Natural plant fibers fibres are being increasingly used in manufacturing industrial products because of their renewable and biodegradable natures. Kenaf is an annual bast fibre crop that can provide fibres for several industrial applications (composites, insulation mats, absorbents, bedding material, etc.) as well as raw material for energy exploitation (solid biofuels). Kenaf: A Multi-Purpose Crop for Several Industrial Applications introduces the physiology and field management of kenaf, agronomy, productivity, harvesting as well as its the industrial and energy uses of this promising non-food crop. Including recent research collected by the BIOKENAF project, Kenaf: A Multi-Purpose Crop for Several Industrial Applications provides a global picture of state of the art research and developments with Kenaf from Asia, USA and Australia. This thorough introduction if followed up with an assessment of the crops economic viability as well as an the environmental impact assessment of kenaf. Although not a new crop, Kenaf: A Multi-Purpose Crop for Several Industrial Applications provides a comprehensive introduction to this crop and its developing applications for energy engineers, industry managers, politicians and managers working to develop sustainable energy sources and bio-economies.

Cinnamon is the common name for the spice obtained from the dried inner bark of several species of the genus Cinnamomum in the Lauraceae family. In world trade, Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl Cinnamomum burmannii dominate, but it is of a different quality to 'true' or 'Ceylon' cinnamon produced from Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume (C. verum J. Presl), with the latter much easier to process, giving a more delicate, sweeter flavor with nuances of clove, but more importantly with only traces (often below detection thresholds) of coumarin, compared with 5-7 g/kg in other species. Cinnamon has been a popular and expensive spice in many civilizations, including ancient Egypt, Rome and in 14th and 15th century Europe, where it was used primarily to preserve meat for its antibacterial properties, fine aroma and flavor. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in mummification process due to its antibacterial properties and fragrance. The quest for cinnamon brought many explorers to Ceylon, whose ancient history is intertwined with the cinnamon trade. Ancient Egyptians and Romans used cinnamon as a valued spice and as an incense. In recent years, much research has been conducted in crop improvement, processing and value addition in cinnamon. In addition to direct use as a condiment/spice, cinnamon has found a multitude of uses in the food and beverage, traditional medicine, pharmacology, nutraceutical and cosmetics industries. Ceylon cinnamon is unique in that oils distilled from the bark (major constituents are cinnamaldehyde and oleoresins), leaf (eugenol is the major constituent used in dentistry, perfumes, flavorings and as an antioxidant) and roots (camphor) have different industrial uses. Cinnamaldehyde is now a proven natural bactericide widely used in food and beverage industry, effective against Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli. Thus, it has become an important natural component of organic fruit and vegetable juices to enhance microbial safety of these nutritious beverages. Because of its manifold uses, cinnamon is an important crop. There have been many recent publications on its ethnobotany, genetics, crop improvement, agronomy, processing, biotechnology, chemistry, food and medicinal uses, and industrial applications. However, one book condensing all these findings is lacking. Our publication, with chapters devoted to all these aspects of cinnamon written by experts in these fields, condenses current knowledge into a single source and contribute to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and technology. Contributors to the book constitute internationally renowned senior scientists and academics with hands-on experience as well as movers and shakers of industry, thereby striking a right balance between theory and practice. Therefore it is a valuable source for students, teachers, scientists, planners policy makers, practicing agriculturists and industrialists, and a prized acquisition to any library in higher education institutions, R & D institutions and public and private sector institutions in agriculture and allied fields.

This book brings together information on harvest methods, system productivity, and methods for conducting safe, efficient, and environmentally acceptable operations in tropical forests. It highlights the challenges of harvest operations in the tropics, includes techniques that have been shown to be successful, and discusses newer technologies. Numerical examples are provided to provide clarity for interpreting graphs, procedures, and formulas.

With an ever-increasing human population, the demand placed upon the agriculture sector to supply more food is one of the greatest challenges for the agrarian community. In order to meet this challenge, environmentally unfriendly agroch- icals have played a key role in the green revolution and are even today commonly recommended to circumvent nutrient de?ciencies of the soils. The use of ag- chemicals is, though, a major factor for improvement of plant production; it causes a profound deteriorating effect on soil health (soil fertility) and in turn negatively affects the productivity and sustainability of crops. Concern over disturbance to the microbial diversity and consequently soil fertility (as these microbes are involved in biogeochemical processes), as well as economic constraints, have prompted fun- mental and applied research to look for new agro-biotechnologies that can ensure competitive yields by providing suf?ciently not only essential nutrients to the plants but also help to protect the health of soils by mitigating the toxic effects of certain pollutants. In this regard, the role of naturally abundant yet functionally fully unexplored microorganisms such as biofertilizers assume a special signi?cance in the context of supplementing plant nutrients, cost and environmental impact under both conventional practices and derelict environments. Therefore, current devel- ments in sustainability involve a rational exploitation of soil microbial communities and the use of inexpensive, though less bio-available, sources of plant nutrients, which may be made available to plants by microbially-mediated processes.

Lin Foxhall explores the cultivation of the olive as an extended case study for understanding ancient Greek agriculture in its landscape, economic, social, and political settings. Evidence from written sources, archaeology, and visual images is assembled to focus on what was special about the cultivation and processing of the olive in classical and archaic Greece, and how and why these practices differed from Roman ones. This investigation opens up new ways of thinking about the economies of the archaic and classical Greek world.

High yields and environmental control in crop farming call for precise adaptations to local growing conditions. Treating large fields in a uniform way by high capacity machinery cannot be regarded as a sustainable method for many situations. Because differences existing within single fields must be considered. The transition from former field work carried out manually or by small implements to present-day high-capacity machinery caused that the farmers lost the immediate and close contact with soils and crops. However, modern sensing and controlling technology can make up for this deficit. High tech methods that include proximal sensing and signals from satellites can provide for controls that allow adjusting farming operations to small fractions of one ha and sometimes even down to some m2, hence in a site-specific mode. This applies to operations for soil cultivation, sowing, fertilizing and plant protection. This book deals with site-specific concepts, applications and results.

This book explores the agricultural, commercial, and ecological future of plants in relation to mineral nutrition. It covers various topics regarding the role and importance of mineral nutrition in plants including essentiality, availability, applications, as well as their management and control strategies. Plants and plant products are increasingly important sources for the production of energy, biofuels, and biopolymers in order to replace the use of fossil fuels. The maximum genetic potential of plants can be realized successfully with a balanced mineral nutrients supply. This book explores efficient nutrient management strategies that tackle the over and under use of nutrients, check different kinds of losses from the system, and improve use efficiency of the plants. Applied and basic aspects of ecophysiology, biochemistry, and biotechnology have been adequately incorporated including pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, agronomical, breeding and plant protection parameters, propagation and nutrients managements. This book will serve not only as an excellent reference material but also as a practical guide for readers, cultivators, students, botanists, entrepreneurs, and farmers.

In the last four decades of the twentieth century the use of sweetpotato was diversified beyond their classification as subsistence, food security, and famine-relief crop. In developing countries they serve both as human food and for feeding livestock. In Western countries they appeal to health conscious consumers because of their nutritional aspects. The sweetpotato is very high in nutritive value, and merits wider use on this account alone. The book has 2 parts. A general one giving up-to-date information on the history, botany, cultivars, genetic engineering, propagation, diseases and pests, nutritional data and marketing; and a second part presenting data on sweetpotato growing practices in different areas of the world. The information should be useful to researchers, practitioners and crop administrators in different countries.

Plant development and productivity are negatively regulated by various environmental stresses. Abiotic stress factors such as heat, cold, drought, and salinity represent key elements limiting agricultural productivity worldwide. Thus, developing crop plants with the ability to tolerate abiotic stresses is a critical need which demands modern novel strategies for the thorough understanding of plant response to abiotic stresses. Crop Improvement under Adverse Conditions will serve as a cutting-edge resource for researchers and students alike who are studying plant abiotic stress tolerance and crop improvement. The book presents the latest trends and developments in the field, including the impact of extreme events on salt tolerant forest species of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the overlapping horizons of salicylic acid in different stresses, and fast and reliable approaches to crop improvement through In Vitro haploid production. Written by renowned experts and featuring useful illustrations and photographs, Crop Improvement under Adverse Conditions is a concise and practical update on plant abiotic stress tolerance and crop improvement.

Fruit Breeding is the eighth volume in the Handbook of Plant Breeding series. Like the other volumes in the series, this volume presents information on the latest scientific information in applied plant breeding using the current advances in the field, from an efficient use of genetic resources to the impact of biotechnology in plant breeding. The majority of the volume showcases individual crops, complemented by sections dealing with important aspects of fruit breeding as trends, marketing and protection of new varieties, health benefits of fruits and new crops in the horizon. The book also features contributions from outstanding scientists for each crop species. Maria Luisa Badenes Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Valencia, Spain David Byrne Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

Fungi growth in the storage of cereal grain has led to serious losses of grain quality and quantity each year the world over. These fungi and moulds are capable of producing mycotoxins which accumulate in grains. This book contains reviews from 21 experts on the relationship between mould growth in grain and its effects as well as the accumulation of mycotoxins. Discussed are properties of "storage fungi" such as the water and temperature relationship, taxonomy and nomenclature aspects etc. New methods of storage allow for early detection of these mould growths. Significant attention is paid to "Aspergillus" and "Penicillium" species colonizing in cereal grain and their growth requirements. The book touches on the significance of mycotoxins in grain being used for food production and possible detoxification processes. There is considerable attention given to a new technique of decontamination in countries with humid climates involving proper drying techniques at low temperatures or heated air dryers. This volume covers numerous scientific and practical aspects of grain storage on farms and in industries which are important in preventing quality losses and contamination with mycotoxins.

Insect pests remain one of the main constraints to food and fiber production worldwide despite farmers deploying a range of techniques to protect their crops. Modern pest control is guided by the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) with pest resistant germplasm being an important part of the foundation. Since 1996, when the first genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant maize variety was commercialized in the USA, the area planted to insect-resistant GM varieties has grown dramatically, representing the fastest adoption rate of any agricultural technology in human history. The goal of our book is to provide an overview on the role insect-resistant GM plants play in different crop systems worldwide. We hope that the book will contribute to a more rational debate about the role GM crops can play in IPM for food and fiber production.

This book is a comprehensive and updated review of fundamental studies on inhibition of soil urease activity and of applied studies on improving efficiency of urea fertilizers by inhibition of soil urease activity. The general literature on these topics covers 65 years and the patent literature comprises a period of nearly 40 years. The potential of food production to meet the growing needs related to population increase is largely conditioned by the efficiency of agricultural fertilizers. Urea has gradually become the most important nitrogen fertilizer in world agriculture. However, its efficiency is in general reduced due to excessive activity of a soil enzyme, urease. One way to increase efficiency of urea fertilizers is the inhibition of soil urease activity. In the last four decades, multilateral investigations have been carried out in a series of countries to identify and test unpolluting and inexpensive chemical compounds to be used as inhibitors of soil urease activity. These investigations are reviewed, including those described in the patent literature.

The book is addressed to a broad audience, including experts and students in agronomy, forestry, plant physiology, soil science (especially soil biology and biochemistry), and other environmental sciences, as well as in organic and inorganic chemistry.

This book offers a comprehensive collection of papers on CRISPR/Cas genome editing in connection with agriculture, climate-smart crops, food security, translational research applications, bioinformatics analysis, practical applications in cereals, floriculture crops, engineering plants for abiotic stress resistance, the intellectual landscape, regulatory framework, and policy decisions. Gathering contributions by internationally respected experts in the field of CRISPR/Cas genome editing, the book offers an essential guide for researchers, students, teachers and scientists in academia; policymakers; and public companies, private companies and cooperatives interested in understanding and/or applying CRISPR/Cas genome editing to develop new agricultural products.

As the world population is exploding and alongside fluctuations in climate is also prevalent, there is an increasing stress on the food requirements of the population. We have an urgent necessity to produce more food in the limited agricultural land. Further, to feed 7 billion people there is a requirement of high yielding crops, without harming environment and limiting the use of unnecessary pesticide and chemical fertilizers. Therefore it has become crucial to develop agri-bio-techniques which are environment friendly and also give high crop productivity. Many countries are evaluating the utility of biotechnology and its role in addressing problems of food security and poverty. Biotechnology is the application of scientific and engineering principles to the processing and production of materials by utilising biological agents. These agents are exploited to provide goods and services. Agricultural biotechnology encompasses a growing list of techniques that range from simple probes to determine a relevant gene from the complete genome to manipulating genes for a desired outcome. Many other popular methods used in the realm of agricultural technology are - gene integration, Marker-assisted breeding, Tissue culture, Gene profiling or association mapping, Metabolomics etc. The fundamental challenge facing the scientific community is how to devise innovative strategies that will bring all developed as well as developing countries into the "biological fold" and to do so in ways that will take full advantage of advances in the biological sciences to curb poverty, improve public health, and promote human development. This book contains information on eco-friendly techniques for high crop productivity and it is a myriad of different techniques and technology used to sustain productivity in crop plants. There are fewer books focusing on large-scale organic farming, molecular farming etc. Multidisciplinary research and literature is needed to deliver knowledge and products into the marketplace which fulfil these requirements. The present book is a collection of literature contributed by experts, scientists, professors, and researchers from around the world, it emphasizes work of concerned scientist and his choice of techniques used for enhancement of agricultural production. This book analyses the use of modern techniques to increase crop yields, production, and risk of hunger linked to socioeconomic scenarios.

The common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. is the most important pulse crop in Latin America, as well as in large parts of Asia and Africa. It is particularly important due to its ability, in symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria, to fix atmospheric nitrogen and due to its high nutrient value. Incorporating contributions from plant breeders, microbiologists, plant physiologists and soil scientists, this volume reports the results of an FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Programme (1985-1991), whose main objective was to enhance yield and biological nitrogen fixation in the common bean by reducing its reliance on soil and fertilizer nitrogen. The volume should be useful for scientists working on biological nitrogen fixation and legume production.

This book describes the historical importance of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.),potato genetic resources and stocks (including S. tuberosum group Phureja DM1-3 516 R44, a unique doubled monoploid homozygous line) used for potato genome sequencing. It also discusses strategies and tools for high-throughput sequencing, sequence assembly, annotation, analysis, repetitive sequences and genotyping-by-sequencing approaches. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.; 2n = 4x = 48) is the fourth most important food crop of the world after rice, wheat and maize and holds great potential to ensure both food and nutritional security. It is an autotetraploid crop with complex genetics, acute inbreeding depression and a highly heterozygous nature. Further, the book examines the recent discovery of whole genome sequencing of a few wild potato species genomes, genomics in management and genetic enhancement of Solanum species, new strategies towards durable potato late blight resistance, structural analysis of resistance genes, genomics resources for abiotic stress management, as well as somatic cell genetics and modern approaches in true-potato-seed technology. The complete genome sequence provides a better understanding of potato biology, underpinning evolutionary process, genetics, breeding and molecular efforts to improve various important traits involved in potato growth and development.

Agronomic crops have been a source of foods, beverages, fodders, fuels, medicines and industrial raw materials since the dawn of human civilization. Over time, these crops have come to be cultivated using scientific methods instead of traditional methods. However, in the era of climate change, agronomic crops are increasingly subjected to various environmental stresses, which results in substantial yield loss. To meet the food demands of the ever-increasing global population, new technologies and management practices are being adopted to boost yield and maintain productivity under both normal and adverse conditions. To promote the sustainable production of agronomic crops, scientists are currently exploring a range of approaches, which include varietal development, soil management, nutrient and water management, pest management etc. Researchers have also made remarkable progress in developing stress tolerance in crops through various approaches. However, finding solutions to meet the growing food demands remains a challenge. Although there are several research publications on the above-mentioned problems, there are virtually no comprehensive books addressing all of the recent topics. Accordingly, this book, which covers all aspects of production technologies, management practices, and stress tolerance of agronomic crops in a single source, offers a highly topical guide.

From the 4th - 8th of September 2011, the Eucarpia Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section, held its 29th Meeting in the surroundings of Dublin Castle in Ireland. The theme of the meeting was 'Breeding strategies for sustainable forage and turf grass improvement'. Grasslands cover a significant proportion of the land mass of the world, and play a pivotal role in global food production. At the same time we are faced with several challenges that affect the way in which we think about this valuable set of resources. The population of the world is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, and increase of about one third relative to today's levels. This population increase will be focused in urban areas, and in what are currently viewed as "developing" countries, meaning that the buying power of this increased population will be greater - shifting the balance of demand from staple crops to high value items such as meat and dairy products. Overall that the world will have to approximately double agricultural output across all categories of food to meet the demands of this larger, urbanised population. This is occurring against a backdrop of equally large challenges in terms of global climate change. Agriculture is already a significant contributor to e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and soil erosion. The situation is made more complex by an increased emphasis on biofuels as a solution for our imminent oil shortage, resulting in increased competition between land utilised for food and fuel. In short, agriculture must continue to feed the world, whilst not contributing to damaging it further. It must be sustainable. Plant breeding plays a significant but frequently understated role in meeting the challenges presented by this complex and changing scenario. However, plant breeding and improvement is itself undergoing radical change driven by technology. This book explores how forage and turf breeding is changing and adapting to meet these challenges using the technological advances being experienced in plant breeding as a whole.

As a member of the working group (WG) on "Temperate Zone Fruit Trees in the Tropics and Subtropics" of the International Society for Horticulture, I was aware of the lack of readily available information needed in many warm-climate locations where temperate fruit crops are grown. The founder of this WG, Frank Dennis, Jr. , was motivated to encourage knowledge transfer by sharing knowledge with many developing countries. We shared his drive and in presenting this book we believe we are doing a service to all persons interested in temperate fruits, but especially to those in tropical and subtropical countries, many of which are developing countries interested in growing these crops and lacking the knowledge needed. In this book, we have collected information covering a variety of different aspects of growing temperate fruit crops in warm climates. As this is the first time such an evaluation of these species has been done, interesting and novel aspects of tree development and fruiting are presented, with stress on elements like dormancy and irrigation that are not of such basic concern in the natural of the temperate zones. We are living in a transition age; horticultural studies habitat are changing and expertise such as can be found in the array of participants in this book is probably not going to be easily found in the future. I hope that this book will broaden our understanding of the fruiting Temperate Zone tree in general and of its adaptation to warm climates, in particular.

The future of agriculture strongly depends on our ability to enhance productivity without sacrificing long-term production potential. An ecologically and economically sustainable strategy is the application of microorganisms, such as the diverse bacterial species of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). The use of these bio-resources for the enhancement of crop productivity is gaining worldwide importance.

"Bacteria in Agrobiology: Crop Ecosystems" describes the beneficial role of plant growth promoting bacteria with special emphasis on oil yielding crops, cereals, fruits and vegetables. Chapters present studies on various aspects of bacteria-plant interactions, soil-borne and seed-borne diseases associated with food crops such as rice, sesame, peanuts, and horticultural crops. Further reviews describe technologies to produce inoculants, the biocontrol of post harvest pathogens as a suitable alternative to agrochemicals, and the restoration of degraded soils.

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) has become important in rice farming systems because this process diminishes the need for expensive chemical fertilizers which have been associated with numerous health and environmental problems. The extensive exploitation of BNF would provide economic benefits to small farmers, avoiding all malign influences of chemical fertilizers. Meanwhile, advances in biotechnology have brought rice genetics to the threshold of new opportunities for increasing rice production. This volume focuses, in six different sessions, on the role of BNF in the improvement of rice production in the light of the current state of the art of BNF technology transfer and diffusion. New ideas on BNF technology in research, extension information and inoculant technology are also included, together with the socio-economic impacts of using BNF in rice farm systems.

The recent advent of molecular technologies has changed the way plant breeders identify and select their germplasm as genetic variation can now be assessed at the DNA level. Crop Breeding: Methods and Protocols presents detailed guidelines and tutorials that suit different needs and capacity from small laboratories analyzing molecular markers on a one-by-one basis to the increasingly popular high-throughput protocols for high capacity laboratories. Topics covered include breeding strategy for the selection of an ideal variety or genetic ideo type, protocols for breeders using molecular markers in selection programs and for laboratories providing molecular services to breeding programs, statistical programs and software to aid implementation of molecular data into breeding programs and methodologies that facilitate the generation of genetic diversity and its characterization. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Crop Breeding: Methods and Protocols will help in expanding the use of molecular technologies for the creation of tomorrow's crop varieties.

Nitrogen Economy in Tropical Soils presents an authoritative and comprehensive state-of-the-art review on soil/plant nitrogen inter-relationships, with special reference to tropical soils and crops in aerobic and anaerobic environments. Use of isotopically labelled nitrogen in experimentation, especially in tropical environments, and recently developed analytical techniques for soil and plant materials are presented. An important aspect is the emphasis placed on the impact of the tropical environment on nitrogen transformations in the soil environment. This book should be an excellent source of information for senior undergraduate and graduate students with interest in soil/plant nitrogen inter-relationships, and for all levels of research workers in these fields.