Genomics Data Analysis for Crop Improvement

This book addresses complex problems associated with crop improvement programs, using a wide range of programming solutions, for genomics data handling and sustainable agriculture. It describes important concepts in genomics data analysis and sequence-based mapping approaches along with references. The book contains 16 chapters on recent developments in several methods of genomic data analysis for crop improvements and sustainable agriculture, all authored by eminent researchers who are experts in their fields. These chapters focus on applications of a wide range of key bioinformatics topics, including assembly, annotation, and visualization of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data; expression profiles of coding and noncoding RNA; statistical and quantitative genetics; trait-based association analysis, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, and artificial intelligence in genomic studies.

Real examples and case studies in the book will come in handy when applying the techniques. The relative scarcity of reference materials covering bioinformatics applications as compared with the readily available books also enhances the utility of this book. The targeted readers of the book are scientists, researchers, and bioinformaticians from genomics and advanced breeding in different areas. The book will appeal to the applied researchers engaged in crop improvements and sustainable agriculture by using bioinformatics tools, students, research project leaders, and practitioners from the various marginal disciplines and interdisciplinary research.

Priyanka Anjoy is Assistant Director at the Indian Statistical Service in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Government of India. Earlier, she was appointed as Scientist at the Agricultural Research Service in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the Government of India. Her research interests include diverse areas of methodological and applied problems in statistics, particularly survey design and estimation methods, small-area estimation, spatial models for survey data, time series analysis, statistical and biological methods for improvements in agriculture, and national accounts and inflation. She has received the Indian Agricultural Research Institute Merit Medal for her PhD and MSc degrees, respectively, and is honored with the Freedom Fighter Purnendu Sekhar Guha Memorial Gold Medal in her BSc degree. She is also awarded Dr. RT Doshi Prize from the Agricultural Economics Research Association, India. She has published more than 20 research papers in various respected journals.

Kuldeep Kumar is Scientist at the ICAR-Indian Institute for Pulses Research, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. His areas of research include sequencing-based mapping, GWAS, QTL-seq, QTL-mapping, transcriptomics and genomics. He has published more than 30 research papers in various reputed national and international journals. Presently, he is working on delineating the molecular mechanism of salinity tolerance in black gram by using advanced genomics approaches like GWAS, QTL-mapping and transcriptomics.

Girish Chandra is Associate Professor at the Department of Statistics, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India. Before joining the University of Allahabad, in April 2022, he worked as Scientist at the Division of Forestry Statistics, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), and at the Central Agricultural University, Sikkim, for about 15 years. He is a recipient of the Cochran–Hansen Prize 2017 of the International Association of Survey Statisticians, the Netherlands. He is also honored with the ICFRE Outstanding Research Award 2018 and the Young Scientist Award in Mathematical Sciences from the Government of Uttarakhand, India. He also is Adjunct Faculty at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Coochbehar, West Bengal. He has published more than 60 research papers in various respected journals and has 5 books to his credit. He has organized two national conferences on applied statistics. Dr. Girish is a member of various scientific institutions, including the International Statistical Institute, the International Indian Statistical Association, and the International Indian Association of Probability and Statistics and Computational and Methodological Statistics. He has successfully completed various research and consultancy projects funded by various ministries and organizations of the Government of India.

Kishor Gaikwad is Principal Scientist at the ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, India. His areas of research include functional genomics, genome sequencing, genomics and molecular breeding. He has published more than 150 research papers in various reputed national and international journals. He is one of the pioneer members of the Rice, Pigeonpea, and Tomato Genome consortium in India. His lab is currently working on delineating the genes, markers, and pathways involved in several abiotic stresses, flowering, and seed and pod in pigeon pea. Besides, his lab is also involved in developing the first draft genome sequence of Cyamopsis tetragonaloba and Vigna mungo.