Introduction: Biotechnology of major cereals

Ranked on the basis of harvested mass, the top five cereals in the world are maize (corn), rice, wheat, barley and sorghum. However, the commercial application of biotechnology over these five species is heavily skewed. Only in maize are there genetically engineered varieties currently marketed to growers. There is plenty of applied research and field testing in the other crops, and this introduction, along with the other chapters in this book, analyse the current status and future role of biotechnology in applied research and development of improved varieties for these key five cereal species