This new volume emphasizes the drastic quantitative and qualitative transformation of our surrounding environment and looks at bioresource management and the tools needed to manageenvironmental stresses. This unique compilation and interpretation of concrete scientific ventures undertaken by environmental specialists at the global level explores research dedicated to the management of natural resources by controlling biotic and abiotic factors that make the earth vulnerable to these stresses. The chapter authors look at all types of bioresources on earth and their management at times of stress/crisis, focusing on the need for documentation, validation, and recovery of ethnic indigenous knowledge and practices that could have great impact in stress management. The book looks at topics in nature and changing climate management, adaptation, and mitigation, such as the effects of climate change on agriculture and horticulture, on timber harvesting, and on forest resources. Also specifically discussed are crop resources management, seed crops, tree seedlings, soil management, and conservation practices. The volume also includes chapters on animal resources management.

Europe was told that it had no choice but to accept agbiotech, yet this imperative was turned into a test of democratic accountability for societal choices. Since the late 1990s, European public controversy has kept the agri-biotech industry and its promoters on the defensive. As some opponents and regulators alike have declared, 'GM food/crops are on trial'. Suspicion of their guilt has been evoked by moral symbols, as disputes over whether genetically-modified products are modest benign improvements on traditional plant breeding, or dangerous Frankenfoods; and in disputes over whether they are global saviours, or control agents of multinational companies. This book examines European institutions being 'put on trial' for how their regulatory procedures evaluate and regulate GM products, in ways which opened up alternative futures. Levidow and Carr highlight how public controversy created a legitimacy crisis, leading to national policy changes and demands, in turn stimulating changes in EU agbiotech regulations as a strategy to regain legitimacy.

The Role of Plant Roots in Crop Production presents the state of knowledge on environmental factors in root growth and development and their effect on the improvement of the yield of annual crops. This book addresses the role of roots in crop production and includes references to numerous annual crops. In addition, it brings together the issues and the state-of-the-art technologies that affect root growth, with comprehensive reviews to facilitate efficient, sustainable, economical, and environmentally responsible crop production.

Written for plant scientists, crop scientists, horticulturalists, and soil scientists, plant physiologists, breeders, environmental scientists, agronomists, and undergraduate and graduate students in different disciplines of agricultural science, The Role of Plant Roots in Crop Production:

• Addresses root architecture and development dynamics to help users improve crop productivity
• Emphasizes crop production, plant nutrition, and soil chemistry relative to root growth and functions
• Covers root morphology, root functions, nutrient and water uptake by roots, root-soil interactions, root-environment interactions, root-microbe interactions, physiology of root crops, and management practices to improve root growth
• Supports content with experimental results, and additional data is presented with pictures

Increasing food production worldwide has become a major issue in the 21st century. Stagnation in grain yield of important food crops in recent years in developed, as well as developing, countries has contributed to a sharp increase in food prices. Furthermore, higher grain yield will be needed in the future to feed a burgeoning world population with a rising standard of living that requires more grain per capita. Technologies that enhance productivity, ensure environmental safety, and conserve natural resources are required to meet this challenge.

Cold stress is one of the prevalent environmental stresses affecting crop productivity, particularly in temperate regions. Numerous plant types of tropical or subtropical origin are injured or killed by non-freezing low temperature, and display a range of symptoms of chilling injury such as chlorosis, necrosis, or growth retardation. In contrast, chilling tolerant species thrive well at such temperatures. To thrive under cold stress conditions, plants have evolved complex mechanisms to identify peripheral signals that allow them to counter varying environmental conditions. These mechanisms include stress perception, signal transduction, transcriptional activation of stress-responsive target genes, and synthesis of stress-related proteins and other molecules, which help plants to strive through adverse environmental conditions. Conventional breeding methods have met with limited success in improving the cold tolerance of important crop plants through inter-specific or inter-generic hybridization. A better understanding of physiological, biochemical and molecular responses and tolerance mechanisms, and discovery of novel stress-responsive pathways and genes may contribute to efficient engineering strategies that enhance cold stress tolerance. It is therefore imperative to accelerate the efforts to unravel the biochemical, physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying cold stress tolerance in plants. Through this new book, we intend to integrate the contributions from plant scientists targeting cold stress tolerance mechanisms using physiological, biochemical, molecular, structural and systems biology approaches. It is hoped that this collection will serve as a reference source for those who are interested in or are actively engaged in cold stress research.

MANAGING PLANT STRESS USING SALICYLIC ACID Enables readers to understand the ability of salicylic acid in reducing the effects of abiotic stresses in different crop species Salicylic acid is an important plant hormone which acts as a multifunctional molecule and regulates key physiological and biochemical processes in plants. This book highlights the tremendous potential of treating plants with salicylic acid, either prior to or during stress. It focuses on the specific challenges and opportunities related to exogenous application or priming technology, such as the mode of application, new methodologies, and the potential impacts of salicylic acid on the environment. Sample topics covered in the book include: The latest research on the ability of salicylic acid in reducing the effects of abiotic stresses in different crop species The mechanism of action of salicylic acid at the biochemical and molecular level Salicylic acid and its crosstalk with other plant hormones under stressful environments Regulation of abiotic stress by salicylic acid at the gene level The role of salicylic acid on the postharvest physiology of plants This book will be of significant interest to researchers, academics, and scientists working in the field of salicylic acid mediated responses in plants under challenging environments and with abiotic stress tolerance.

Of the many varieties of date palms, the species Phoenix dactylifera Linn. is cultivated extensively and traded and consumed worldwide. Dates: Production, Processing, Food, and Medicinal Values draws from a broad spectrum of contributors to present a comprehensive survey of this particular species. The book explores a range of essential facets of what many consider to be a wonder plant-from its cultivation to its potential for medicinal purposes.

Divided into four parts, the book begins by examining cultural practices and their implications for date quality. The contributors discuss tissue culture studies, farm water management, mechanization approaches in pollination and harvesting operations, and marketing aspects. The second section focuses on postharvest operations such as drying and explores alternatives for methyl bromide fumigation and value-added products. It also reviews biofuel production from by-products and discusses the issue of waste generated from industry.

The third part of the book highlights the physical, chemical, and structural characteristics of dates. It reviews fermentative products that use dates as substrate, discusses the fruits as a substitute for added sugar in food, and explores date palm feeding to livestock. The final section discusses the possibilities for nutritional and medicinal use and reviews the use of dates in indigenous medicine.

Exploring essential properties and agricultural implications, this volume is a reliable resource for understanding the many aspects of the Phoenix dactylifera Linn.

As the world's population is projected to reach 10 billion or more by 2100, devastating fossil fuel shortages loom in the future unless more renewable alternatives to energy are developed. Bioenergy, in the form of cellulosic biomass, starch, sugar, and oils from crop plants, has emerged as one of the cheaper, cleaner, and environmentally sustainable alternatives to traditional forms of energy. Handbook of Bioenergy Crop Plants brings together the work of a panel of global experts who survey the possibilities and challenges involved in biofuel production in the twenty-first century. Section One explores the genetic improvement of bioenergy crops, ecological issues and biodiversity, feedstock logistics and enzymatic cell wall degradation to produce biofuels, and process technologies of liquid transportation fuels production. It also reviews international standards for fuel quality, unique issues of biofuel-powered engines, life-cycle environmental impacts of biofuels compared with fossil fuels, and social concerns.Section Two examines commercialized bioenergy crops, including cassava, Jatropha, forest trees, maize, oil palm, oilseed Brassicas, sorghum, soybean, sugarcane, and switchgrass.Section Three profiles emerging crops such as Brachypodium, diesel trees, minor oilseeds, lower plants, Paulownia, shrub willow, sugarbeet, sunflower, and sweet potato. It also discusses unconventional biomass resources such as vegetable oils, organic waste, and municipal sludge.Highlighting the special requirements, major achievements, and unresolved concerns in bioenergy production from crop plants, the book is destined to lead to future discoveries related to the use of plants for bioenergy production. It will assist in developing innovative ways of ameliorating energy problems on the horizon.

This book is to gathers, in one volume, the latest information on the genomic researches of Musa. A group of leading experts in Musa genetics, genomics and breeding contributed to this volume in a style that will be understood by students and researchers. This book provides basic as well as advanced information for those interested in learning more about the banana genome and its improvement as well for those pursuing further research in the crop.

Plant molecular biology came to the fore in the early 1980s and there has been tremendous growth in the subject since then. The study of plant genes and genomes and the development of techniques for the incorporation of novel or modified genes into plants eventually led to the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the mid-1990s. This was seen as the start of a biotechnological revolution in plant breeding. However, plant biotechnology has become one of the hottest debates of the age and, in Europe at least, one of the greatest challenges that plant scientists have ever faced.This book covers the history and development of the science and techniques that underpin plant biotechnology. It describes the GM crops that are or have been grown commercially around the world, including failures as well as successes, and the new varieties that are being developed. The safety record of GM crops is reviewed together with the legislation that has been adopted to cover their use. The book also deals with the concerns of consumers, the GM crop debate and the prospects for the technology. In the second edition, sections on current GM crops and future developments in plant biotechnology have been greatly expanded, while those on techniques, legislation and the GM crop debate have also been updated.The book is a concise, comprehensive and readable study that is accessible to a general readership with a scientific background but also provides useful information for the specialist.

The incentive of watershed programs is to increase the return on investment with over 20% for 65% of the projects that are currently underperforming. This book provides a comprehensive presentation of the realization of improved rain fed agriculture yield in semi-arid and dry land areas. Besides techniques to improve the livelihood of the many small-scale farmers in developing countries, it includes examples and case studies for further support. The methods discussed have recently shown to be successful and economically remunerative in India and in various African countries. Intended for professionals (investors, policy makers), researchers and (post)graduate students working on dry land and sustainable agriculture and water and natural resources management. Suited for courses in dry land agriculture, soil and water management and watershed development.

In this volume, world leaders in potato research review historical and contemporary discoveries resulting in a range of advances. Topics include nutritional quality, yield, disease and insect resistance, processing, plant growth and development, and other aspects. The book also examines research yielding significant molecular resources that facilitate breeding, linkage and gene mapping, cytology, functional and structural genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Future research developments that are likely to significantly advance efforts to understand and improve the potato are also explored.

The last few years have seen the concept of bioenergy and biofuels come of age. Rising oil prices have lead to more food crops being grown for energy as well as food. This has created controversy by adding to the upward pressure on crop commodity prices that was already being created by the increasing demand for food from an expanding population. More attention has, therefore, focussed on meeting the rising demand for bioenergy and biofuels in more sustainable ways. A wider range of crops is being explored, including non-food crops, as well as the use of crop residues rather than grain or seed. Energy Crops is a comprehensive reference source which looks at this topic from the plant and agricultural science perspective. It covers energy crops that are already in use and those that are being developed or researched. Species that have been cultivated by humankind for millennia, and some that have never been considered as crops before, fall within its coverage. The introductory chapter defines energy crops before reviewing the development and current state of the technology. It also gives an historical perspective and introduces the ethical issues. Each of the subsequent chapters is dedicated to a single crop and describes the current usage of that crop for energy, its potential for future development, the economics of its use for energy production, and the research that is being undertaken to tailor it for use as an energy crop. Where appropriate, the implications for food and feed security are balanced against the benefits in terms of fuel security, the impending oil supply 'peak', the need to reduce CO2 emissions, and the implications for climate change mitigation. Each chapter is written by a specialist author or authors of international standing. The chapters by representatives of the plant breeding and biofuel industries give an industrial perspective on why energy crops have 'come of age'. They also describe how the sector is expected to develop with a wish list of crop improvements that industry would like to see realized. These include higher levels of fermentable starch, cellulose, fibres and oil quality through to the production of pure hydrocarbons. The book is suitable for undergraduates, postgraduates, academics, and those working in industry.

With the current world population growth of 1.2%, the earth can expect to house 9-10 billion people by 2050. Food production, too, must increase to accommodate these numbers. Easy growing, high calorie, nutritious foods, such as bananas are the top priority as a solution to this imminent problem. The first comprehensive compendium on bananas in recent years, Banana Breeding: Progress and Challenges provides in-depth coverage of all aspects of banana breeding and genetics, including biotechnology. A wide-ranging compilation of chapters by various experts, the book begins with a chapter on the general plant morphology of Musa. It continues with chapters such as Evolution and Genetic Relationships in Bananas and Plantains, Genetic Resources for Banana Improvement, Genomes, Cytogenetics, Flow Cytometry of Musa, and Genetics of Important Traits in Musa as well as two chapters that cover the major diseases and pests of banana. The central focus of the book is encompassed in chapters such as Reproductive Biology, Breeding Techniques, Mutations and Cultivar Development of Banana, Biotechnology in Musa Improvement, and Genotype by Environment Interaction and Musa Improvement. The latter chapter offers tools for selecting both narrowly adapted and broadly adapted cultivars. The chapters on quality improvement of cultivated Musa and postharvest processed products provide researchers and teachers with information to improve quality aspects of banana along with information on how to reduce postharvest losses.

This book examines the factors affecting the demand for agricultural land in the United States and the costs of meeting increasing demand.Originally published in 1982

The soybean is an economically important leguminous seed crop for feed and food products that is rich in seed protein (about 40 percent) and oil (about 20 percent); it enriches the soil by fixing nitrogen in symbiosis with bacteria.

Soybean was domesticated in northeastern China about 2500 BC and subsequently spread to other countries. The enormous economic value of soybean was realized in the first two decades of the 20th century, with world production of soybean tripling in the last 20 years. In addition to human consumption, it is a major protein source in animal feeds and is becoming a major crop for biodiesel production. In the international trade markets, soybean is ranked number one in the world among the major oil crops.

For many decades, plant breeders have used conventional breeding techniques to improve soybeans. While soybean production continues to expand as demand for soybeans and soybean products increases, there is a need for more sophisticated techniques. Bridging traditional research with modern molecular investigations on soybean, this volume explores the recent advances in soybean genome mapping, molecular breeding, genomics, sequencing, and bioinformatics. The book will be useful to soybean researchers as well as researchers working with other crop species.

During the last nine millennia or so, man has improved the rice plant, increased its productivity and has found various uses of its parts. The story of rice differs from region to region and has been different in different periods of time. There was a time when tax was collected in the form of rice in Japan, the Southeast Asian kingdoms created hydraulic feats for its cultivation and Ottoman armies advanced with rice as their ration. In recent years, there have been riots due to scarcity of rice and also international efforts to produce enough rice to avoid hunger. The book provides an interesting reading of all such events in the course of its 9000 years long history.

The international debate on biodiversity has resulted in a renewed interest in the role of farmers and local communities in the management of natural resources and crop genetic diversity. The local varieties of crops which have been developed by farmers have made a great contribution to plant breeding genetic resources in the North. In recent years it has become apparent that local crop diversity in the South is threatened by promotion of modern varieties promising higher yields. This study reflects new approaches and concepts in the field of conservation and the development of local crops. Case studies from Africa, Latin America and Asia address these issues from different angles, examining the significance of local knowledge, and documenting new approaches and methodologies. The text looks at the policy issues raised by the expansion of agribusiness, and the need to consider the interests of small-scale farmers. The authors come from a variety of backgrounds, from plant breeders to anthropologists, international researchers to NGO development workers and lobbyists, and present a number of different views and perspectives on the subject. This text should be of interest to researchers from biological and social backgrounds, as well as people with a more practical interest. The book provides an introduction to this field, and should be of use to university teachers and students in the agricultural, biological and social sciences. It places farmers at the centre of crop development and genetic diversity, and through this focus, challenges the dominant models in formal crop research.

Rich in bibliographic references, this book presents the current status of knowledge on the physiology of the pea crop. It draws on contributions from plant physiologists and researchers in various other disciplines who have been working together for many years on the production of plants rich in proteins. The text first discusses vegetative and reproductive development, growth under non-limiting conditions, and the nitrogen nutrition of the pea crop. It then explores the effects of the abiotic and biotic stresses on the development as well as the growth and nitrogen uptake by the plant. The book concludes with a global model of the functioning of the pea crop, which is proposed as a tool for the diagnosis of the yield-limiting factors.

Citrus is a very ancient crop known to have existed for over 4000 years. This book is an effort to present Citrus comprehensively. It aims at the holistic way - integrating production and utilization of Citrus.

Agriculture and food production have a large footprint on the landscape globally and compete for space with land for nature conservation. This book explores the competition between the food needs of a growing human population and the conservation of biodiversity as intensified by the emerging use of crops for energy production. As concern about the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate grows and oil prices increase, energy production from agricultural crops has become a significant industry. At the same time, growth in food demand due to population growth has been accelerated by growing affluence associated with economic growth in major developing countries increasing per capita consumption. Consumers are concerned that the price of food will continue to increase sharply as a result of this competition but a loss of biodiversity may be another major outcome. Drawing on his expertise in plant conservation genetics, the author provides a balanced appraisal of the potential for developing new or improved crops for food or bioenergy production in the context of climate change, while at the same time protecting biodiversity.

Europe was told that it had no choice but to accept agbiotech, yet this imperative was turned into a test of democratic accountability for societal choices. Since the late 1990s, European public controversy has kept the agri-biotech industry and its promoters on the defensive. As some opponents and regulators alike have declared, 'GM food/crops are on trial'. Suspicion of their guilt has been evoked by moral symbols, as disputes over whether genetically-modified products are modest benign improvements on traditional plant breeding, or dangerous Frankenfoods; and in disputes over whether they are global saviours, or control agents of multinational companies. This book examines European institutions being 'put on trial' for how their regulatory procedures evaluate and regulate GM products, in ways which opened up alternative futures. Levidow and Carr highlight how public controversy created a legitimacy crisis, leading to national policy changes and demands, in turn stimulating changes in EU agbiotech regulations as a strategy to regain legitimacy.

A significant crop in our global society, rice is a staple food product for over half of the world's population. New technologies are being researched and utilized for increasing the overall production of strong rice crops throughout the world. This book focuses on the new areas of research on the most recent biotechnological and molecular techniques to aid in this endeavor. The researchers who have contributed to this compendium are international leaders in their respective fields. The original research included in the volume is strengthened through the addition of surveys, reviews, success stories, and other aspects that impact the global agricultural industry.

Addresses the limits of the anthropogenic global warming theory advocated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Presents the main characters (drought tolerance, heat tolerance, water use efficiency, disease resistance, nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen fixation, and carbon sequestration) necessary for climate resilient agriculture. Delivers both theoretical and practical aspects, and serves as base line information for future research. Provides valuable resource for those students engaged in the field of environmental sciences, soil sciences, agricultural microbiology, plant pathology, and agronomy. Highlights factors that are threatening future food production.

This summary of what is known about microclimatic environments and the eff ects of climate on plant growth presents a comprehensive statement on the complex relationship between climate and agriculture. Th e author covers the theory and data of modern physical geography, meteorology, and agronomy within the context of contemporary ecological analysis to produce a book invaluable not only to the student and research worker but also one that deals for the fi rst time with the application of theory to real problems of energy budgets and water balance for the practical agronomist.

Arranged according to the physical processes that aff ect the climate/plant relationship, the book is divided into two parts. The first part considers radiation fl ux in the free atmosphere and in the biosphere near the ground, the processes of photosynthesis and photoperiodism, and the effect of radiation and temperature on plant growth. The second part discusses in detail methods of determining or estimating both potential and actual evapotranspiration, the meteorological approach of computing water balance, and the eff ect of water on plant growth.

The author's clear and logical presentation of material, emphasizing general principles rather than experimental and technical details, makes this book especially useful for students of agricultural climatology. The broad scope of the work and its comprehensive survey of the literature make it equally a valuable reference for professionals in physical geography, meteorology, agronomy, botany, plant physiology, soil science, and hydrology.

Jen-Hu Chang is professor emeritus of geography and climatology at the University of Hawaii. He is a past member of the editorial board of the Annuals of the Association of American Geographers and is past secretary of the Hawaiian Geophysical Society. He is the author of Atmospheric Circulation Systems and Climates, Agricultural Geography of Taiwan, and Problems and Methods in Agricultural Climatology.

This informative book reviews the challenges of agribusiness in the Southeast Mediterranean. The author focuses on sugarcane cultivation in Egypt to illustrate the impact of climate change on agribusiness, and his method and findings may be helpful for other studies in other regions as well. As climate change creates new risks to human populations and food security, a better analysis is needed to understand this new level of uncertainty and to understand how it will impact agriculture and its relationship with economies, livelihoods, and development. Africa emits low greenhouse gases but is hit the hardest by global warming, posing a serious challenge to increasing agricultural productivity in the Southeast Mediterranean. Sugarcane in Egypt is used as a local food source, for international trade, for the balance of payments, for land and water use, and as a basic product for food and fiber manufacturing. Hence every aspect of the economic structure of Egypt relates to agriculture. The book examines the causes and effects of climate change on agribusiness in the Southeast Mediterranean region, such as its effect on prosperity and net farm incomes crop yields. It considers how to promote agribusiness development in the area and the potential to alleviate poverty in rural areas. It looks at the future of the sugarcane industry in Upper Egypt as a case study of agribusiness, with implications that can be applied globally.