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.

reviews a wide-range of genetically modified (GM) crops, to understand how they are produced, the impacts on the agricultural industry, and the potential for improving food security. examines how food security can be achieved through GM crops. provides an important synthesis of GM crops from their commercial value to the agricultural industry, as well as their potential for improving food security. will be of great interest to students and scholars of agricultural engineering, crop science, food biotechology, food security and those interested in food and agriculture and sustainable development more broadly.

Micropropagation of plants is a multibillion dollar industry being prac- ticed in hundreds of small and large nurseries and commercial labora- tories throughout the world. At present, it is the only component of plant biotechnology which has been commercially exploited on such a large scale, especially for the production of ornamentals. Now micro- propagation of trees and medicinal plants has also assumed great im- portance. With recent progress made in the propagation of fruit and forest trees, and the immediate need for afforestation and planting of orchards, propagules and plantlets are required quickly and in large numbers. Taking these points into consideration High-Tech and Micro- propagation I, If, If I, and IV were published in 1991 and 1992. The present two volumes, High-Tech and Micropropagation V and VI, com- prise 51 chapters contributed by international experts from 24 countries. High-Tech and M icropropagation V comprises 24 chapters arranged into the following three sections: I. Vegetables and fruits (garlic, Amaranthus, Brassica oleracea, pepper watermelon, cassava, banana, Myrtus communis, passionfruit, Poly- mnia sonchifolia, pepino, and spinach) II. Grasses (bamboos, Caustis dioica, Dendrocalamus, Miscanthus x giganteus, sugarcane) III. Trees (Aegle marmelos, Eucalyptus, Fraxinus excelsior, Juglans cinerea, Pinus virginiana, Prosopis, and Ulmus species) High-Tech and Micropropagation VI comprises 27 chapters arranged in two sections: I.

Agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. More sustainable crop production based on agroecological principles is seen as a key solution to this challenge. Understanding and improving soil health is the foundation for this approach. Improving soil health provides a considered assessment of key management strategies to enhance the physical, chemical and biological health of soils in achieving sustainable improvements in crop yields. The book reviews the role of cultivation practices as well as organic and other soil amendments, such as biofertilizers. By assessing the dimensions of soil health, and reviewing the wealth of evidence on how well individual techniques contribute to improving soil, the book shows how farmers can achieve sustainable improvements in both productivity and profitability. Improving soil health will be a standard reference for researchers in soil and crop science, government and other agencies responsible for the health of agricultural soils, companies providing soil monitoring and management services and farmers wishing to further their knowledge on the latest developments in effective soil management.

First published in 1970 Public opinion polls and British politics provides an introductory guide to political polling in Britain. The book describes the polling organizations themselves, their sampling methods, and some of the general problems encountered in survey work. A distinction is drawn between polls concerned with voting intentions (predictive polls) and polls concerned with the expression of opinion (opinion polls), and problems of interpretation in each are discussed. Public opinion polls are then considered in the context of British politics - firstly their relationship with the general principles of representative democracy, and secondly their effect on the practice of politics. Finally, a word of caution is sounded against taking the polls too seriously as accurate indicators of the thinking of the British electorate and also against treating the implications of their potential uses too lightly. This book is a must read for students of British politics, election studies and political science.

With the completion of a finished rice genome sequence, increasing efforts have focused on functional characterization of rice genes, elucidation of the underlying mechanisms involved in major agronomic traits (e.g., high yield, grain quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and disease resistance), and the subsequent translation of genomic knowledge into agricultural productivity via molecular breeding and improved cultural practice. To meet increasing interest in this field, "Rice Protocols" has been compiled to provide a series of core techniques and approaches commonly used in studying rice molecular biology and functional genomics. These approaches include genetic and molecular techniques such as artificial hybridization, fluorescence "in situ" hybridization, generation and characterization of chemical and T-DNA insertional mutants, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis and map-based cloning, site-specific transgene integration, and artificial microRNA-mediated gene silencing, along with a variety of omics techniques. Written in the highly 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 laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and easy to use, "Rice Protocols" will prove useful for both beginners and experienced researchers whether they are molecular biologists who want to study rice plants or rice researchers who are interested in learning molecular techniques."

Abiotic and Biotic Stresses in Soybean Production: Soybean Production Volume One presents the important results of research in both field and greenhouse conditions that guide readers to effectively manage the chemical, physical, and biological factors that can put soybean production at risk. Including the latest in genetics, signaling, and biotechnology, the book identifies these types of stresses, their causes, and means of avoiding, then addresses existing stresses to provide a comprehensive overview of key production yield factors. By presenting important insights into the historical and emerging uses for soybean, the book educates readers on the factors for consideration as new uses are developed. It is an ideal complement to volume two, Environmental Stress Conditions in Soybean Production, that work together to provide valuable insights into crop protection.

This book provides an overview of the innovations in crop phenotyping using emerging technologies, i.e., high-throughput crop phenotyping technology, including its concept, importance, breakthrough and applications in different crops and environments. Emerging technologies in sensing, machine vision and high-performance computing are changing the world beyond our imagination. They are also becoming the most powerful driver of the innovation in agriculture technology, including crop breeding, genetics and management. It includes the state of the art of technologies in high-throughput phenotyping, including advanced sensors, automation systems, ground-based or aerial robotic systems. It also discusses the emerging technologies of big data processing and analytics, such as advanced machine learning and deep learning technologies based on high-performance computing infrastructure. The applications cover different organ levels (root, shoot and seed) of different crops (grains, soybean, maize, potato) at different growth environments (open field and controlled environments). With the contribution of more than 20 world-leading researchers in high-throughput crop phenotyping, the authors hope this book provides readers the needed information to understand the concept, gain the insides and create the innovation of high-throughput phenotyping technology.

Plant phenotyping is rapidly developing technology that involves the quantitative analysis of structural and functional plant traits. It is widely recognised that phenotyping needs to match similar advances in genetics if it is to not create a bottleneck in plant breeding. Advances in plant phenotyping for more sustainable crop production reviews the wealth of research on advances in plant phenotyping to meet this challenge, including new technologies such as optical and thermographic sensors, as well as alternative carrier systems such as field robots and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The book details the use of plant phenotyping to analyse traits such as crop root functionality, yield performance and disease resistance. Edited by a world-renowned researcher in plant science, Advances in plant phenotyping for more sustainable crop production will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in plant science, as well as those in computing and engineering science with a research focus on computer vision, data mining and image-based plant phenotyping. The book will also be a key resource for plant breeders, government and private agencies involved in advocating for a more sustainable agriculture, agricultural engineers, as well as suppliers of agricultural technology.

Provides updated value-cost ratios for all major crops using micronutrient fertilizers. Includes a chapter focusing on the future micronutrient research and development needs. Presents predictive mapping of zinc deficiency in soils at scale, and the related impacts on GDP.

Shows the importance of plant tissue culture and transgenic technology on plant biology research and its application to agricultural production Provides insight into what may lie ahead in this rapidly expanding area of plant research and development Contains contributions from major leaders in the field of plant tissue culture and transgenic technology

Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens compiles fundamental and specific information and procedures involving in vitro soybean transformation, which forms the basis for the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic manipulation of soybean using plant tissue culture. This method serves as one of the most preferred, reliable and cost-effective mechanism of transgene expression in both leguminous recalcitrant species and non-legume crops. The technology is favoured due to its simplicity, feasibility and high transformation rates that are so far achieved mostly in monocot plants and a few dicot genotypes. This book provides a comprehensive review of plant transformation which remains necessary for many researchers who are still facing protocol-related hurdles. Among some of the major topics covered in Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens are the history and discovery of Agrobacterium bacterium, longstanding challenges causing transformation inefficiencies, types and conditions of explants, development of transgenic plants for stress resistance, and the role of transgenic plants on animal/human health, including the environment. Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens helps the reader to understand how soybean, like many other orphan legume crops, faces the risk of overexploitation which may render the currently available varieties redundant and extinct should its narrow gene pool not improve. Plant transformation serves as a key technique in improving the gene pool, while developing varieties that are drought tolerant, have enhanced nutritional value, pest resistant and reduce the destruction by disease causing microorganims. This book is an essential foundation tool that is available for researchers and students to reinforce the application of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation in soybean.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on soil erosion in agriculture. The first chapter identifies different types of soil degradation, focussing primarily on soil erosion by water. The chapter explores the impact of soil erosion processes on soil properties that relate directly to crop growth, including soil depth, water-holding capacity, carbon content and nutrient reserves. The second chapter reviews advances in techniques used to assess and measure soil erodibility by water, such as computer aided tomography. The chapter considers the role of static and dynamic soil properties in the erosion process, as well as the challenges that have developed as a result of climate change. The third chapter assesses the impact of heavy metal contamination on soil and its consequent role in the degradation of soil health. The chapter describes the sources, impacts, indicators and remediation of heavy metal contamination, as well as the development of improved soil management practices, including effective pollution control strategies. The final chapter discusses the implementation of integrated strategies under Conservation Agriculture (CA) farming systems to restore soil productivity in degraded agricultural lands in tropical and subtropical regions in Brazil. The chapter additionally considers the adoption of CA as a tool to prevent and reverse instances of soil degradation.

Fungi are important plant pathogens which can be responsible for significant yield losses and in some cases, even complete losses in the infected fields or crops. In many cases, fungi coexist in symbiotic association with plant roots and provide benefits to the plants. Therefore, understanding the diversity of the fungi that interact with plants both in symbiotic and pathogenic interaction is critical to harness the beneficial species and strains and control the pathogenic species and strains. Developments in the field of molecular biology move very fast comparatively, books covering the various aspects of molecular biology of fungi are always welcomed by scientists. Features recent trends in phytomycology and fungal biology studies using modern molecular tools. Contains information on improved methods in genetics, genomics and metabolomics.

It has been estimated that around 15% of global agricultural production costs on-farm are energy-related. With heightened concerns around the sustainability of crop and livestock production, the agricultural sector must develop and invest in alternative methods of farming that recoup the same results but have a reduced environmental impact. Energy-smart farming: Efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability reviews recent research undertaken on the ways of reducing the costs and environmental impact of on-farm energy use. The collection explores advances in improving energy efficiency on farms, renewable energy technologies such as agrivoltaics, biomass combustion, gasification and pyrolysis, as well as how more sustainable energy use can be delivered in practice in livestock production systems. Edited by a leading expert in the field, Energy-smart farming: Efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in renewable energy deployment and policies, environmental scientists, government and other agencies tackling the challenge of climate change, as well as farmers and representatives from food manufacturers and suppliers dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint.

Focuses on the menace of metal pollution on plants, crop plants, pulses and vegetables Covers morphological, anatomical, physiological and biochemical aspects Covers metal hyper-accumulators (metallophytes) and bioremediation Alleviation of metal stress by exogenous phytohormonal supply Includes heavy metals' low dose stimulatory effects Focuses on 'omics' studies i.e. genomics, metabolomics, ionomics, proteomics and transcriptomics

Explains genomic selection (GS) through statistical models, programming language, and graphics to guide plant breeders in adopting the tool in breeding schemes. Provides examples of GS adoption and potential for expanding the tool's application in crops from the genera of cereals, oilseeds, legumes, tuber crops, and vegetables. Gives insight on prospective of GS in crops by considering the expanding genomic resources.

Global food security is increasingly challenging in light of population increase, the impact of climate change on crop production, and limited land available for agricultural expansion. Plant breeding and other agricultural technologies have contributed considerably for food and nutritional security over the last few decades. Genetic engineering approaches are powerful tools that we have at our disposal to overcome substantial obstacles in the way of efficiency and productivity of current agricultural practices. Genome engineering via CRISPR/Cas9, Cpf1, base editing and prime editing, and OMICs through genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, phenomics, an metabolomics have helped to discover underlying mechanisms controlling traits of economic importance. Principle and Practices of OMICs and Genome Editing for Crop Improvement provides recent research from eminent scholars from around the world, from various geographical regions, with established expertise on genome editing and OMICs technologies. This book offers a wide range of information on OMICs techniques and their applications to develop biotic, abiotic and climate resilient crops, metabolomics and next generation sequencing for sustainable crop production, integration bioinformatics, and multi-omics for precision plant breeding. Other topics include application of genome editing technologies for food and nutritional security, speed breeding, hybrid seed production, resource use efficiency, epigenetic modifications, transgene free breeding, database and bioinformatics for genome editing, and regulations adopted by various countries around globe for genome edited crops. Both OMICs and genome editing are vigorously utilized by researchers for crop improvement programs; however, there is limited literature available in a single source. This book provides a valuable resource not only for students at undergraduate and postgraduate level but also for researchers, stakeholders, policy makers, and practitioners interested in the potential of genome editing and OMICs for crop improvement programs.

With the continued effects of climate change threatening the security of the global food system, there is a greater emphasis on ensuring successful crop establishment as a means of optimising agricultural production. Advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production considers how an improved understanding of seed quality, germination and seedling emergence can address this challenge. The book reviews the development of new techniques to ensure seed quality control, including seed phenotyping, as well as the role of genetic and environmental factors in determining seed longevity. In its comprehensive exploration of seed science and technology, the book highlights how an informed understanding of seed biology can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change on seed quality and consequently crop production.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on biodiversity management practices in agriculture. The first chapter reviews biodiversity management practices and benefits in Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems. After looking at the importance of soil microorganisms, the chapter looks at how CA systems contribute to soil biological activity, particularly the way cover crops and rotations, with a no-till regime, can enrich soil and the multitude or organisms living in it. The second chapter synthesizes and reviews the published information on grass hedges and their soil benefits, to better understand the potential of grass hedges for managing water erosion as well as improving soil health in agricultural lands. The third chapter reviews research on ways of modifying the agricultural landscape to reverse the decline in a range of fauna and flora. The chapter also reviews the characteristics and types of field margins, as well as their role in agroecosystems. The chapter concludes with a discussion on managing field margins to promote insect biodiversity and rare arable plant populations. The final chapter considers the impact of agricultural intensification on agricultural landscapes, farming systems and biodiversity. The chapter highlights how hedgerows can contribute to the multifunctionality of agroecosystems in intensively-managed agricultural landscapes, focussing on improved pest regulation and enhanced pollination services.

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on integrated weed management in cereal cultivation. The first chapter examines the problem of weeds in barley and explains the application of integrated weed management (IWM) to barley cultivation. The chapter also outlines weed control tactics and the practical implementation of IWM in barley. The second chapter reviews the availability of cultural strategies which can be used in wheat cultivation as part of an IWM strategy. The chapter considers the implementation of practices that can improve crop health, including diverse crop rotations. The third chapter considers the impact of weeds on maize cultivation and productivity, as well as the emergence of IWM as a sustainable method of controlling weeds. The chapter assesses the efficacy of key IWM techniques, such as crop rotations. The fourth chapter provides a detailed assessment of the biological constraints currently impacting the productivity of rice cultivation, focusing on the issue of weeds. The chapter includes an overview of the IWM approach and its benefits. The final chapter focuses on competitive cereal crops and cultural strategies for weed management, including the use of weed-suppressive cultivars, post-harvest crop residues, and cover crops for management of the weed seedbank and eventual weed suppression.

The volume III of the book presents the ways and means to manipulate the signals and signaling system to enhance the expression of plant innate immunity for crop disease management. It also describes bioengineering approaches to develop transgenic plants expressing enhanced disease resistance using plant immunity signaling genes. It also discusses recent commercial development of biotechnological products to manipulate plant innate immunity for crop disease management. Engineering durable nonspecific resistance to phytopathogens is one of the ultimate goals of plant breeding. However, most of the attempts to reach this goal fail as a result of rapid changes in pathogen populations and the sheer diversity of pathogen infection mechanisms. Recently several bioengineering and molecular manipulation technologies have been developed to activate the 'sleeping' plant innate immune system, which has potential to detect and suppress the development of a wide range of plant pathogens in economically important crop plants. Enhancing disease resistance through altered regulation of plant immunity signaling systems would be durable and publicly acceptable. Strategies for activation and improvement of plant immunity aim at enhancing host's capability of recognizing invading pathogens, boosting the executive arsenal of plant immunity, and interfering with virulence strategies employed by microbial pathogens. Major advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of plant immunity and of microbial infection strategies have opened new ways for engineering durable resistance in crop plants.

Plants often encounter abiotic stresses including drought, salinity, flooding, high/low temperatures, and metal toxicity, among others. The majority of these stresses occur simultaneously and thus limit crop production. Therefore, the need of the hour is to improve the abiotic stresses tolerance of crop plants by integrating physiology, omics, and modern breeding approaches. This book covers various aspects including (1) abiotic stress responses in plants and progress made so far in the allied areas for trait improvements, (2) integrates knowledge gained from basic physiology to advanced omics tools to assist new breeding technologies, and (3) discusses key genes, proteins, and metabolites or pathways for developing new crop varieties with improved tolerance traits.

Plants often encounter abiotic stresses including drought, salinity, flooding, high/low temperatures, and metal toxicity, among others. The majority of these stresses occur simultaneously and thus limit crop production. Therefore, the need of the hour is to improve the abiotic stresses tolerance of crop plants by integrating physiology, omics, and modern breeding approaches. This book covers various aspects including (1) abiotic stress responses in plants and progress made so far in the allied areas for trait improvements, (2) integrates knowledge gained from basic physiology to advanced omics tools to assist new breeding technologies, and (3) discusses key genes, proteins, and metabolites or pathways for developing new crop varieties with improved tolerance traits.