Plant Breeding: Past, Present and Future

JohnE. Bradshaw, PhD, spent his whole professional life as plant breeder andgeneticist at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI, formerly the ScottishPlant Breeding Station and now the James Hutton Institute). He completed hiscareer as Head of Potato Breeding and Manager of the Potato Genetics Programme,funded by the Scottish Government. He has worked on barley, brassicas (kale,swedes and turnips) and potatoes; doing research on the applications ofgenetics to plant breeding methods as well as breeding two kale and three swedecultivars, and contributing to the breeding of four more swedes, a turnip, and27 potatoes. His research covered methods of kale populationimprovement, the genetic basis of heterosis in swedes, the theory and practiceof linkage and QTL analysis in tetraploid potatoes, and breeding forquantitative resistance to pests and diseases (clubroot in kale, powdery mildewin swedes, and late blight and cyst nematodes in potatoes). Dr. Bradshawis anHonorary Fellow of the Indian Potato Association and an Honorary Associate ofthe James Hutton Institute. He also holds Honorary Membership of EUCARPIA,European Association for Research on Plant Breeding (in recognition of hisoutstanding activity in the field of plant breeding science, and hisconsiderable contributions to improving international contacts in plantbreeding research). He was awarded the prestigious 2010 British Potato IndustryAward in recognition of his outstanding contribution to potato research andknowledge transfer. He has published 93 refereed papers in peer reviewedjournals, 53 other articles and 10 book chapters. He has also edited one andco-edited two books including Root and Tuber Crops (Book 7 of the Handbook ofPlant Breeding Series) with Springer.

• Domestication, Dispersion, Selection and Hybridization of Cultivated Plants.- Scientific Breeding in the 20th Century and Future Goals.- DNA and the Origin of Variation.- Mendelian Genetics and Linkage Maps.- Gene Expression and Selection of Major Genes.- Quantitative Genetics and Genomic Selection.- Genotype × Environment Interactions and Selection Environments.- Genome Evolution and Polyploidy.- Genetic Structure of Landraces.- Open-Pollinated and Synthetic Cultivars from Population Improvement.- Clonal Cultivars from Multistage Multitrait Selection.- Hybrid Cultivars from Inbreeding and Crossbreeding.- Inbred Line Cultivars and Mixtures from Hybridization and Inbreeding.- Genetic Basis of Heterosis and Inbred Line versus Hybrid Cultivars.- Use of Sexual Reproduction in Base Broadening and Introgression.- Mutation Breeding.- Genetically Modified Crops.- Durable Resistance to Pests and Diseases.- Way Ahead.