The origin of agriculture is one of the defining events of human history. Some 11-10,000 years ago bands of hunter-gatherers started to abandon their high-mobility lifestyles in favour of growing crops, and the creation of settled, sedentary communities. This shift into an agricultural lifestyle triggered the evolution of complex political and economic structures, and technological developments, and ultimately underpinned the rise of all the great civilisations of recent human history. Domestication of Plants in the Old World reviews and synthesises the information on the origins and domestication of cultivated plants in the Old World, and subsequently the spread of cultivation from southwest Asia into Asia, Europe, and north Africa, from the very earliest beginnings. This book is mainly based on detailed consideration of two lines of evidences: the plant remains found at archaeological sites, and the knowledge that has accumulated about the present-day wild relatives of domesticated plants. This new edition revises and updates previous data and incorporates the most recent findings from molecular biology about the genetic relations between domesticated plants and their wild ancestors, and incorporates extensive new archaeological data about the spread of agriculture within the region. The reference list has been completely updated, as have the list of archaeological sites and the site maps.

This early work on grain crops is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. It contains information on the methods of growing grain crops in dry areas. This is a fascinating work and is thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in the techniques of the agricultural industry. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Exploring the history and importance of corn worldwide, Arturo Warman traces its development from a New World food of poor and despised peoples into a commodity that plays a major role in the modern global economy.

The book, first published in Mexico in 1988, combines approaches from anthropology, social history, and political economy to tell the story of corn, a "botanical bastard" of unclear origins that cannot reseed itself and is instead dependent on agriculture for propagation. Beginning in the Americas, Warman depicts corn as colonizer. Disparaged by the conquistadors, this Native American staple was embraced by the destitute of the Old World. In time, corn spread across the globe as a prodigious food source for both humans and livestock. Warman also reveals corn's role in nourishing the African slave trade.

Through the history of one plant with enormous economic importance, Warman investigates large-scale social and economic processes, looking at the role of foodstuffs in the competition between nations and the perpetuation of inequalities between rich and poor states in the world market. Praising corn's almost unlimited potential for future use as an intensified source of starch, sugar, and alcohol, Warman also comments on some of the problems he foresees for large-scale, technology-dependent monocrop agriculture

Rice is the food crop the world depends on most. In "Feeding a Hungry Planet," James Lang demonstrates how research has benefited rice growers and increased production. He describes the life cycle of a rice crop and explains how research is conducted and how the results end up growing in a farmer's field. Focusing on Asia and Latin America, Lang explores lowland and upland rice systems, genetics, sustainable agriculture, and efforts to narrow the gap between yields at research stations and those on working farms. Ultimately, says Lang, the ability to feed growing populations and protect fragile ecologies depends as much on the sustainable on-site farm technologies as on high-yielding crop varieties.
Lang views agriculture as a chain of events linking the farmer's field with the scientist's laboratory, and he argues that rice cultivation is shaped by different social systems, cultures, and environments. Describing research conducted by the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, he shows how national programs tailor research to their own production problems. According to Lang, the interaction of research programs, practical problem solving, and local extension efforts suggests a new model for international development.

Rice, an ancient grain, is the primary staple for more than half the world's population, through its role in the diets of billions of low-income, food-insecure consumers. Its vital role makes its availability and price politically sensitive for governments in several regions. Government intervention is often aimed at keeping prices affordable, especially for low-income consumers. In some cases, government intervention also encourages domestic production to promote national self-sufficiency. The United States faces little direct competition domestically and relies heavily on export markets; exports account for about half of the annual crop each year. This book investigates factors affecting the global competitiveness of the U.S. rice industry. It provides an overview of the rice industry in the United States and other major global producing and exporting countries and provides information on recent trade trends and developments in the global market for rice. It supplies a comparison of the competitive strengths and weaknesses of rice production and exports in the United States and other major exporting countries and assesses the impact of government policies and programs of major producing and exporting countries.

Gluten is a complex structural protein, constituted by a particular composition of amino acids present in wheat. In this book, the authors address the sources, composition and health effects of gluten. Topics include immunoassays for measuring coeliac harmful protein and peptides in gluten-free foods; gluten-related disorders; gluten formation and health effects; meat analogue produced with soy protein isolate and vital gluten by thermoplastic extrusion; the potential of gliadin for biomaterial applications; gluten ataxia in Europe and the United States; new therapeutic options for celiac disease; and a review of gluten-free food products for celiac consumers.

Wheat is a key staple food in Afghanistan, accounting for over half of the caloric intake of the population. It is also Afghanistan's major crop, accounting for roughly 70 percent of the cultivated land area. However, the country's domestic production of wheat is inadequate for meeting demand and, moreover, is subject to sizeable weather induced fluctuations. Imports from surrounding countries have been required in order for Afghanistan to meet its need for wheat. This book discusses the role of wheat in Afghanistan's food security.

Food and agriculture is an important component in the development and survival of civilizations. Around half of the world's population and their economies are influenced by agricultural farm production. Plant diseases take as much as a 30 percent toll of the crop harvest if not managed properly and efficiently. Bacterial diseases of crop plants are important in plant disease scenarios worldwide and are observed on all kinds of cultivated and commercial value plants including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, cash crops, plantation crops, spices, ornamentals and flowering plant, forage crop, forest trees, and lawn grasses. Bacterial diseases are widespread and are difficult to identify and to control. Few pesticides are available for use in control, and many plant pathologists are not well trained in the management of bacterial diseases. Bacterial Diseases of Crop Plants offers concise information on bacterial diseases of crops, proving a valuable asset to students, scientists in industry and academia, farmers, extension workers, and those who deal with crops that are vulnerable to bacterial diseases. The book contains 13 chapters featuring bacterial diseases of individual crops and is illustrated with full color photographs throughout providing amazing characterization of the diseases. It also includes information on bacterial diseases that appear on different crops across the continents, thereby making the content of interest to plant pathologists around the world. Bacterial diseases are of great economic concern, and their importance in overall losses caused by various other pathogens, such as fungi and viruses, is often undermined in developing countries.

Maize is the world's most productive food and industrial crop, grown in more than 160 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. If by some catastrophe maize were to disappear from our food supply chain, vast numbers of people would starve and global economies would rapidly collapse. How did we come to be so dependent on this one plant? Maize for the Gods brings together new research by archaeologists, archaeobotanists, plant geneticists, and a host of other specialists to explore the complex ways that this single plant and the peoples who domesticated it came to be inextricably entangled with one another over the past nine millennia. Tracing maize from its first appearance and domestication in ancient campsites and settlements in Mexico to its intercontinental journey through most of North and South America, this history also tells the story of the artistic creativity, technological prowess, and social, political, and economic resilience of America's first peoples.

Legumes are an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Chickpea is one of the most consumed legumes in the world. It is an affordable food product for people who cannot get animal protein, giving them a nutritious substitute in their diet. As such, Handbook of Chickpeas: Nutritional Value, Health Benefits and Management discusses the current information regarding the nutritional value of chickpea. Following this, the authors highlight the nutritional value of domesticated Kabuli chickpeas used in different forms, as well as the impact of different factors which regulate the nutritional value. The authors then explore the nutritional value, health benefits, and uses of desi chickpeas in comparison to Kabuli chickpeas. Current information is presented regarding the amino acid profile and nutritional protein quality in raw and processed chickpea seeds and flours, the health or nutraceutical effects of chickpea protein isolates, hydrolysates or bioactive peptides and the generation of selenized proteins during sprouting and their antioxidant and anticancer potential. The demand for gluten-free products is increasing since the prevalence of gluten-related disorders is rising. As such, chickpea is studied in the context of replacing wheat/gluten in some types of gluten-free food to improve the quality of the gluten-free diet. Chickpea is also studied as a dairy-product substitute since it represents a good source of protein, iron, and fiber. Chickpeas are composed of interesting amounts of protein, fibers, iron, zinc, and others, arousing interest by vegetarians. Therefore, the use of chickpeas is studied as an important ingredient in a vegetarian diet to contribute to nutritional quality. The authors present the way in which legume proteins can be used to fortify some foods to increase nutritional value and balance amino acid content. The most important of these foods are bakery products. Current information related to starch digestion and glycemic index of raw/processed chickpea flours and starch isolates, undigested carbohydrates content in raw/processed chickpea and health effects of chickpea digestible and undigestible carbohydrates is also presented. Chickpea seeds are vulnerable, both in the field and in storage conditions to attack by several insect pests of economic importance, whereby infested grains lose their viability. Therefore, basic steps in order to control insects in warehouse or processing plants that must be followed are: monitoring for infestation detection, identification of the problem and insect control measures. Traditionally, preferred control options are carbamate and pyrethroid sprays as soon as the threshold has been reached, as insects grow rapidly and a few days delay in spraying can result in major crop damage and increased difficulty in control. The final study proposes that chickpea protease inhibitor concentrates exerted anti-genotoxic effects on LNCaP cells, supporting previous findings that Bowman-Birk inhibitors and protease inhibitors have a protective effect on oxidative damage. Chickpea may therefore play a role in prostate cancer prevention, however, further research is needed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms involved.

Cd accumulation in rice grain is a world-wide problem because rice is the staple food of over half the worlds population. Over the past few decades, many authors have reported that Si-rich substances can mitigate the negative influence of Cd on the growth of various plants, including rice. The main aim of this research was to summarize the data from literature and the investigation to understand the mechanisms of the Si effect on the migration and transportation of Cd in the paddy soil-rice system. This system was separated into two parts the soil and the plant and each part was studied separately. Si-rich soil amendments, Si fertilizers, and Si-based biostimulators were used in laboratory, greenhouse, and field tests. Several mechanisms of Si-Cd interactions in the soil-plant system (precipitation and sorption in soil, accumulation in roots and reduction Cd transport in apoplast and symplast of roots, stem and leaves), were investigated in detail and knowledge about these mechanisls were used for elaborating the practical recommendation. The field tests demonstrated that the use of Si-rich materials can reduce Cd in the rice grain by 50 to 90%, and other pollutants, including As, Cu, Hg, and Pb, by 40 to 95%. The combination of Ca- and Si-rich substances reinforced the reduction of Cd mobility and grain accumulation and is a prospective soil decontamination and food safety technology. The foliar application of Se can also provide an additional reduction of Cd accumulation in the rice grain. Our field tests showed that the application of Si-rich substances makes it possible to reduce traditional NPK fertilizer application rates by 20 to 30% without reducing the rice yield. This effect will also reduce the amount of Cd entering the cultivated soil. The data from the tests provides a reason to strongly recommend the use of Si-rich materials for the reduction of Cd accumulation in rice grain. Si-rich materials can also be used to reduce Cd accumulation in fruits of other cultivated plants.

This book opens with an investigation on the effects of natural fermentation and drying methods on physicochemical properties of proso millet flour. Fermented proso millet flour is either oven dried or dried at room temperature, and its chemical content and characterization are ascertained using standard methods. Following this, the authors evaluate the forage production and chemical composition of two pearl millet cultivars fertilized with four doses of nitrogen with three cutting heights. Results are presented which indicate that ammonium sulfonitrate treated with nitrification inhibitor revealed possible toxic effects at lower doses and is recommended only when high nitrogen doses are used. One chapter is dedicated to Count Samuel TELEKI de Szek (1845-1916), a Hungarian explorer who was the first European to see and name Telekis Volcano (1888), Lake Rudolf (1888) (syn.: Lake Turkana; renamed in 1975) in Kenya; and Lake Stefanie (1888; named after Princess Stephanie of Belgium; now called Lake Chew Bahir) in Ethiopia. S. Teleki was among the first in the World to attempt to climb the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. In closing, the authors concluded that the use of pearl millet as forage is increasing in the Brazilian Cerrado due to its adaptability to harsh conditions and high protein and digestibility levels. There are very few studies evaluating the animal performance in Brazil, especially related to silage use. Thus, there is a necessity for more research involving animal performance in order to recommend or discourage its use, especially as silage for dairy cows.

In Chapter One, Alexander M. Liudchik and Siarhey D. Umreika begin by deliberating on the problem of spectrophotometric determination of gas medium composition in its customary formulation and then define a method of accounting for the errors from different sources, thus allowing for estimation of uncertainties in the contents of individual components. In Chapter Two, Oleg V. Trifonov and Vladimir P. Cherniy give an overview of current research on the pipeline-soil interaction modeling, examine a variety of modeling approaches, and describe the environment for correct application of different soil models. In Chapter Three, Alexander Y. Galashev studies the spectral properties of clusters of water that have absorbed NOx molecules. Next, Dr. Francis Orata recommends two consecutive points of sewage and wastewater treatment, including dispersed treatment at the pollutant production facility or at the source, during Chapter Four. In Chapter Five, G. Lovato, R. Albanez, J.N. Albuquerque, P. Cola, R.S. Celestino, S.E. Vogel, M. Fukuyama, F.E. Hirata, F.H. Saito, S.M. Ratusznei, and J.A.D. Rodrigues explore the application of an AnSBBR (anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor) of 3.0 L treating 1.0 L per cycle with agitation operated at 30 DegreesC in batch and fed-batch mode in the co-digesting cheese whey with glycerin for methane production. In Chapter Six, Bingqi Zhu researches the chemical weathering process of detrital sediments in the hyper-arid area, basing his study on major-element components of deposits from the Taklamakan Desert in China. After, J. F. Perez, J. Llanos, C. Saez, C. Lopez, M. A. Rodrigo, and P. Canizares present a study using 100 different samples collected from a variety of manufacturing processes within a chemical synthesis pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Chapter Seven. Lastly, Chapter Eight presents a study investigating the application of an anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor of .0 L treating 1.0 L per cycle with recirculation of the liquid phase operated at 30 DegreesC in batch and fed-batch mode in the treatment of xylose based wastewater, with the core intent of producing methane.

Organic crop acres in the United States more than doubled between 2002 and 2011 as acreage increased from 1.3 to over 3 million acres. While acreage for some major field crops increased substantially during this period, growth was more modest or had stalled for others. This book examines the profitability of corn, wheat, and soybean production using national survey data and finds that significant economic returns are possible from organic production of these crops. The main reason for higher per-bushel returns to organic production is the price premiums paid for organic crops. Despite potentially higher returns, the adoption of organic field crop production has been slow and is challenging due to such factors as achieving effective weed control and the processes involved with organic certification.

Sorghum is an important world crop, used for food, fodder, the production of alcoholic beverages, as well as biofuels. This book presents current research in the study of the cultivation, varieties and uses of sorghum. Topics discussed include sweet sorghum as an energy crop; tolerance to aluminum and nutrient stress in sorghum cultivation and the biological activities of sorghum extract and its effect on antibiotic resistance.

This book illustrates how the potential use of the pheromones (scouting, monitoring, or optimal timing of insecticide application) depends on both the pest and the pheromone. The case of the three most important corn pests for the region of South Eastern Europe: wireworms, western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and European corn borer (ECB) Ostrinia nubilalis Hubn are discussed herein. Pheromones should not be used to determine intensity of the infestation, but to set the period of the maximum incidence of the moth, on the basis of which information the period of the application of insecticides is set.

As increasing global population and continuing economic development ensure the need for further production and cultivation of maize, the necessity of the application of transgenic technology to this model species and crop plant grows steadily. In Transgenic Maize: Methods and Protocols, experts in the various disciplines of the field contribute readily reproducible protocols covering such topics as transformation methods, transgenic maize in research, the analysis of transgenic plants, and breeding with transgenes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) series format, the chapters present brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Cutting-edge and easy to use, Transgenic Maize: Methods and Protocols will greatly aid researchers wishing to use these procedures in their own laboratories, and will provide readers with a better understanding of the experiments being performed by cooperators or fee-for-service labs.

The domestication of wheat, more than any other plant, has allowed food to be produced in sufficient quantities to support community settlement, cultural development and population growth. Wheat is one of the major sources of energy, protein and dietary fiber in human nutrition. This book comprehensively describes how wheat is produced and used. It begins with a consideration of how the different grain characteristics influence the subsequent utilization of the harvested wheat. A large part of the book is then devoted to advice and discussion concerning establishing, managing and harvesting a successful crop, including the control of disease, and the use of wheat as forage. There is also a thorough consideration of the storage and use of the crop post-harvest. Wheat is grown and used throughout the world and the book reflects this by containing examples from many different countries. Research on the impact of the environment on the quality of the grain is presented and discussed, and the challenges facing growers and wheat researchers in different geographical locations are examined throughout the book. This book is essential reading for all agronomy lecturers and students at universities and colleges. By bringing together recent research and practice it is also a valuable resource for researchers and advisors in this area, such as plant breeders, agronomists and pathologists.

Cereal and Cereal Products provides information on the nutrient composition of 360 cereal-based foods now consumed in the UK.

Learn how to best improve yield in cereal plantseven in dry conditions The impact of drought on crop production can be economically devastating. Drought Adaptation in Cereals provides a comprehensive review of the latest research on the tolerance of cereal crops to water-limited conditions. Renowned experts extensively describe basic concepts and cutting-edge research results to clearly reveal all facets of drought adaptation in cereals. More than simply a fine reference for plant biology and plant improvement under water-limited conditions, this book spotlights the most relevant biological approaches from plant phenotyping to functional genomics. The need to understand plant response to the lack of water is integral to forming strategies to best manage crops. Drought Adaptation in Cereals starts by offering an overview of the biological basis and defines the adaptive mechanisms found in plants under water-limited conditions. Different approaches are presented to provide understanding of plant genetics basics and plant breeding, including phenotyping, physiology, and biotechnology. The book details drought adaptation mechanisms at the cellular, organ, and entire plant levels, focusing on plant metabolism and gene functions. This resource is extensively referenced and contains tables, charts, and figures to clearly present data and enhance understanding. After a foreword by J. O'Toole and a prologue by A. Blum, Drought Adaptation in Cereals presents a full spectrum of informative topics from other internationally respected scientists. These include: drought's economic impact (P. Heisey) genotype-by-environment interactions (M. Cooper) secondary traits for drought adaptation (P. Monneveux) leaf growth (F. Tardieu) carbon isotope discrimination (T. Condon) drought adaptation in barley (M. Sorrells), maize (M. Sawkins), rice (R. Lafitte), sorghum (A. Borrell) and wheat (M. Reynolds) carbohydrate metabolism (A. Tiessen) the role of abscisic acid (T. Setter) protection mechanisms and stress proteins (L. Mtwisha) genetic basis of ion homeostasis and water deficit (H. Bohnert) transcriptional factors (K. Yamaguchi-Shinozaki) resurrection plants (D. Bartels) Drought Adaptation in Cereals is a unique, vital reference for scientists, educators, and students in plant biology, agronomy, and natural resources management.