The Coconut: Phylogeny, Origins, and Spread comprehensively covers the botany, phylogeny, origins, and spread of the coconut palm. The coconut is used primarily for its oil, fiber, and as an article of food, including its tender-nut water. Until the 1950s, coconut oil used to rank first in the world in production and international trade among all the vegetable oils. Since then, lower-cost sources such as the African oil palm, soybean, canola, and others have overtaken the coconut in oil production and trade. The coconut, Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae), is a dominant part of the littoral vegetation across the tropics. In addition to discussing the origins of the coconut and its use as a crop, the book covers the resurgence in the use of the coconut in food, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

Provides a contemporary view of the impact of climate change on cultivation of various fruit species. Offers modern approaches for mitigating the adverse impact of climate change on fruits cultivation. Describes case studies, empirical experiments and observations emphasizing the research progress of understanding and combating the impact of climate change on fruits production. Illustrates concepts with relevant figures and tabulated data.

This book provides all aspects of the physiology, stress responses and tolerance to abiotic stresses of the Brassicaceae plants. Different plant families have been providing food, fodder, fuel, medicine and other basic needs for the human and animal since the ancient time. Among the plant families, Brassicaceae has special importance for their agri-horticultural importance and multifarious uses apart from the basic needs. Interest understanding the response of Brassicaceae plants toward abiotic stresses is growing considering the economic importance and the special adaptive mechanisms. The knowledge needs to be translated into improved elite lines that can contribute to achieve food security. The physiological and molecular mechanisms acting on Brassicaceae introduced in this book are useful to students and researchers working on biology, physiology, environmental interactions and biotechnology of Brassicaceae plants.

A comprehensive guide that covers the banana's full value chain - from production to consumption The banana is the world's fourth major fruit crop. Offering a unique and in-depth overview of the fruit's entire value chain, this important new handbook charts its progression from production through to harvest, postharvest, processing, and consumption. The most up-to-date data and best practices are drawn together to present guidelines on innovative storage, processing, and packaging technologies, while fresh approaches to quality management and the value-added utilization of banana byproducts are also explained. Additionally, the book examines the banana's physiology, nutritional significance, and potential diseases and pests. The book also Edited by noted experts in the field of food science, this essential text: Provides a new examination of the world's fourth major fruit crop Covers the fruit's entire value chain Offers dedicated chapters on bioactive and phytochemical compounds found in bananas and the potential of processing byproducts Gives insight into bananas' antioxidant content and other nutritional properties Identifies and explains present and possible effects of bioactive and phytochemical compounds Handbook of Banana Production, Postharvest Science, Processing Technology, and Nutrition offers the most far-reaching overview of the banana currently available. It will be of great benefit to food industry professionals specializing in fruit processing, packaging, and manufacturing banana-based products. The book is also an excellent resource for those studying or researching food technology, food science, food engineering, food packaging, applied nutrition, biotechnology, and more.

This book provides a sociological analysis of the controversy surrounding GM crops in Telangana, India. There is much debate as to whether GM technology holds the key to improving the welfare of poor farmers globally or serves primarily to increase the profits of multinational corporations while enhancing cultivator risk. Desmond's study is located in the economically vulnerable and politically volatile district of Warangal in Telangana, a context associated with high numbers of farmer suicides. Uniquely foregrounding the perspectives of cultivators and the landless, Desmond explores how GM crops are variously legitimated and delegitimated in three Warangal villages by those whose livelihoods are at stake in the debate, but whose voices are rarely heard within it. This book will be significant for those with an interest in GM crops, power and knowledge and their relation to understandings of development, democracy and risk management worldwide.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 141 carries on the stellar reputation of this leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. As always, the subjects covered are rich, varied, and exemplary of the abundant subject matter addressed by this long-running serial.

It has been reported that up to 95% of all flowering plants require the services of other organisms to move pollen from male to female flower parts during the pollination process. These organisms, including bees, are collectively known as pollinators. However, in light of the growing evidence of global declines in pollinator species, the management, ecology and conservation of wild and managed pollinators is a subject of growing importance and research activity. Promoting pollination and pollinators in farming reviews the wealth of research on our current understanding of existing pollination processes and their importance to our global ecosystems. The book considers how pollinators interact with plants, as well as the major threats to pollinator species, including climate change, diseases and pesticide exposure. Through its comprehensive exploration of the current status of pollinators in farming, the book provides its readers with the knowledge required to promote pollination by protecting the world's pollinators species and the ecosystem services they deliver using techniques such as habitat conservation.

This edited book provides a comprehensive overview of modern strategies in fruit crop breeding in the era of climate change and global warming. It demonstrates how advances in plant molecular and genomics-assisted breeding can be utilized to produce improved fruit crops with climate-smart traits. Agriculture is facing a number of challenges in the 21st century, as it has to address food, nutritional, energy and environmental security. Future fruit varieties must be adaptive to the varying scenarios of climate change, produce higher yields of high-quality food, feed, and fuel and have multiple uses. To achieve these goals, it is imperative to employ modern tools of molecular breeding, genetic engineering and genomics for 'precise' plant breeding to produce 'designed' fruit crop varieties. This book is of interest to scientists working in the fields of plant genetics, genomics, breeding, biotechnology, and in the disciplines of agronomy and horticulture.

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. Six volumes are published yearly, ensuring that the esteemed work of its contributors is disseminated in a timely manner. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial.

With the agricultural sector facing mounting pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, greater emphasis has been placed on improving existing components and practices, such as soil health and biodiversity, which have since emerged as key components to achieving regenerative agriculture. Sensors provide the opportunity to measure crop and soil health at unparalleled scales and resolution. Key developments in sensor technology will help improve our current understanding and optimisation of the complex agricultural systems that make up our global ecosystem. Advances in sensor technology for sustainable crop production provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on key developments in sensor technology to improve monitoring and management of crop health, soil health, weeds and diseases. This collection also reviews advances in proximal and remote sensing techniques to monitor soil health, such as spectroscopy and radiometrics, as well as how sensor technology can be optimised for more targeted irrigation, site-specific nutrient and weed management.

The book offers an updated perspective on the unique characteristics of millets. Millets are consumed for their health/nutritional benefits, and in the preparation of specialty foods for target groups - from pediatrics to geriatrics. Recent trends suggest the importance of millet in the human diet due to their nutritional importance, ability to grow in high temperatures and drought conditions, and their resistance to pests and diseases. This book highlights different types of millet and discusses their properties as well as nutritional and anti-nutritional values. In addition, the book also provides information on the physiochemical properties, future prospects, current methodologies, and agricultural practices. The last few parts cover the emerging technologies in millet processing, by-products utilization, quality standards, and the current millet industry scenario. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the status of millet processing, quality, and nutraceutical product manufacture. The book is a resourceful read for students and researchers in food sciences, as well as industry experts.

Algorithim (mathematics) helps in understanding the direct and indirect relationship of plants that exist within it and other environmental factors. This book helps to understand how yield is related to different growth parameters, how growth is influenced by different environmental phenomenon, how best the resources can be used for crop production, etc. The numerical examples in the book guide a student to coordinate the different parameters and understand the subject of Agronomy well. This book is divided into thirteen chapters and covers comprehensively the different agronomic aspects to understand the science of mathematical Agronomy to meet the current and future challenges related to cropping practices.

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."

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.

It is widely recognised that photosynthesis in many important crops is well below its theoretical potential. With crop yields and stability under threat from the impact of climate change, there is now an urgent need to synthesise existing research on best practices for improving C3 photosynthesis in crops to optimise sustainable crop production and yields. Understanding and improving crop photosynthesis reviews the wealth of current research that addresses this challenge. The book explores our understanding of the general components of C3 photosynthesis, including its biochemistry, as well as the recent advances in techniques for improving photosynthesis, focussing primarily on light harvesting and optimising chloroplast function/light conversion. Through providing its readers with a comprehensive exploration of crop photosynthesis, the book showcases how farmers can utilise their understanding of the science behind this key process to optimise their yields and achieve successful crop production.

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.

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.

Sorghum Biochemistry: An Industrial Perspective explores the many uses for sorghum in industry and biofuels. Not only does it offer a detailed understanding of the physical and biochemical qualities of the grain, it also takes an in-depth look at the role sorghum plays in such industries as brewing and ethanol production and the mechanics of post-harvest processing and value addition. Sorghum has long been an important staple in Africa and Asia, but its value goes far beyond its uses in human and animal consumption. Sorghum is also used in many industries, including waxes, packing material, wall board, ethanol, beverages, and brewing, and one variety called sweet sorghum has also been used as a bioenergy crop. Sorghum Biochemistry: An Industrial Perspective offers a closer look at how the grain is used in such a variety of ways, and how we can continue to optimize its potential.

Advances in Agronomy continues its reputation as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. Five volumes are published yearly, ensuring that the authors' contributions are disseminated to the readership in a timely manner. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial.

Environmental Stress Conditions in Soybean Production: Soybean Production, Volume Two, examines the impact of conditions on final crop yield and identifies core issues and methods to address concerns. As climate and soil quality changes and issues continue to manifest around the world, methods of ensuring sustainable crop production is imperative. The care and treatment of the soil nutrients, how water availability and temperature interact with both soil and plant, and what new means of crop protection are being developed make this an important resource for those focusing on this versatile crop. The book is a complement to volume one, Abiotic and Biotic Stresses in Soybean Production, providing further insights into crop protection.

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.

Phenotyping Crop Plants for Physiological and Biochemical Traits presents a proven range of methodologies and practices for effective, efficient, and appropriate typing of crop plants. By addressing the basic principles and precautions needed when conducting crop-based experiments, this book guides the reader in selecting the appropriate method based on the growing environment, whether greenhouse, pot, field, or liquid (hydroponic). By addressing the quantification of seed traits related to growth experiments, including their viability and vigor, this book presents methodology options for optimum yield based on potential abiotic stresses.

The global population is increasing rapidly, and feeding the ever-increasing population poses a serious challenge for agriculturalists around the world. Seed is a basic and critical input in agriculture to ensure global food security. Roughly 90 percent of the crops grown all over the world are propagated by seed. However, seed can also harbour and spread pathogens, e.g. fungi, bacteria, nematodes, viruses etc., which cause devastating diseases. Seed-borne pathogens represent a major threat to crop establishment and yield. Hence, timely detection and diagnosis is a prerequisite for their effective management. The book "Seed-Borne Diseases of Agricultural Crops: Detection, Diagnosis & Management" addresses key issues related to seed-borne/transmitted diseases in various agricultural crops. Divided into 30 chapters, it offers a comprehensive compilation of papers concerning: the history of seed pathology, importance of seed-borne diseases, seed-borne diseases and quarantine, seed health testing and certification, detection and diagnosis of seed-borne diseases and their phytopathogens, host-parasite interactions during development of seed-borne diseases, diversity of seed-borne pathogens, seed-borne diseases in major agricultural crops, non-parasitic seed disorders, mechanisms of seed transmission and seed infection, storage fungi and mycotoxins, impact of seed-borne diseases on human and animal health, and management options for seed-borne diseases. We wish to thank all of the eminent researchers who contributed valuable chapters to our book, which will be immensely useful for students, researchers, academics, and all those involved in various agro-industries.

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.