Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. The emphasis on this landmark series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops. Coverage includes a wide range of crops: row crops, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and trees grown for timber and pulp. Numerous references provide easy, time-saving, and cost-effective access to the primary literature.

In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of the nutrition, consumption and health benefits of bean products. Topics discussed in this compilation include the chemical composition and food properties of six cultivars of African yam bean flours; food-grade soybean consumption and nutrition; proteinase inhibitors from legumes; lectins in legumes; seed yield in mungbean as correlated with root length density and total dry matter; defensins in beans; nutritional quality of beans and growing conditions; bean by-products and the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activities of protein hydrolysates from four tropical legumes.

This is a hands-on, practical guide to general and specific practices in oil palm nurseries to produce healthy, vigorous and uniform plants ready for field planting. There are two nursery stages, pre-nursery and main nursery. The pre-nursery receives both germinated seeds and tissue culture produced plantlets (ramets) which are planted in a relatively small area in which shade and humidity can be controlled. Once young plants are established they are transferred to the main nursery, potted-on and grown on to produce field-ready plants. Good nursery practices, using sustainable approaches where possible, aim to provide high quality planting materials for both commercial production and field trialling. The book covers: Nursery set up - pre-nursery and main nursery Fertilizer programmes Watering Culling Weeding Pests and diseases Pre-field genotypic screening and selection Quarantine nurseries This is an invaluable manual for commercial seed producers, nursery plant producers, commercial plantation companies and plant breeders, as well as researchers in oil palm. It is useful for those starting a career in oil palm production, and as a reference guide for managers and for training purposes.

Genetically engineered crops are those crop plants that are transformed with transgenes of desired traits into their nuclear genome using recombinant DNA technology. The common strategies used for plant transformation are by exploiting natural gene transfer by soil bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and by using gene guns where gold microcarriers coated with desiccated DNA are delivered using pneumatic pressure. Transgenic technology has expanded the scope of conventional breeding by breaking the restrictions inflicted by traditional cross-pollination and selection techniques. This book presents research in the study of genetically engineered crops, including the promise of transgenic breeding for future agriculture and the public concerns over genetically modified plants; and genetically modified crop safety assessment protocol.

Citrus is the main fruit tree crop in the world and, therefore, has a tremendous economical, social and cultural impact in our society. Citrus fruits provide a wide variety of important nutrients in the human diet; including Vitamin C, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, folic acid, pectin, potassium, and dietary fibre. This book presents current research data in the study of citrus fruits, including such topics as the post-harvest preservation of fresh citrus fruits; citrus fruits and metabolic syndrome; the control of citrus cracking or pitting; the chemical composition, general uses and pharmacological properties of Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) and the robotic harvesting of citrus fruit.

Organic farming is the oldest way of farming, i.e., without the use of chemicals to enhance the production of meat, vegetables, milk and derivatives, and without the use of antibiotics and pesticides to decrease economical losses due to animal sickness and plant disease. Control of plant-parasitic nematodes is difficult, especially in organic farming systems, because in contrast to foliar diseases and insect pests, effective control methods and monitoring systems are not always available. Organic farmers struggle with nematode problems using cultural, physical and biological control methods. This book discusses effective management of plant-parasitic nematodes, which can be achieved by combining several control methods after identifying the nematodes in the field and understanding their biology. Moreover, in this book, the authors illustrate how participatory plant breeding (PPB) may answer the needs of organic agriculture, and how organic farmers and their organisations have met with researchers to build common experiments of plant breeding on farms. In addition, the early history and significance of the peanut crop is discussed. Annual world production of peanuts at 30 million tons makes this crop one of the most important agricultural commodities. The physiological and biochemical response of peanut microsimbionts under different types of stress are examined as well, and compared with rhizobia. This book also explores the concept of scientific paradigms and draws parallels with paradigms in agriculture, and in particular focuses upon organic farming and genetic engineering.

Nitrogen constitutes about 79 percent of the earth's atmosphere, yet, in an agricultural plant production system, it is still common for soils to be deficient of the nitrogen needed for maximum plant growth. But nitrogen fertilizers that are essential for the economically driven production of food and fiber are recognized as polluters of natural waters, and it has become increasingly apparent that manufactured and naturally occurring nitrogen resources must be better managed. This book addresses the problem by describing how the various factors such as types of soils and crops, irrigation methods, climate, and the nitrogen cycle itself affect levels of nitrogen in plant production systems. The book also provides a practical guide to the many advantages and disadvantages of using different fertilizers across such factors as environment, type of plant, and method of farming. This book will be part of the solution to nitrogen management and agricultural problems and will be of interest to workers in local, state, and federal agricultural extension services, consulting firms, environmental regulators, and students and researchers in soil chemistry. This book is intended for workers in

Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. The emphasis of the series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops. It is a serial title that appears in the form of one or two volumes per year

This book covers the subject of grasslands used for grazing livestock. Grasslands can be split into improved and unimproved pastures (also a sub-set of rangelands). Land used for livestock industries occupy 70% agricultural land and about 40% of total land and produce 40% of agricultural gross domestic product (FAO, 2005; Steinfeld et al., 2006). Increasing populations and incomes, coupled with a change in diets and urbanisation in the developing world, is enhancing demand for pasture-based products (Devine, 2003; Schmidhuber and Shetty, 2005). For example, milk and meat production is predicted to double to just over 1 billion tonnes of milk and 465 million tonnes of meat by 2050 (Steinfeld et al., 2006). To meet these demands most effort will go into intensification of improved pastures, which translates into high stocking densities supported by large inputs of fertilisers, feed supplements and energy.

Book & CD. Most crop protection deals with the development and promotion of socially and environmentally acceptable technologies to reduce crop losses from pests. Crop protection also deals with protecting crops from weeds, insects and diseases primarily to increase yield. The use of crop protection products secures yields, reduces crop losses and helps provide a sufficient and sustainable supply of healthy and safe food at affordable prices. Ultimately, crop protection tries to increase global food demand. It also deals with efforts to assure food quality and safety. This book presents the latest research from around the globe.

Once considered a rare and exotic sweetener, sugar was not always as widely available or important as it is today. As part of the human diet for nearly all of recorded history, sugar has evolved over time, becoming quite a common commodity. Yet the very simplicity of this common sweetener masks the highly complex and elaborate global trade that has developed around it. Now, The International Sugar Trade offers the only comprehensive reference guide to the worldwide market. A sweeping analysis of the entire sugar industry, it covers everything from the product's historical beginnings to the complex geopolitical and financial forces that have dominated the worldwide sugar trade during recent decades.

Over the past fifty years, especially, the international trade in sugar has changed dramatically. Since it is either imported or exported by every country on earth, sugar has become an integral component of the economic relationships among nations. Because of that unique position, the trade in sugar has both reflected—and been affected by—a wide range of divergent forces, including global politics, health consciousness, the emergence of developing nations as suppliers and consumers, and many others.

Perhaps the greatest change in the international sugar trade has been the trend toward price stabilization. Historically at the mercy of everything from war to weather, the price of sugar has always been extremely volatile. But, following such trends as the development of sugar substitutes, an overall decline in per capita consumption, and an increase in the overall amount of sugar on the open market, the price of sugar has leveled off considerably. This comparatively recent stability has profoundly altered the manner in which sugar is traded on the world market, and while this has created new opportunities to profit in sugar, it has also made trading in sugar commodities more complex than ever before.

In this important new reference, A. C. Hannah and Donald Spence explore the broad scope of the entire sugar market, providing an essential global tour of the international sugar trade in all its intricacy. Everything is here, from cultivation and refinement to importing and exporting, from commodity trading and tariffs to substitutes and consumption. The International Sugar Trade provides comprehensive coverage of:

• The history of sugar—from cultivation and refining to end use
• Trends in world production, consumption, and international trade
• Crucial information on export marketing, contracts, trade, and prices
• The policies of the world's major sugar producers—with particular attention focused on likely developments in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Cuba
• The impact of existing sugar substitutes and those under development
• The sugar trade cycle and marketing chain, descriptions of key players, and detailed coverage of the sugar futures markets.

The International Sugar Trade contains the most essential and up-to-date information currently available. It includes numerous tables and graphs describing production, consumption, and trade for nearly every country. It also includes five complete appendices exploring sugar and the environment; sugar and health; the Brazilian Alcohol Programme; international sugar agreements; and historical statistics covering the period from 1955 to 1994. It is a vital resource for anyone involved in the international sugar trade.

"[The International Sugar Trade] is a comprehensive account of sugar, the commodity. [It] is aimed at a wide audience, from specialists looking for more background to traders coming to sugar for the first time, students, nonspecialists, and laymen in search of an introduction to the fascinating world of sugar."—from the Preface.

The only complete guide to sugar, one of the world's most important and heavily traded soft commodities, this authoritative overview provides in-depth coverage of a wide range of essential topics, including:

• Origins, background, and production
• The world sugar economy today
• The sugar futures markets
• International sugar agreements
• Consumption trends of substitute products
• Key issues for the future

Grapes (Vitis spp.) are economically the most important fruit species in the world. Over the last decades many scientific advances have led to understand more deeply key physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of grape berry maturation. However, our knowledge on how grapevines respond to environmental stimuli and deal with biotic and abiotic stresses is still fragmented. Thus, this area of research is wide open for new scientific and technological advancements. Particularly, in the context of climate change, viticulture will have to adapt to higher temperatures, light intensity and atmospheric CO2 concentration, while water availability is expected to decrease in many viticultural regions, which poses new challenges to scientists and producers. With Grapevine in a Changing Environment, readers will benefit from a comprehensive and updated coverage on the intricate grapevine defense mechanisms against biotic and abiotic stress and on the new generation techniques that may be ultimately used to implement appropriate strategies aimed at the production and selection of more adapted genotypes. The book also provides valuable references in this research area and original data from several laboratories worldwide. Written by 63 international experts on grapevine ecophysiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, the book is a reference for a wide audience with different backgrounds, from plant physiologists, biochemists and graduate and post-graduate students, to viticulturists and enologists.

As populations in many developed countries age and the burden of chronic disease increases, there remains a need to establish effective preventative measures. Fruit and vegetables are a natural source of vitamins and minerals which can contribute to good health. Understanding and optimising the nutraceutical properties of fruit and vegetables reviews the associated health benefits of key horticultural crops, including apples, broccoli and cranberries. The book provides authoritative discussions on the nutraceutical properties of the major phytochemical compounds, including antioxidants and flavonoids, and how these properties can be optimised to prevent the onset of chronic diseases. By providing a comprehensive insight into the human health benefits of fruit and vegetables, the book highlights the emergence of a more sustainable, alternative method to preventing the onset of disease with less reliance on overburdened healthcare systems.

Los cultivos industriales son un complejo y amplio grupo de plantas cultivadas que, a diferencia de los cereales, pertenecen a especies botanicas muy diferentes y que por tanto presentan caracteristicas ecofisiologicas y de manejo muy distintas y aprovechamientos muy dispares, algunos de ellos no alimentarios. Destaca en el conjunto de los cultivos industriales su gran importancia economica, en algunos casos estrategica, y su conexion imprescindible con la industria transformadora de la materia prima. Esto supone un fuerte valor anadido, una garantia de estabilidad de la produccion y la generacion de una fuerte actividad economica y de empleo.El libro esta estructurado en nueve capitulos, dedicados a la remolacha azucarera, algodon, otros cultivos productores de fibra (lino, canamo, kenaf y sorgo papelero), oleaginosas en general, girasol, colza, soja, otras oleaginosas (cartamo, lino y ricino) y tabaco. Para cada cultivo se estudia su origen e historia, caracteristicas botanicas, fisiologia y ecologia, objetivos de la mejora genetica y la eleccion varietal y las diferentes tecnicas de cultivo.La obra tiene a la vez un caracter cientifico y tecnico, y su proposito es servir como libro de consulta para los profesionales de la agricultura y como texto de estudio para los estudiantes de las Escuelas de Ingenieria Agraria. Esta ilustrada con 170 tablas y 199 figuras que suministran gran abundancia de datos e informaciones de gran utilidad para todos los interesados en el conocimiento actualizado de los cultivos industriales.

"Improving Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Food Production Systems" provides professionals, students, and policy makers with an in-depth view of various aspects of water and nutrient us in crop production. The book covers topics related to global economic, political, and social issues related to food production and distribution, describes various strategies and mechanisms that increase water and nutrient use efficiency, and review te curren situation and potential improvements in major food-producing systems on each continent. The book also deals with problems experienced by developed countries separtaely from problems facing developing countries.

"Improving Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency" emphasizes judicious water and nutrient management which is aimed at maximising water and nutrient utilisation in the agricultural landscape, and minimising undesirable nutrient losses to the environment.

Climate change is a diverse, multifactorial phenomenon, meaning that the necessary agronomic strategies are case-specific and will have regional differences. This book provides an integrated view of the challenges and opportunities that will face agriculture in the future as a result of climate change. It discusses how the stresses resulting from climate change can be overcome by assessing, measuring and predicting environmental changes and stresses, identifying opportunities and adapting to change and responding to multifactorial change. Challenges and potential strategies that might be taken to overcome these are illustrated using a number of case studies.Climate change will pose many challenges to agriculture in the future, but by taking an integrative approach to predicting and adapting to change, this book will inspire researchers to turn those challenges into opportunities.

Agroecology is defined as the application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems. Hence, learning can best be achieved through an experiential approach to the topic. Designed to accompany Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Third Edition, Field and Laboratory Investigations in Agroecology, Third Edition features 24 investigations divided into five sections that parallel the main text: Studies of Environmental Factors: These investigations deal with how an individual plant responds to the environment, how environmental factors in specific agroecosystems are measured and characterized, and how particular environmental factors affect individual plants. Studies of Population Dynamics in Crop Systems: This section studies how populations of organisms act in agroecosystems. It focuses on what populations are present, how they change over time and respond to the environment, and how individuals within a population may interact. Studies of Interspecific Interactions in Cropping Communities: This section emphasizes the between-species interactions of the organisms that make up crop communities. These interactions include herbivory, allelopathy, and mutualisms. Studies of Farm and Field Systems: These investigations cover system-level agroecology and whole farms or systems within farm boundaries. They touch on the complexity with which the farmer deals in managing agroecosystems. Food System Studies: These investigations reach out beyond the individual farm to examine components of the food system at a local level, which impact all of the levels of analysis in the first four parts. This manual facilitates hands-on learning that involves close observation, creative interpretation, and constant questioning of findings. The investigations emphasize the importance of careful data interpretation and presentation and the value of a clear, concise, and well-written research report. The book uses simple statistical analysis for data management and interpretation and students are guided through the steps of data analysis in the context of the particular investigations in which it is employed.

The Genomics Applications in Crop Improvement two volume set brings together a diverse field of international experts in plant breeding genomics to share their experiences in the field, from success stories to lessons learnt. In recent years advances in genetics and genomics have greatly enhanced our understanding of the structural and functional aspects of plant genomes. Several novel genetic and genomics approaches such as association genetics, advanced back-cross QTL analysis, allele mining, comparative and functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc. offer unprecedented opportunities to examine crop genetic variation and utilize this variability for breeding purposes. Enhancing the prediction of the phenotype from a genotype using genomics tools is referred to as 'genomics-assisted breeding'. To date, genomics-assisted breeding has shown its potential for crop improvement in several crops, however these successes have been largely restricted to temperate cereal and legume crops, and others such as Eucalyptus, sugarcane, tomato and other vegetables crops. Moreover, while success stories are available for improving resistance to biotic stresses, only a few examples are available on development of superior lines for abiotic stresses. These volumes will allow researchers the tools to begin to apply these technologies more broadly and will hopefully lead to lasting improvements in a wide variety of economically important crops. Volume One, Biotic Stress, focuses on genomic-assisted advances for improving economically important crops against biotic stressors, such as viruses, fungi, nematodes, and bacteria. Looking at key advances in crops such as rice, barley, wheat, and potato amongst others. Volume Two, Abiotic Stress, Quality and Yield Improvement, focuses on advances improving crop resistance to abiotic stresses such as extreme heat, drought, flooding as well as advances made in quality and yield improvement. Chapters examine advances in such key crops as rice, maize, and sugarcane, among others. * Two volumes covering important topics in crop genomics and applying that information to breeding improved varieties of economically important crops * Volumes cover improving resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors as well as breeding efforts to improve yield and quality * Includes chapters on current challenges for plant breeders such as fusarium disease in wheat and cyst nematodes in soybean crops * Organized by crop, with chapters covering a variety of topics for each including disease resistance, drought tolerance, salinity tolerance and overall improvement of yield * Written by an international team of experts This book is intended for crop science researchers, plant biologists, geneticists, physiologists, cellular and molecular biologists, and advanced students in related fields will also find this set useful.

The demand for plant-based industrial raw materials has increased as well as research into expanding the utility of plants for current and future uses. Plants are renewable, have limited or positive environmental impact and have the potential to yield a wide range of products in contrast to petroleum-based materials. Plants can be used in a variety of different industries and products including bioenergy, industrial oil and starch, fibre and dye, rubber and related compounds, insecticide and land rehabilitation. This title offers a comprehensive coverage of each of these uses. Chapters discuss the identification of plant species with desired traits, their cultivation to obtain the needed raw materials, methods utilized in producing different finished products, current and future research in crop production and processing and the present state and future prospects for the industry. Providing the first systematic review of industrial crops and their uses, this book will be an important resource for students and researchers of crop science and agricultural policy makers.

* Quinoa is an invaluable crop, highlighted by the FAO as one of the world's main crops for future food security * Timely publication - The year 2013 has been declared "The International Year of the Quinoa" (IYQ), recognizing the Andean indigenous peoples, who have maintained, controlled, protected and preserved quinoa as food for present and future generations thanks to their traditional knowledge and practices of living well in harmony with mother earth and nature. * Covers the history, phylogeny and systematics, botany and agrotechnology

Although avocado has been cultivated and consumed for more than 9,000 years near its center of origin in Latin America, world production and trade has increased dramatically over the past few decades. The avocado is now a widely traded fruit between warmer and colder countries as a result of the global community becoming increasingly aware of the versatility and nutritional value of this crop. For the past decade, the world avocado industry has been going through a period of rapid technological change and innovation. The dietary value of "the most nutritious of all fruit" is also receiving more attention. This fully updated new edition of the successful 2002 book will provide a comprehensive review of avocado production, science and technology.

ICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Address: P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Telex: 331206 ICARDA SY, 331208 ICARDA SY Fax: 963-21-213490 Established in 1977, ICARDA is governed by an independent Board of Trustees. Based at Aleppo, Syria, it is one of 18 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which is an international group of representatives of donor agencies, eminent agricultural scientists, and institutional administrators from developed and developing countries who guide and support its work. The CGIAR seeks to enhance and sustain food production and, at the same time, improve the socioeconomic conditions of people through strengthening national research systems in developing countries. ICARDA focuses its research efforts on areas with a dry summer, where precipitation in winter ranges from 200 mm to 600 mm. The Center has a global responsibility for the improvement of barley, lentil and faba bean, and a regional responsibility -- in West Asia and North Africa -- for the improvement of wheat, chickpea and pasture and forage crops and the associated farming systems. Much of ICARDA's research is carried out on a 948-hectare farm at its headquarters at Tel Hadya, about 35 km south-west of Aleppo. ICARDA also manages other sites where it tests material under a variety of agroecological conditions in Syria and Lebanon. However, the full scope of ICARDA's activities can be appreciated only when account is taken of the cooperative research carried out with many countries in West Asia and North Africa. The results of research are transferred through ICARDA's cooperation with national and regional research institutions, universities and ministries of agriculture, and through the technical assistance and training that the Center provides. A range of training programmes is offered, extending from residential courses for groups to advanced research opportunities for individuals. These efforts are supported by seminars and publications and by specialised information services.

Food security and environmental conservation are two of the greatest challenges facing the world today. It is predicted that food production must increase by at least 70% before 2050 to support continued population growth, though the size of the world's agricultural area will remain essentially unchanged. This updated and thoroughly revised second edition provides in-depth coverage of the impact of environmental conditions and management on crops, resource requirements for productivity and effects on soil resources. The approach is explanatory and integrative, with a firm basis in environmental physics, soils, physiology and morphology. System concepts are explored in detail throughout the book, giving emphasis to quantitative approaches, management strategies and tactics employed by farmers, and associated environmental issues. Drawing on key examples and highlighting the role of science, technology and economic conditions in determining management strategies, this book is suitable for agriculturalists, ecologists and environmental scientists.