Rice, maize, sorghum, wheat, barley and the other
major crop grasses from the family Poaceae
(Gramineae) are mankind’s most important source
of calories and contribute tens of billions of dollars
annually to the world economy (FAO 1999, http://www.fao.org; USDA 1997, http://www.usda.gov).
Continued improvement of Poaceae crops is necessary
in order...