Allele mining and its importance in seed quality

Enormous sequence information is available in public databases as a result of sequencing of diverse crop genomes. It is important to use this genomic information for the identification and isolation of novel and superior alleles of seed quality. These important genes from different gene pools to suitably deploy for the development of improved seeds with better quality attribute. Allele mining is a promising approach to dissect naturally occurring allelic variation at candidate genes controlling key traits which has potential applications in seed improvement programs. It helps in tracing the evolution of alleles, identification of new haplotypes and development of allele-specific markers for use in marker-assisted selection. Realizing the immense potential of allele mining, concerted allele mining efforts are underway in many international crop research institutes. This review examines the concepts, approaches and applications of allele mining in relation to the seed quality attributes. How best we can use allele mining in improving the quality attributes of seed.