Marker assisted selection (MAS) towards generating stress tolerant crop plants

The potential benefits of using molecular markers linked to genes of interest in plant breeding programs are evident since many decades. The identification of large numbers of DNA markers dispersed throughout the genome of any species and further, the use of these markers to detect associations with trait of interest increase the practicability of Marker- assisted selection (MAS). In conventional breeding, selection is carried out based on phenotypes without knowing which genes are actually being selected, leading to linkage drag. Considering the current yield trends, rapid population growth and climate change issues, traits relating to yield stability and sustainability like durable disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, nutrient and water- use efficiency etc. should be the limelight. Molecular breeding technologies, most notably MAS offer a great scope of accelerated progress in selecting stress tolerant crop plants with increased precision of selection. Moreover, since molecular markers are not influenced by environmental factors and are detectable at all stages of plant growth, screening for stress tolerant plants can be done early at seedling stage, thus, saving time, space and resources.