Basics -- The Principle: Identification and Application of Molecular Markers -- Genotyping Tools in Plant Breeding: From Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms to Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms -- A Model Crop Species: Molecular Markers in Rice -- From Markers to Cloned Genes: Map-Based Cloning -- Specific Crops -- DNA Markers in Brassica: Use of Genetic Information from Arabidopsis and Development of Sequence Tagged Site Markers -- Genomics as Efficient Tools: Example Sunflower Breeding -- Genome Analysis: Mapping in Sugar Beet -- Molecular Markers in Genetics and Breeding: Improvement of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) -- Localization of Important Traits: The Example Pea (Pisum sativum L.) -- Molecular Markers in Vigna Improvement: Understanding and Using Gene Pools -- Molecular Markers for Genetics and Breeding: Development and Use in Pepper (Capsicum spp.) -- Potato Genetics: Molecular Maps and More -- Molecular Marker Maps of Barley: A Resource for Intra- and Interspecific Genomics -- Genomics of Rice: Markers as a Tool for Breeding -- Wheat Microsatellites: Potential and Implications -- Comparative Genetic Mapping in Trees: The Group of Conifers -- Markers in Fruit Tree Breeding: Improvement of Peach -- Breeding Strategies and Silviculture Based on Markers -- General Considerations: Marker-Assisted Selection -- Breeding Strategies: Optimum Design of Marker-Assisted Backcross Programs -- From Theory to Practice: Marker-Assisted Selection in Maize -- Molecular Markers for Disease Resistance: The Example Wheat -- Application of DNA Markers: Soybean Improvement -- Forest Management and Conservation Using Microsatellite Markers: The Example of Fagus -- Molecular Markers in Tree Improvement: Characterisation and Use in Eucalyptus -- DNA Markers for Identification and Evaluation of Genetic Resources in Forest Trees: Case Studies in Abies, Picea and Populus -- Legal Aspects -- Intellectual Property Rights in the Field of Molecular Marker Analysis. Successful release of new and better crop varieties increasingly requires genomics and molecular biology. This volume presents basic information on plant molecular marker techniques from marker location up to gene cloning. The text includes a description of technical approaches in genome analysis such as comparison of marker systems, positional cloning, and array techniques in 19 crop plants. A special section focuses on converting this knowledge into general and specific breeding strategies, particularly in relation to biotic stress. Theory and practice of marker assisted selection for QTL, gene pyramiding and the future of MAS are summarized and discussed for maize, wheat, and soybean. Furthermore, approaches in silviculture on the examples of Fagus, Populus, Eucalyptus, Picea and Abies are presented. The volume ends with a comprehensive review of the patents relevant for using molecular markers and marker assisted selection.