Modern plant breeding has improved the livelihoods of millions, allowing farmers to produce enough to feed rising populations, bringing many billions of dollars of profits in added grain and trade each year, and saving fragile environments from encroachment by permitting more intensive use of existing crop lands. Genomics and transgenics promise to move plant breeding into previously unimaginable terrain that could greatly benefit humankind. Plant Breeding assesses the state of the art and science of plant breeding and its future prospects. International experts in plant breeding review and discuss timely topics such as who controls the intellectual property of breeding and how this will affect progress and the sharing of useful products.Coverage is broad and comprehensive - from what is plant breeding and who are plant breeders to principles of plant breeding, the application of comparative genomics to crop improvement, and breeding for tolerance to abiotic stresses. Specialists in each species provide the latest developments affecting grains, trees, fruit and nuts, forage crops, and the all-important maize, making this an essential resource for agronomists, horticulturists, and others who research and teach plant biology worldwide.