Raina’s quality research is evidenced by his publications in journals of international repute like Gene, AOB Plants, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Molecular Breeding, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Genome, Plant Breeding, Euphytica, Genetica, Heredity, Journal of Heredity, Cytogenetic and Genome Research, Methods in Cell Science, In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. – Plants, Plant Systematics and Evolution, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Caryologia, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, Plant Cell Reports, Annals of Botany among others. He has 135 publications, including 111 research papers, and 20 book chapters. The impact factor of his published papers ranges from 0.5 to 4.5 and the citation index touches nearly 2000. Raina has given invited seminars and keynote addresses in scientific forums in many countries, and has chaired symposia, seminars and scientific sessions in national and international conferences. He is aFellow of National Academy of Sciences (F.N.A.Sc), India, and is credited with 17 M.Phil and 23 Ph.D. thesisDr Rani has published 20 research papers in international peer reviewed journals like Plant Cell Reports, Genome, Genetica, Plant Systematics and Evolution, In Vitro Cellular Developmental Biology (IVCDB) Plant , Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology . In addition, she has contributed five review papers in books published from Springer Verlag and Kluwer Acad. Publ. and CRC Press Ltd. Dr Rani has presented her research as an invited speaker in many national and international conferences. She is a member of International Society of Plant Morphologists and NewYork Academy of Sciences, USARao's research activity has been published (and still is) in international renowned journals.

• Preface.- 1. Use of alien genetic variation for wheatimprovement; P.K. Gupta.- 2.Quantitative trait loci mapping in plants: concepts and approaches; D. Sehgal.- 3. Developing and deployingabiotic stress tolerant maize varieties in the tropics: challenges andopportunities; B.M. Prasanna.- 4.Harnessing apomixes for heterosis breeding in crop improvement; V. Bhat.- 5. Status and opportunities ofmolecular breeding approaches for genetic improvement of tea; R. Kumar Sharma.- 6. Molecularcytogenetic approaches in exploration of important chromosomal landmarks inplants; Y. Mukai.- 7. Technologicaladvances in studying gene pool diversity and its exploitation; S. Goel.- 8. Introgression andexploitation of QTL for yield and yield components from related wild speciesinto rice cultivars; K. Neelam.- 9. Amolecular phylogenetic framework for Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) improvement; A. Stewart.- 10. Genetic improvement of basmati rice – The journeyfrom conventional to molecular breeding; A.K.Singh.- 11. Genetic diversity andcoffee (Coffea sps) improvement inIndia; R.K. Aggarwal.- 12.Introgression and exploitation of biotic stress tolerance from related wildspecies in wheat cultivars; P. Chhuneja.- 13. Genetic improvement ofsugarcane through conventional and molecular approaches; S. Kumar.- 14. Germlinetransformation for crop improvement; R.Tandon.- 15. Advances in molecular breeding of pearl millet; D. Sehgal.- 16. Molecular marker-basedselection tools in spring bread wheat improvement: CIMMYT experience andprospects; S. Dreisigacker.- Index.

Raina’s quality research is evidenced by his publications in journals of international repute like Gene, AOB Plants, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Molecular Breeding, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Genome, Plant Breeding, Euphytica, Genetica, Heredity, Journal of Heredity, Cytogenetic and Genome Research, Methods in Cell Science, In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. – Plants, Plant Systematics and Evolution, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Caryologia, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, Plant Cell Reports, Annals of Botany among others. He has 135 publications, including 111 research papers, and 20 book chapters. The impact factor of his published papers ranges from 0.5 to 4.5 and the citation index touches nearly 2000. Raina has given invited seminars and keynote addresses in scientific forums in many countries, and has chaired symposia, seminars and scientific sessions in national and international conferences. He is aFellow of National Academy of Sciences (F.N.A.Sc), India, and is credited with 17 M.Phil and 23 Ph.D. thesisDr Rani has published 20 research papers in international peer reviewed journals like Plant Cell Reports, Genome, Genetica, Plant Systematics and Evolution, In Vitro Cellular Developmental Biology (IVCDB) Plant , Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology . In addition, she has contributed five review papers in books published from Springer Verlag and Kluwer Acad. Publ. and CRC Press Ltd. Dr Rani has presented her research as an invited speaker in many national and international conferences. She is a member of International Society of Plant Morphologists and NewYork Academy of Sciences, USARao's research activity has been published (and still is) in international renowned journals.

• Preface.- 1. Use of alien genetic variation for wheatimprovement; P.K. Gupta.- 2.Quantitative trait loci mapping in plants: concepts and approaches; D. Sehgal.- 3. Developing and deployingabiotic stress tolerant maize varieties in the tropics: challenges andopportunities; B.M. Prasanna.- 4.Harnessing apomixes for heterosis breeding in crop improvement; V. Bhat.- 5. Status and opportunities ofmolecular breeding approaches for genetic improvement of tea; R. Kumar Sharma.- 6. Molecularcytogenetic approaches in exploration of important chromosomal landmarks inplants; Y. Mukai.- 7. Technologicaladvances in studying gene pool diversity and its exploitation; S. Goel.- 8. Introgression andexploitation of QTL for yield and yield components from related wild speciesinto rice cultivars; K. Neelam.- 9. Amolecular phylogenetic framework for Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) improvement; A. Stewart.- 10. Genetic improvement of basmati rice – The journeyfrom conventional to molecular breeding; A.K.Singh.- 11. Genetic diversity andcoffee (Coffea sps) improvement inIndia; R.K. Aggarwal.- 12.Introgression and exploitation of biotic stress tolerance from related wildspecies in wheat cultivars; P. Chhuneja.- 13. Genetic improvement ofsugarcane through conventional and molecular approaches; S. Kumar.- 14. Germlinetransformation for crop improvement; R.Tandon.- 15. Advances in molecular breeding of pearl millet; D. Sehgal.- 16. Molecular marker-basedselection tools in spring bread wheat improvement: CIMMYT experience andprospects; S. Dreisigacker.- Index.

Raina’s quality research is evidenced by his publications in journals of international repute like Gene, AOB Plants, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Molecular Breeding, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Genome, Plant Breeding, Euphytica, Genetica, Heredity, Journal of Heredity, Cytogenetic and Genome Research, Methods in Cell Science, In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. – Plants, Plant Systematics and Evolution, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Caryologia, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, Plant Cell Reports, Annals of Botany among others. He has 135 publications, including 111 research papers, and 20 book chapters. The impact factor of his published papers ranges from 0.5 to 4.5 and the citation index touches nearly 2000. Raina has given invited seminars and keynote addresses in scientific forums in many countries, and has chaired symposia, seminars and scientific sessions in national and international conferences. He is aFellow of National Academy of Sciences (F.N.A.Sc), India, and is credited with 17 M.Phil and 23 Ph.D. thesisDr Rani has published 20 research papers in international peer reviewed journals like Plant Cell Reports, Genome, Genetica, Plant Systematics and Evolution, In Vitro Cellular Developmental Biology (IVCDB) Plant , Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology . In addition, she has contributed five review papers in books published from Springer Verlag and Kluwer Acad. Publ. and CRC Press Ltd. Dr Rani has presented her research as an invited speaker in many national and international conferences. She is a member of International Society of Plant Morphologists and NewYork Academy of Sciences, USARao's research activity has been published (and still is) in international renowned journals.

• Preface.- 1. Use of alien genetic variation for wheatimprovement; P.K. Gupta.- 2.Quantitative trait loci mapping in plants: concepts and approaches; D. Sehgal.- 3. Developing and deployingabiotic stress tolerant maize varieties in the tropics: challenges andopportunities; B.M. Prasanna.- 4.Harnessing apomixes for heterosis breeding in crop improvement; V. Bhat.- 5. Status and opportunities ofmolecular breeding approaches for genetic improvement of tea; R. Kumar Sharma.- 6. Molecularcytogenetic approaches in exploration of important chromosomal landmarks inplants; Y. Mukai.- 7. Technologicaladvances in studying gene pool diversity and its exploitation; S. Goel.- 8. Introgression andexploitation of QTL for yield and yield components from related wild speciesinto rice cultivars; K. Neelam.- 9. Amolecular phylogenetic framework for Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) improvement; A. Stewart.- 10. Genetic improvement of basmati rice – The journeyfrom conventional to molecular breeding; A.K.Singh.- 11. Genetic diversity andcoffee (Coffea sps) improvement inIndia; R.K. Aggarwal.- 12.Introgression and exploitation of biotic stress tolerance from related wildspecies in wheat cultivars; P. Chhuneja.- 13. Genetic improvement ofsugarcane through conventional and molecular approaches; S. Kumar.- 14. Germlinetransformation for crop improvement; R.Tandon.- 15. Advances in molecular breeding of pearl millet; D. Sehgal.- 16. Molecular marker-basedselection tools in spring bread wheat improvement: CIMMYT experience andprospects; S. Dreisigacker.- Index.