Forty chapters deal with various aspects of tissue culture, in vitro manipulation, and other biotechnological approaches to the improvement of maize.
They are arranged in eight sections: - In Vitro Technology, Callus Cultures and Regeneration of Plants, Somatic Embryogenesis. - Wide Hybridization, Embryo, Ovule, and Inflorescence Culture, in Vitro Fertilization. - Production of Haploids and Double Haploids, Anther and Pollen Culture. - Protoplast Culture, Genetic Transformation. - Somaclonal Variation and Mutations. - Molecular Biology and Physiological Studies. - Proteins and Nutritional Improvement. Pollen Storage, Cryopreservation of Germplasm.

Natural saline water, waste water, and irrigation return flow endanger the groundwater aquifers in the Rift. In the long run this will ruin the socio-economic backbone of the settlements in the area. Sustainability of the water resources will only be achieved when the process of water replenishment and its underground flow is understood and water extraction is regionally controlled. Rare earth element and spider patterns are presented as new tools for studying the hydrology. Progress in 3-D modelling of groundwater flow proved successfully the impact of pumping on the surroundings of wells and overexploitation of aquifers.

Medicinal Agroecology: Reviews, Case Studies and Research Methodologies presents information on applications of 'green therapies' in restoration towards global sustainability. These practices connect the world of medicinal plants with ecologic farming practice creating a compassionate socio-political worldview and heartfelt scientific research towards food sovereignty and a healthier future on planet Earth. The book communicates benefits of using plant-based solutions to manage the challenges of unsustainable practices in human healthcare, veterinary medicine, agriculture, forestry, and water management. The contributions introduce advances around plants and their active components to potentially treat disease, regulate dysfunction, and balance ecosystems. These practices are explored in further depth through three sections - I. POLICIES & FRAMEWORKS, II. INSIGHTS & OVERVIEWS, III. CASE STUDIES & RESEARCH METHODS. Edited by Immo Fiebrig, Medicinal Agroecology: Reviews, Case Studies and Research Methodologies appeals to those in various disciplines including agriculture and agroecology, healthcare, environmental sciences, and veterinary medicine.

In response to low iron availability in the environment most microorganisms synthesize iron chelators, called siderophores. Bacteria and fungi produce a broad range of structurally diverse siderophores, which all show a very high affinity for ferric ions.

"Microbial Siderophores" presents an up-to-date overview of the chemistry, biology and biotechnology of these iron chelators. Following an introduction to the structure, functions and regulation of fungal siderophores, several chapters focus on siderophores of pseudomonads. Here, the technique of siderotyping, which has proved to be a rapid, accurate and inexpensive tool for pseudomonad characterization and identification, is described. Further, the biological significance of siderophores of symbiotic fungi and the possible role of siderophores in pathogenesis are discussed. In addition to methodological approaches, chapters on the biotechnological production of siderophores and their application in promoting human and plant health are included.

Plants use resources, i.e. carbon, nutrients, water and energy, either for growth or to defend themselves from biotic and abiotic stresses. This volume provides a timely understanding of resource allocation and its regulation in plants, linking the molecular with biochemical and physiological-level processes. Ecological scenarios covered include competitors, pathogens, herbivores, mycorrhizae, soil microorganisms, carbon dioxide/ozone regimes, nitrogen and light availabilities. The validity of the Growth-Differentiation Balance Hypothesis is examined and novel theoretical concepts and approaches to modelling plant resource allocation are discussed. The results presented can be applied in plant breeding and engineering, as well as in resource-efficient stand management in agriculture and forestry.

"

This thoughtful and provocative book provides a concise, up-to-date presentation of how current and projected future phosphorus scarcity will affect legume growth and their symbiotic nitrogen-fixing capabilities. It is a timely examination of the physiological and molecular responses of nodules to phosphorous deficiency in attempt to identify common principles. Students and researchers in the many disciplines related to crop productivity will find this title an exciting contribution in the area of plant stress physiology. The knowledge in this volume can also aid plant breeders, particularly through new methods of genetic engineering, in developing unique and adaptive cultivars with higher symbiotic efficiency. The awareness of the rapidly rising world population must translate into a parallel increase in agricultural production in order to sustain the growing population both now and in the future. Hence, the demand for food crops to produce proteins and vegetable oil for human consumption is going to increase considerably during the coming years. The essential role of legumes in agriculture is well-recognized, given the abundant levels of proteins and oils found in plants along with their enormous contribution to the sustainability of agricultural systems and human health. The capacity of legumes to fix nitrogen (N2) in partnership with rhizobia provides an input-saving and resource-conserving alternative, thereby reducing the need for chemical fertilizers while enhancing overall crop productivity. The use of N2-fixing legumes to produce plant proteins results in a substantial decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels and therefore also in the agricultural effects to global warming. However, a major constraint to legume production is low soil phosphorus (P) availability, considering that an overwhelming majority of the world's soils are classified as P-deficient. Low-P availability is especially problematic for legumes, since legume nodules responsible for N2 fixation have a high P requirement. Therefore, this book explains how nodule N2 fixation responds to low P availability, which is crucial for improving legume production and maintaining agricultural sustainability in the context of the global P crisis.

Environmental and Architectural Psychology: The Basics is a jargon-free and accessible introduction to the relationship between people and their natural and built environment. Exploring everything from the effectiveness of open plan offices to how people respond to life-threatening disasters, the book addresses issues around sustainability, climate change, and behaviour, and is grounded in theory and ideas drawn from psychology, geography, and architecture. Author Ian Donald introduces both the theoretical underpinnings and the applications of environment-behaviour research to solving real world problems, encouraging readers to reflect on the role of design and policy in shaping the environments in which they live and work. With chapters considering the impact of environment on identity, wellbeing, crime, and spatial behaviour, Donald shows us not only how people shape and affect the environment, but also in turn how the environment shapes and affects people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Addressing some of the most important questions of our time, including how behaviour drives climate change, and what we can do about it, this is the ideal book for anyone interested in the interactions between architecture, the environment, and psychology.

This volume summarizes recent technological advances in the design and engineering of Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae crops. It begins with contributions on the tomato and melon genome sequence, databases for Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae research, DNA markers in the breeding of the two families, and mutant resources and TILLING platforms in tomato research. Subsequent chapters address the use of molecular techniques for the modification of important breeding traits, such as tomato fruit set, growth, ripening, and sugar accumulation, as well as disease and insect resistance in melons. The volume closes with chapters on genome editing using artificial nucleases as a future breeding tool, and on the development of an in silico crop design system. It offers a valuable resource for plant breeders, molecular biologists, and agronomists.

This book is about climate change and its relation to agriculture and rural livelihoods. It starts by providing a basic understanding of climate change science followed by the relation of climate change to agriculture, the impact of which is discussed based on the particular impact of climate change on plant and animal physiology. The book further discusses the inclusion of the agriculture sector in various international climate change negotiations. It also reviews the cost and opportunities for agricultural projects through international climate change regimes, specifically the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol. With this background, the book finally proceeds to an explanation of the methodologies used to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture and empirically discusses its impact on agriculture and rural livelihoods in Nepal.

This book describes the latest advances in Allium genome research. Allium includes plant species known for their huge nuclear genome size, which makes them ideal for somatic chromosome observations in high school experiments. In order to advance the genome analysis of A. cepa and its functional study, scientists in international research collaborations have developed several types of artificially manipulated genetic stocks and analyzed them using modern technologies. The Allium vegetable crop includes garlic, shallot, wakegi onion, Japanese bunching onion, and rakkyo. Bulb onion is one of the world's most important Allium commercial crops, with an estimated annual production of 85.8 million tons in 2013, and ranking third after tomato and watermelon in terms of global vegetable crops.

In conventional views, pastoralism was classified as a stage of civilization that needed to be abolished and transcended in order to reach a higher level of development. In this context, global approaches to modernize a rural society have been ubiquitous phenomena independent of ideological contexts. The 20th century experienced a variety of concepts to settle mobile groups and to transfer their lifestyles to modern perceptions. Permanent settlements are the vivid expression of an ideology-driven approach. Modernization theory captured all walks of life and tried to optimize breeding techniques, pasture utilization, transport and processing concepts. New insights into other aspects of pastoralism such as its role as an adaptive strategy to use marginal resources in remote locations with difficult access could only be understood as a critique of capitalist and communist concepts of modernization. In recent years a renaissance of modernization theory-led development activities can be observed. Higher inputs from external funding, fencing of pastures and settlement of pastoralists in new townships are the vivid expression of 'modern' pastoralism in urban contexts. The new modernization programme incorporates resettlement and transformation of lifestyles as to be justified by environmental pressure in order to reduce degradation in the age of climate change.

Haploid plants have the gametophytic number of chromosomes. They are of great importance, especially in studies on the induction of muta tions and also for the production of homozygous plants, they are needed in large numbers. The conventional methods employed by plant breeders for their production are cumbersome, time-consuming, laborious and rather inefficient. Sometimes it may take years to produce a pure line. However, with the introduction of in vitro techniques, especially anther culture for the induction of androgenesis, it has become increasingly evi dent that these methods considerably accelerate the production of haploids for plant breeding programs. During the last decade, in vitro-produced haploids have been incor porated into breeding programs of many agricultural crops, and positive results have been obtained especially with rice, wheat, potato, barley, maize, asparagus, sunflower, brassica, tobacco, etc. Among these, rice and wheat are the best examples in which a number of improved varieties have been released. In wheat, the breeding cycle can be shortened by three or four generations when the pollen haploid breeding method is used instead of conventional cross-breeding. The release of the wheat varieties Jinghua 1 and Florin is a typical example of what can be achieved with other crops. Taking these developments into considera tion, the present volume, Haploids in Crop Improvement I, was compil ed."

More than 20 million childhood deaths occur every year due to the micronutrient deficiency and diet-related non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes). The United Nations (UN) recently announced that the increase in chronic, non-communicable diseases has resulted in 36 million deaths around the world annually, claiming more lives than all other causes combined. These chronic diseases are not isolated to developed countries and are even more pronounced in the developing world. Such chronic illnesses have caused far more deaths than infectious diseases throughout the world (except Africa) in recent years. Therefore, enrichment of micronutrients in staple food crops is of paramount importance for the nutritional security in our world. Biofortification is the development of micronutrient- and/or vitamin-rich crops using traditional crop improvement practices as well as modern biotechnology tools. It is a more sustainable and cost effective method than food supplementation, fortification and diet diversification. This work consolidates available information on the different aspects of breeding for improved nutrition of pulses. An overview of entire pulses based on their nutritional profile is given so that audience can find the desired information easily. Food legumes are the active ingredients in many gluten-free food products and there is a continuous rise of the use of pulses flour in milling and baking processes. Our book sheds light on recent efforts and the underlying constraints of meeting the public demand. We believe this work provides the basic information for anyone interested in biofortification and stimulate further research to meet this unique challenge.

The first accessible text on the topic of animals as environmental predictors, bringing together the literature from as far back as 18th century through to the present day. - Covers wider terrain than other titles in a relatively unexplored subject area. The text discusses climate change (highly topical) and how animals may be able to be used to predict future weather and climatic events. There is international potential as the climate challenge is global, and the examples span worldwide case studies. The sources used include myths, anecdotes, news articles and stories backed up by relevant scientific literature in international peer-reviewed journals. Each chapter starts with a short fictitious story to set the scene and anecdotes from indigenous cultures are especially interesting. The author draws on his vast expertise in biochemistry and cell biology. The science does not impede the less technical reader, due to the engaging mix of stories, anecdotes, personal observations and scientific underpinnings.

Within the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) was established as an implementing agreement. The CPB is an international agreement establishing the rights of recipient countries to be notified of and to approve or reject the domestic import and/or production of living modified organisms (LMOs). Decisions regarding import/production are to be on the basis of a biosafety assessment. Article 26.1 of the CPB allows for the (optional) inclusion of socio-economic considerations (SECs) into that biosafety assessment process. This book compiles expert assessments of the issues relevant to SEC assessment of LMOs and fundamental for decisions regarding whether to undertake such assessments at all. It includes an overview of the inclusion of SEC assessment in the regulation of LMOs that looks at the rationale for the inclusion of SECs, in the context of the existing science-based risk assessment systems. This book reviews the various factors that can and have been suggested for inclusion in SEC assessment, and provides a meaningful dialogue about the contrasts, benefits and tradeoffs that are, and will, be created by the potential move to the inclusion of SECs in the regulation of LMOs, making it of interest to bothacademics and policy-makers."

The future of agriculture greatly depends on our ability to enhance productivity without sacrificing long-term production potential. The application of microorganisms, such as the diverse bacterial species of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), represents an ecologically and economically sustainable strategy. The use of these bio-resources for the enhancement of crop productivity is gaining importance worldwide. Bacteria in Agrobiology: Crop Productivity focus on the role of beneficial bacteria in crop growth, increased nutrient uptake and mobilization, and defense against phytopathogens. Diverse group of agricultural crops and medicinal plants are described as well as PGPR-mediated bioremediation leading to food security.

This book shows how the use of biodegradable plastics in agriculture can have a profound positive impact on plasticulture. Starting with an organic chemistry approach to biodegradable and compostable plastics, both natural and synthetic, it then analyzes the technological and agronomic aspects of existing bioplastics for protected cultivation (mulching, direct cover, low tunnels). It describes the new sprayable biodegradable mulching method, which is based on the use of waterborne polysaccharides and cellulosic fibers. A further chapter describes the research and technology of biodegradable plastics for different agricultural practices. It also includes chapters on life cycle assessment (LCA) of biodegradable plastics for agriculture, and existing and developing standards in the field. It is a valuable resource for agronomists, chemical and materials engineers, polymer technologists and scientists, as well as for a more general readership interested in the application of green chemistry principles to the vast world of crop production. Mario Malinconico< is Research Director at the Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, Italy.

Agricultural research is one of the most widespread forms of organized research in the world, in both developed and developing countries. Management of agricultural research involves many decisions that have scientific, social and political consequences. Every country has established agricultural research priorities based on many complex factors that must be considered when decisions are made on the choice of research problems to be investigated. Resources must be divided among projects that often compete for the limited funding available that supports the total research enterprise. This book will provide those individuals who manage research with methods and procedures that can be used in their management organization.

This volume is the first ever English translation of Part III of Johann von Thunen's famous 'Isolated State'. The original German publication from 1863 has been translated by Keith Tribe and is E Ulrich van Suntum on behalf of the Thunen Society. It deals with the optimum rotation period of woods, a central problem of capital theory, which has been studied by many famous economists. Debates on this issue have still not reached a final conclusion, and therefore Thunen's early approach to sustainable forestry is of central importance. Thunen has been hailed an innovator way ahead of his time. This book celebrates his ideas as an economist, as a farmer and a thinker on agrarian policy, and endeavoursto revive the study and discussion of forestry economics and its history.

This book provides insights into the genetics and the latest advances in genomics research on the common bean, offering a timely overview of topics that are pertinent for future developments in legume genomics. The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume crop for food consumption worldwide, as well as a model for legume research, and the availability of the genome sequence has completely changed the paradigm of the ongoing research on the species. Key topics covered include the numerous genetic and genomic resources, available tools, the identified genes and quantitative trait locus (QTL) identified, and there is a particular emphasis on domestication. It is a valuable resource for students and researchers interested in the genetics and genomics of the common bean and legumes in general.

This book contains the complete text of the special Golden Anniversary issue of the flagship journal of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI), Papers in Regional Science (Volume 83, Number 1), as well as the full text of Walter Isard's Presidential Address "The future (near and far) of regional science". Professor Isard originally delivered the speech in a special plenary session of the fiftieth North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International. The session began with a ceremonial kickoff to the year-long celebration of the multidisciplinary field's first 50 years. At the ceremony, held on the morning of Friday, November 21,2004 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Philadelphia, we presented Walter Isard, the founder of our multidisciplinary field, as well as Antoine Bailly, the President of the Regional Science Association International, and David Boyce, the Association's Archivist, with commemorative first copies of the anniversary issue. This book, entitled Fifty Years of Regional Science, consists of a compendium of "thought" papers authored by a representative sampling of some of the field's leading scholars. For the special journal issue we originally titled the collection: "The Brightest of Dawns".

This volume provides insights into current research on fungal populations, communities and their interactions with other organisms. It focuses on fungal responses to the physical environment; interactions with bacteria, other fungi, invertebrates and plants; the role of fungi in ecosystem processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling; and aspects of biogeography and conservation. Since the publication of the second edition of Volume IV in 2007, the massive use of "omics" methods has revolutionized our understanding of fungal lifestyles. Highlighting these advances, the third edition has been completely updated and revised. Several chapters deal with various applications of genomics and transcriptomics in biological pest control, as well as interactions with other living systems. This is an invaluable source of information both for scientists who wish to update their knowledge of current advances and for graduate students interested in obtaining a comprehensive introduction to this field of research.

- spans the last fifty years of fisheries policy in Europe - the parting contribution and career spanning reflection from one of Europe’s most renowned social scientists working in this field - explains why the bold but deeply flawed Common Fisheries Policy persistently failed to deliver its basic goal of sustainable fisheries - a final section on Brexit focuses on the implications for the fisheries sector and the fateful final negotiations with the EU over the fisheries question - essential reading for students, scholars, professionals and policymakers working on fisheries, marine governance, natural resource management, environmental policy and the European Project

The book discusses planthopper pests of rice. These insects are one of the most destructive pests, threatening food security around the world. The historical development of the rice planthopper problem shows that they are secondary pests and single-discipline control tactics or strategies were not able to manage them, and instead caused frequent resurgences. This book not only presents new approaches to this persistent problem, but also new ecological methods, new perspectives on the effect of pesticide marketing, insights into developing resistant varieties and structural reforms in pest management. Integrating biological, ecological, economic and sociological aspects, it clearly presents the latest information on newly developed strategies for managing this pest. Dr. K. L. Heong is the principal scientist and insect ecologist at the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. He has been researching rice planthoppers for more than 30 years. Dr. Heong is a fellow of the Third World Academy of Science and the Academy of Sciences, Malaysia. Professor Jia-an Cheng is an insect ecologist who has been studying rice planthoppers for about 50 years. He is a professor at Zhejiang University, China. Professor M.M. Escalada works at Visayas State University.