Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) is a dicotyledonous plant which is classified as a cereal due to the method of production, processing and use. There are two economically important species, common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.). Mainly due to low yields buckwheat is not a globally important crop. Interest in it has been growing in recent years as it has many positive effects on human health and it is a very durable, adaptable and undemanding plant. Classical breeding in buckwheat is time-consuming, and its success is hampered mainly by the highly developed self-incompatibility mechanism in common buckwheat and the high degree of heterozygosity. Therefore, there is a growing interest in the use of modern biotechnological methods in buckwheat breeding. Plant tissue cultures are one of the important methods in modern breeding. In buckwheat, successful in vitro regeneration has been reported from various explants (cotyledons, hypocotyls, meristems, immature inflorescence, anthers). However, the frequency of regeneration is poor and strongly influenced by genotype. Therefore it will be necessary to develop quick and easy procedures with high regeneration rate and reproducibility. Interspecific hybrids can be successfully obtained by rescuing immature embryos. Haploids would enable breeding of hybrids, but procedures for obtaining haploids in buckwheat are not optimized. Such as tissue culture methods, genetic transformation techniques need to be optimized to be useful in studying the functions of genes and obtaining transgenic plants. In buckwheat, various marker systems (RAPD, AFLP, and SSR) were developed to generate gene maps and few agronomically important genes and QTLs were mapped. The greatest potential is represented by NGS sequencing techniques which will accelerate the identification of agronomically important genes and the development of useful marker systems that will enable the breeding of varieties with higher yields, even better nutritional value and greater tolerance to abiotic stress.
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