Concepts and applications of bioinformatics for sustainable agriculture

Official URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-89778-5.00012-X

Sustainability is a key challenge for agriculture in the 21st century to produce more crops and livestock without exhausting non-renewable resources, and to ensure consistent productivity in spite of environmental stresses. The enormous amount of data now being generated from genomics projects is a vital foundation for potential genetic improvement of crop and livestock species. However, effective bioinformatic tools and practical applications are needed in order to build on this foundation in the field. This chapter discusses available genomic database resources and the biological concepts essential for their application to agricultural breeding programs, including genome mapping, genotyping technologies, genome-wide association studies, and emerging techniques. At each stage, we highlight gaps where, through improved computational approaches and interfaces, bioinformatics can help to progress the development of sustainable agricultural practices.