Advances in Agronomy, Volume 178, the latest release in this leading reference on agronomy, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field, with each chapter written by an international board of authors.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 117, the latest release in this leading reference on agronomy, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field. Chapters in this new release include Farming Systems Research: Concepts, Design and Methodology, Soil Potassium Fertility and Management Strategies in South Asian Agriculture, Sensing for Characterizing and Monitoring Soil Functions - A Review, Isolation and Fractionation of Organic Matter from Soils and Waters, Tolerance Mechanism and Management Concepts of Iron Toxicity in Rice: A Critical Review, and Smart Sensing and Automated Irrigation for Sustainable Rice Systems: A State of the Art Review.

Urban and Regional Agriculture: Building Resilient Food Systems explores the sustainable integration of food provision, distribution and consumption through urban farms, agricultural systems, user communities and structural facilities designed to optimize food production and consumption. The book addresses the fundamental and pressing challenges of urban planning problems, waste minimization, food sourcing, access and equity issues, and multiple land use optimization. Sections cover the need and opportunities of urban agriculture, discuss tradition and transition, space and regulatory topics, explore the range of urban agriculture options (aquaculture to urban permaculture), discuss support structures and constructs of physically creating urban agricultural areas, and much more. Edited and authored by leading experts in the field, this volume will be valuable for those working to address issues of food security in urban environments.

The Plant Hormone Ethylene: Stress Acclimation and Agricultural Applications presents current knowledge on our understanding of ethylene perception and signaling, its role in the regulation of plant physiological processes, and its contribution to acclimation in stressful environments. Plants regularly face environmental constraints due to their immobile nature. In persistently changing environmental conditions, several stress factors influence cellular metabolism, ultimately causing reduced plant growth and development with a significant loss in agricultural productivity. Sustainable agriculture depends on the acclimation of plant processes to the changing environment through altered physiological and molecular responses, which are controlled by plant hormones, including ethylene. Ethylene interacts with other plant hormones and signaling molecules to regulate several cellular processes, plant growth and development, and, ultimately, crop productivity. This book begins with an introduction to ethylene before providing a detailed study of the latest findings on the role of ethylene in plants, including its role in photosynthetic processes, flower development, leaf senescence, nutrients acquisition, and regulation of abiotic stress responses as well as its application in agriculture. The book is an ideal guide for researchers exploring plant physiology and biochemistry as well as for those investigating the use of ethylene knowledge in agriculture in persistently changing environmental conditions.

Potato is a crop grown on all inhabited continents of the globe. It is included in the top five crops of the world, used as staple food in several countries, and the number of people daily consuming the potato may surpass one billion. Despite the high quantities of seed potato produced worldwide, there are yield gaps due to challenges such as abiotic stresses, pests, climate change and poor production practices. A region-wide critical analysis of yield declining factors can help formulate management strategies that can improve potato yields. Bridging yield gaps in potato will ultimately ensure the role of this crop in securing current and future food security. Potato Production Worldwide presents information on this global crop from its history, morphology, and taxonomy to the growth and development of the potato crop, including the latest strategies in addressing today's biotic and abiotic challenges. This book identifies the reasons for yield gaps in various potato production regions of the world, as well as presenting the best production practices, pest management strategies and approaches to deal with climate change from the perspective of potato production. Chapters provide important insights into potato production cultures and approaches in the major potato production countries. Potato Production Worldwide will be a valuable resource for researchers, scientists and students seeking a comprehensive view of successful potato production.

Engineered Nanomaterials for Sustainable Agricultural Production, Soil Improvement and Stress Management highlights the latest advances in applying this important technology within agriculture sectors for sustainable growth, production and protection. The book explores various smart engineered nanomaterials which are now being used as an important tool for improving growth and productivity of crops facing abiotic stresses, improving the health of the soil in which those crops are growing, and addressing stresses once the plant begins to produce food yield. The book includes insights into the use of nanoparticles as bactericides, fungicides and nanofertilizers. In addition, the book includes an international representation of authors who have crafted chapters with clarity, reviewing up-to-date literature with lucid illustrations. It will be an important resource for researchers, nanobiotechnologists, agriculturists and horticulturists who need a comprehensive reference guide.

Omics in Horticulture Crops presents a comprehensive view of germplasm diversity, genetic evolution, genomics, proteomics and transcriptomics of fruit crops (temperate, tropical and subtropical fruits, fruit nuts, berries), vegetables, tuberous crops, ornamental and floricultural crops and medicinal aromatic plants. Information covering phenomics, genetic diversity, phylogenetic studies, genome sequencing, and genome barcoding through the utilization of molecular markers plays an imperative role in the characterization and effective utilization of diverse germplasm are included in the book. This is a valuable reference for researchers and academics seeking to improve cultivar productivity through enhanced genetic diversity while also retaining optimal traits and protecting the growing environment.

Application of Sampling and Detection Methods in Agricultural Plant Biotechnology describes detection methods for seed, plants and grain derived from biotechnology. This international handbook, based on a series of workshops carried out for governments in collaboration with ILSI and Co-published in partnership with the Cereals & Grains Association, provides the technical and practical information needed to develop, validate and use detection methods. This useful resource provides readers with the tools necessary to carry out reliable sampling, detection and interpretation of data.

Starchy Crops Morphology, Extraction, Properties and Applications is the first volume of the "Underground Starchy Crops of South American Origin" book series. Organized in five volumes, this series brings information on the applied level of producing and using starch from a range of plants grown in tropical and subtropical areas that have South American origin. This book presents the characteristics and properties of starches for raw materials grown in tropical climates. It allows comparing starches from 3 types of storage organs, roots, tubers and rhizomes, with different morphological structures and physiology. It contains the methodologies of extraction and analysis, describing the commercial process with the commercial equipment's and its by-products and wastes. It also includes topics on fraud detection, nutritional aspects, and starch structure. Edited by a team of experts with solid background on starch extraction research, the books are aimed at all those involved in research and development as well as quality control and legislation in the field of starch.

Functionality and Application of Colored Cereals: Nutritional, Bioactive and Health Aspects focuses on exploiting the full and functional possibilities of these grains. From their physical chemistry to their health benefits, this book highlights cereals with potential for enhanced products. Plant-based food colorants play an important role in conferring colors to food to increase attractiveness for consumers, improve appetite, minimize synthetic colorants, and conform to food culture. Over the last decades, the presence of anthocyanin and other bioactive compounds in colored cereal grains (maize, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, and rye) have attracted the attention of various food processors and researchers. Colored cereals are imperative for food processing industries as high-value pigments present in the bran layer can easily be extracted and utilized as functional foods and natural colorants. The extracted pigments such as anthocyanin can replace synthetic dyes currently used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. Additionally, natural additives improve the nutritional value, appearance, texture, flavor and storage properties of food products.

Plant Nematode Biopesticides presents the most current knowledge on various categories of biopesticides used in the management of nematode pests of crops or those that have significant potential as biological control agents. This book presents an exploratory and investigatory compilation and explanation of the actions and potentials of predatory nematodes, microbial agents, plant and other organic products, nanobiopesticides, and predatory invertebrates as biopesticides of nematode pests of agricultural crops. It is of unique importance and value as the only currently available single-volume resource focusing on plant parasitic nematodes as the pests and biopesticides. In addition, the book addresses common reservations in using biopesticides, either alone or in integrated pest management programs, providing advanced insights on various biopesticidal agents and products. Biopesticides may be microbial (nematodes, bacteria, fungi, virus, herbs etc.), plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs), plant products (citronella oil, neem oil, capsaicin, pyrethrin etc.), synthetic biochemical molecules, pheromones, semio-chemicals, plant extracts, or nanobiopesticides.

Biochar in Agriculture for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals introduces the state-of-the-art of biochar for agricultural applications to actualize sustainable development goals and highlight current challenges and the way forward. The book focuses on scientific knowledge and biochar technologies for agricultural soil improvement and plant growth. Sections provide state-of-the-art knowledge on biochar production and characterization, focus on biochar for agricultural application and soil improvement, discuss the roles of biochar for environmental improvement in farmland to relieve water and waste management as well as climate change, highlight biochar used for boosting bioeconomy and clean energy, and discuss future prospects. This book will be important to agricultural engineers and researchers as well as those seeking to improve overall soil and environmental conditions through the use of biochar.

Bioinformatics in Agriculture: Next Generation Sequencing Era is a comprehensive volume presenting an integrated research and development approach to the practical application of genomics to improve agricultural crops. Exploring both the theoretical and applied aspects of computational biology, and focusing on the innovation processes, the book highlights the increased productivity of a translational approach. Presented in four sections and including insights from experts from around the world, the book includes: Section I: Bioinformatics and Next Generation Sequencing Technologies; Section II: Omics Application; Section III: Data mining and Markers Discovery; Section IV: Artificial Intelligence and Agribots. Bioinformatics in Agriculture: Next Generation Sequencing Era explores deep sequencing, NGS, genomic, transcriptome analysis and multiplexing, highlighting practices forreducing time, cost, and effort for the analysis of gene as they are pooled, and sequenced. Readers will gain real-world information on computational biology, genomics, applied data mining, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. This book serves as a complete package for advanced undergraduate students, researchers, and scientists with an interest in bioinformatics.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 173, the latest release in this leading reference on agronomy, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field, with each chapter written by an international board of authors.

Nano-Enabled Agrochemicals in Agriculture presents a targeted overview of the safe implementation of nanotechnologies within agricultural and horticultural settings, with the purpose of achieving enhanced production while maintaining ecological integrity. The growing global request for agricultural crops and products requires high standards of quality and safety, which has stimulated the search for new technologies that preserve their quality and delay their decomposition. Nanotechnology may boost plant production by improving nutrient uptake/use efficiency with nanoformulations of fertilizers and agrochemicals for plant enhancement, detection and treatment of diseases, and host-parasite interactions at the molecular level using nanosensors. It also may improve plant disease diagnostics, removal of contaminants from soil and water, postharvest management of vegetables and flowers, and reclamation of salt-affected soils. Although the markets for nanoproducts and nanoformulations continue to increase, there are also growing concerns regarding the fate and behavior of nanomaterials in environmental systems. Exploring important topics related to nanotechnology and nanomaterials, the book includes the use of nanochemicals in insect pest management, as nanofungicides, nanoherbicides, micronutrient supply, and nanosensors to monitor crop and soil health conditions, from detection of agrochemicals to their slow release of agrochemicals, and their impact on related environs. This book will serve as an excellent resource for a wide range of plant scientists who have concerns about nanomaterial interactions with terrestrial and aquatic plants.

This fully revised and updated second edition of Insect Pests of Potato now includes an opening section with a basic overview of agronomic and economic issues as they relate to potato production. It also features a new section that reviews potato production, as well as problems caused by insect pests and solutions to these problems, in all major potato-growing regions of the world. Further, a new section discusses theoretical foundations of potato pest management and includes chapters on ecological theory, evolutionary theory, and a case study on their applications to elucidate differences between Eastern and Western populations of Colorado potato beetle in North America. There is also a new chapter on the foundations of integrated pest management and their applications in controlling insect pests. The sections on the biology of main pests and on control methods now feature the latest information, including emphasis on recent advances in molecular biology and genomics. Information on the use of dsRNA technology for pest control is also included, as are new chapters on potato ladybirds and on hemipterous pests other than aphids and psyllids. This second edition provides improved integration and logical connections among chapters and expanded geographic scope of coverage making it the ideal reference on the topic.

Emerging Plant Growth Regulators in Agriculture: Roles in Stress Tolerance presents current PGR discoveries and advances for agricultural applications, providing a comprehensive reference for those seeking to apply these tools for improved plant health and crop yield. As demand for agricultural crops and improved nutritional requirement continue to escalate in response to increasing population, plant researchers have focused on identifying scientific approaches to minimize the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture crops. Among the various applied approaches, the application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) have gained significant attention for their ability to enhance stress tolerance mechanisms. This book was developed to provide foundational and emerging information to advance the discovery of novel, cost-competitive, specific and effective PGRs for applications in agriculture.

Silicon and Nano-silicon in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement: Progress and Prospects provides a comprehensive overview of the latest understanding of the physiological, biochemical and molecular basis of silicon- and nano-silicon-mediated environmental stress tolerance and crop quality improvements in plants. The book not only covers silicon-induced biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in crops but is also the first to include nano-silicon-mediated approaches to environmental stress tolerance in crops. As nanotechnology has emerged as a prominent tool for enhancing agricultural productivity, and with the production and applications of nanoparticles (NPs) greatly increasing in many industries, this book is a welcomed resource.

Applications of Biosurfactant in Agriculture explores the use of beneficial microorganisms as an alternative to current synthetic plant protection strategies. The book highlights a range of renewable raw substrates including agro-industrial waste as a dependable and cost-effective technology for the mass production of biosurfactant, emphasizes the formulation of biosurfactants using a full-factorial design, scientometric assessment, and presents mathematical modeling for the enhancement of production processes. Recent biotechnological techniques such as functional metagenomics that could help in the molecular characterization of novel biosurfactant with multifunctional activities majorly from uncultured and unexploited microbes available in the soil biosphere are also explored. This book identifies possible modes of action by which nutrients are normally released to plants through the formation of metal-biosurfactant complexes and presents recent research findings on the utilization of biosurfactants for the management of mycotoxins and microorganisms when evaluated in the field and in greenhouses. Finally, the book emphasizes the application of biosurfactants as a form of potent antibiotics for the management of several zoonotic diseases and in animal husbandry.