Male Sterility Systems in Major Field Crops and Their Potential Role in Crop ImprovementK BSaxenaauthorA JHinganeauthorMale sterility is a phenomenon where the male reproductive parts of the
plants do not develop normally and fail to participate in sexual reproduction.
The male sterility is of different kinds and can arise through a number
of biological abnormalities. Among these, cytoplasmic nuclear male sterility
has been extensively used by plant breeders to achieve breakthrough in
the productivity of various field and horticultural crops through the development
of hybrid cultivars. The impact of this technology is visible in
crops like maize, rice, sorghum, pearl millet, etc., and this has helped in
encountering the challenges of global food security. Among high-protein
legumes, the world’s first hybrid was released recently with record 3–4 t/
ha of grain yield. This chapter briefly discusses the types of male sterility
systems available in different crop species and their potential uses. Besides
this, various methods of creating different male sterility systems are also
described.Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics2015SpringerBook Section