**7.3 Applications**

Allele mining can be effectively and efficiently used for (1) discovery of superior alleles, through 'mining' the gene of interest from diverse genetic resources, (2) providing insight into molecular basis of novel trait variations and identifying the nucleotide sequence changes associated with superior alleles, (3) studying the rate of evolution of alleles; allelic similarity/dissimilarity at a candidate gene and allelic synteny with other members of the family, (4) paving way for molecular discrimination among related species through development of allele-specific molecular markers, and (5) facilitating introgression of novel alleles through Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) or deployment through Genetic Engineering (GE). Allele mining can also be potentially employed in the identification of nucleotide variation at a candidate gene associated with phenotypic variation for a trait. Through this, the frequency, type and the extent of occurrence of new haplotypes and the resulting phenotypic changes can be evaluated.
