Amaranthus: A Promising Crop of Future

This book servesthe larger community ofplant researchers working onthetaxonomy, species delimitation, phylogeny,andbiogeography of pseudo-cereals,withaspecial emphasis onamaranths.It also provides extensive information on thenutritive value of underutilized pseudo-cereals,the goal being to broaden thevegetable list. Amaranthusis a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants. Most of the species are summer annual weeds and are commonly referred to as pigweed. Only a few are cultivated as vitamin-rich vegetables and ornamentals. The protein-rich seeds of a handful of species, known as grain amaranths, are consumed as pseudo-cereals.Amaranthusmanifests considerable morphological diversity among and even within certain species, and there is no general agreement on the taxonomy or number of species. Currently the genusAmaranthus is believed to include three recognized subgenera and 70 species. Amatanthus is considered to potentially offer an alternative crop in temperate and tropical climate. The classification of amaranths is ambiguous due to the lack of discrete and quantitative species-defining characteristicsand thewide range of phenotypic plasticity, as well as introgression and hybridization involving weedy and crop species. It is a known fact that both vegetable and grain amaranths have evolved from their respective weed progenitors.There are more than 180 different weed speciesthatare herbicide-resistant, and amaranths are considered tobeleading membersoftheresistant biotypes. Amaranth species provide ample scope forinvestigatingherbicide resistance mechanisms. Amaranths also show variability interms of theirmating behaviorandgermplasm, adaptability to different growing conditions,andwide range of variability in sexual systems, from monoecy to dioecy. Asolid grasp of theseparametersis essential to the futureutilization of amaranthsas super crops.There are quite a few amaranth research center and germplasm collections all over the worldthatmaintainand evaluateworking germplasms. To date,the genetic improvement of amaranths has primarily involved the application ofconventional selection methods. But advances in genomics and biotechnology have dramatically enrichedthe potential to manipulate theamaranth genome,especially improving the amount and availability of nutrients. In conclusion, the book covers all aspects of amaranths, includingtheirfood value, significance as vegetablesand pseudo-cereals, taxonomy, phylogeny, germplasm variability, breeding behavior and strategies, cultivation practices,andvariabilityin terms of theirsexual systems.It offers a valuable resource for allstudents, researchers and experts working in the field of plant taxonomy and diversity.