Investigation on biobased nanomaterials has provided new insights into the rapidly advancing fields of the biomedical and environmental sciences by showing how these nanomaterials are effective in biomedicine and environmental remediation. These particles hold tremendous prospective applications, and are likely to become the next generation of particles in these areas. As such, research is ongoing and the data generated should have the potential for a sustainable future in both the environmental and biomedical fields. This book presents important findings on the role of and identification of novel applications of biobased nanomaterials. Unlike other books in this field, this book focuses entirely on sustainable application and remediation in biomedicine and environmental science. The chapters are written in such a way as to make them accessible to the reader, and furthermore, the volume can be readily adopted as a reference, or used as a guide for further research. This project was based on recent research (the last 5 years) and developed through an extensive literature search. The editors have also compiled some advanced, outstanding texts that should be of benefit to graduate students in their research.

This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on vertical farming in horticulture. The first chapter describes and evaluates technologies and methods for growing edible plants indoors and presents a survey of selected commercial vertical farms currently operating that employ them. The second chapter explores the benefits of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs). The chapter assesses resource consumption, costs and performance of current PFALs, as well as methods for reducing resource consumption and production costs. The third chapter explores recent advances in the ornamentals industry, such as vertical propagation systems and LED technology, and how these can be implemented to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace and societal demands. The fourth chapter describes the advantages and disadvantages of hydroponics, along with the equipment and substrates used, and also examines soilless/hydroponic growing systems for vegetables. The final chapter describes the most recent innovation in hydroponic technologies for plant cultivation within cities and their adaptability to the urban fabric.

This specially curated collection features four reviews of current and key research on mastitis in dairy cattle. The first chapter reviews the indicators of mastitis and the contagious and environmental pathogens which cause it. It then discusses how mastitis can be managed and controlled on dairy farms, including consideration of dry cow therapy and the use of antibiotics. The second chapter examines the impact of clinical and subclinical mastitis in cows on milk quality, and provides a detailed account of indicators of mastitis. It describes the impact of mastitis on milk composition and quality, addressing its effect on the protein, fat, lactose and iron content of milk. The third chapter reviews advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve resistance to mastitis. It includes sections on both conventional and new phenotypes for improving resistance to clinical mastitis and concludes with a section on increasing rates of genetic gain through genomic selection. The final chapter considers recent research on the prevalence and development of antimicrobial resistance in mastitis pathogens. It shows how consistent diagnostic protocols and recording systems, attention to medical history, appropriate choice of antibiotics and control of treatment duration can all contribute to minimizing unnecessary use of antimicrobials and promoting effective treatment of mastitis.

Microorganisms are an integral part of the fermentation process in food products and help to improve sensory and textural properties of the products. As such, it is vital to explore the current uses of microorganisms in the dairy industry. Microbial Cultures and Enzymes in Dairy Technology is a critical scholarly resource that explores multidisciplinary uses of cultures and enzymes in the production of dairy products. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics such as dairy probiotics, biopreservatives, and fermentation, this book is geared toward academicians, researchers, and professionals in the dairy industry seeking current research on the major role of microorganisms in the production of many dairy products.

Phyto-pathogens are one of the dominating components which badly affect crop production. In light of the global food demand, sustainable agricultural plans utilizing agrochemicals became necessary. The role of beneficial microbes in the defense priming of host plants has been well documented. This book details new aspects of microbial-assisted plant protection and their role in agricultural production, economy, and environmental sustainability.

Blast is an important foliar disease that infects the majority of cereal crops like rice, finger millet, pearl millet, foxtail millet and wheat, and thus resulting in a huge economic impact. The pathogen is responsible for causing epidemics in many crops and commonly shifts to new hosts. Magnaporthe spp. is the most prominent cause of blast disease on a broad host range of grasses including rice as well as other species of poaceae family. To date, 137 members of Poaceae hosting this fungus have been described in Fungal Databases. This book provides information on all blast diseases of different cereal crops. The pathogen evolves quickly due to its high variability, and thus can quickly adapt to new cultivars and cause an epidemic in a given crop. Some of the topics covered here include historical perspectives, pathogen evolution, host range shift, cross-infectivity, and pathogen isolation, use of chemicals fungicides, genetics and genomics, and management of blast disease in different cereal crops with adoption of suitable methodologies.In the past two decades there have been significant developments in genomics and proteomics approaches and there has been substantial and rapid progress in the cloning and mapping of R genes for blast resistance, as well as in comparative genomics analysis for resolving delineation of Magnaporthe species that infect both cereals and grass species. Blast disease resistance follows a typical gene-for-gene hypothesis. Identification of new Avr genes and effector molecules from Magnaporthe spp. can be useful to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the fast evolution of different strains of this fungal genus. Advances in these areas may help to reduce the occurrence of blast disease by the identification of potential R genes for effective deployment. Additionally, this book highlights the importance of blast disease that infects different cereal hosts in the context of climate change, and genomics approaches that may potentially help in understanding and applying new concepts and technologies that can make real impact in sustainable management of blast disease in different cereal crops.