Molecular Markers for Plant Variety Identification and Protection

The identification of varieties of crop plants is important for their registration, breeding, seed production, and trade. The traditional approach to variety identification involves analysis and recording of their morphological characters, which is less informative, highly influenced by environmental factors and time consuming. Availability of molecular markers in large number in all the major crops has opened new avenue for their utilization in plant variety identification and protection. Molecular markers have the advantage of not being influenced by the environment and thus stable. Development of software to analyze and characterize the molecular markers has enhanced the process significantly. It also helps in protecting Plant Breeders Right. The establishment of genome and transcriptome sequencing projects for crops has generated a huge wealth of sequence data that could find much use in identification of plants varieties. In this chapter molecular basis of variety identification and their protection has been discussed.