be deployed with ease and high efficiency anywhere in the world. Shirish A Ranade, Universal Molecular Markers for Plant Breeding and Genetics Analysis
Last date updated on September, 2024