DNA-based screening of Brassica germplasm for sustainable and enhanced crop production

The Brassica genus contains many agriculturally important oilseed and vegetable crops. Brassica germplasm, including natural accessions and breeding populations, are maintained globally for sustainable management and enhancement of Brassica crop production, which is critical in meeting the demands of population growth and challenges of environmental stresses due to global climate change. DNA-based markers, such as SNPs, are commonly used to screen large numbers of Brassica germplasm for conservation, genetic mapping and association studies. This chapter focuses on the application of SNP genotyping technologies for conservation of Brassica germplasm, uncovering the genetic basis of various biotic and abiotic stresses and screening for yield-related traits and oil quality through marker-trait association studies.