marker-assisted selection in wheat

26Marker-assisted selection – Current status and future perspectives in crops, livestock, forestry and fishprogrammes but SNPs were singled outas promising markers for the future. Withpartnerships between developed and developingcountries within or across regions,genetic diversity studies may be a means ofrealizing the potential of molecular markertechniques to improve decision-making onbreed development and the prioritizationof breeds for conservation programmes.The successful application of MAS inanimal breeding necessitates a high levelof expenditure in terms of establishmentand maintenance costs and requires skilledhuman resources, equipment, laboratoriesand supportive infrastructure. As such, thecost-effectiveness of these strategies has tobe carefully evaluated before promotingthem in resource-poor environments.ReferencesBaumung, R., Simianer, H. & Hoffmann, I. 2004. Genetic diversity studies in farm animals – asurvey. J. Anim. Breed. Genet. 121: 361-373.FAO. Country reports on the state of animal genetic resources (available at www.fao.org/dad-is/).FAO. 1998a. Secondary guidelines for development of National Farm Animal Genetic ResourcesManagement Plans. Measurement of domestic animal diversity (MoDAD): original Working Groupreport. Rome.FAO. 1998b. Secondary guidelines for development of National Farm Animal Genetic ResourcesManagement Plans. Measurement of domestic animal diversity (MoDAD): recommendedmicrosatellite markers. Rome.FAO. 2001. Preparation of the first report on the state of the world’s animal genetic resources.Guidelines for the preparation of CRs. Rome.FAO. 2004. Measurement of domestic animal diversity – a review of recent diversity studies. Documentprepared for the third session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Animal GeneticResources. Rome (available at www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/genetics/documents/ITWG3_Inf3.pdf).FAO. 2005. Status of research and application of crop biotechnologies in developing countries: preliminaryassessment, by Z. Dhlamini, C. Spillane, J.P. Moss, J. Ruane, N. Urquia & A. Sonnino. Rome(available at www.fao.org/docrep/008/y5800e/y5800e00.htm).Guimarães, E.P., Kueneman, E. & Carena, M.J. 2006. Assessment of national plant breeding andbiotechnology capacity in Africa and recommendations for future capacity building. Hort. Sci. 41:50–52.Hallauer, A.R. 1999. Temperate maize and heterosis. In J.G. Coors & S. Pandey, eds. The genetics andexploitation of heterosis in crops, pp. 353-361. Proc. Internat. Symp. of Heterosis in Crops. MexicoCity, 18–22 August 1997. ASA, CSSA and SSSA, Madison, WI, USA.Pilling, D., Cardellino, R., Zjalic, M., Rischkowsky, B., Tempelman, K.A. & Hoffmann, I. 2007.The use of reproductive and molecular biotechnology in animal genetic resources management – aglobal overview. Anim. Genet. Resources Information. FAO, Rome (in press).Toenniessen G.P., O’Toole, J.C. & DeVries, J. 2003. Advances in plant biotechnology and its adoptionin developing countries. Curr. Opin. in Plant Biol. 6: 191–198.