Faced with climate changes, pest pressure on plants is increasing and new pest complexes are appearing, for which plant protection solutions are not yet available. The reduction of anthropic pressure on agroecosystems requires a reduction in the use of chemical inputs and the promotion of biocontrol approaches. In this book, we present new advances on plant disease management that are emerging from research outputs. The ability of biocontrol products to directly (e.g. production of antimicrobial peptides or quorum quenching activities by microorganisms, use of plant or agro-industrial by-products as biopesticides, etc.) or indirectly (e.g. via the increase of plant defense or plant growth pathways) protect plants against pathogens and pests is also considered. We also address new strategies like the development of phage-based biocontrol products and those that consider the plant as a holobiont and plant microbiota as targets of biocontrol treatments. The important question of the current regulatory process needed to launch plant production products on the market is also addressed, such as methods to evaluate their environmental impact.

The essays from leading tree scientists collected in In the Circle of Ancient Trees read like fervent love letters to ten of the most ancient and important tree species on the planet … Awe-inspiring.”—Foreword Reviews

This captivating book about dendrochronology—the study of tree rings—uncovers the stories of 10 species of ancient trees, their unique environments and climates, and what they have to tell us about the history of our world.

Ingrained and encrypted in the growth rings of every tree are stories of its environment and the events to which it bore witness. In the Circle of Ancient Trees presents the stories of ten ancient tree varieties in engrossing chapters written by ecologists with specialist knowledge. From the Bosnian pine to the giant sequoia, from the United States, to Europe, to South America, these essays explore how human and environmental history share common roots, while drilling down into the ecology, persistence, and resilience of trees.

Cell-Cell Signaling in Development, Volume 150 covers new approaches and topics surrounding the diversity of animals, with recognized species now in the millions. Remarkably, the many distinct morphologies in the metazoan biosphere are generated by only a small number of genetically-encoded signaling systems that organize cells into patterned tissues, principally, the Wnt, Hedgehog, Bone morphogenic protein, fibroblast growth factor, Notch/Delta, and planar polarity systems whose roles orchestrating morphogenesis are widespread and evolutionarily conserved. Users will find the latest information on these elegant systems, along with conceptual links to signaling in plants and ideas that are emerging from recent progress.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 174, the latest release in this leading reference on agronomy, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors.

Cell Signaling Pathways in Development, Volume 149 in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on a variety of topics, including Ephrin signaling, Cell signaling to the extracellular matrix, Signaling by TGF-b superfamily members, Hedgehog signaling, Parallels in signaling during development and regeneration, Hippo signaling, Wnt/PCP signaling, Signaling oscillations in presomitic mesoderm, FGFs/RTKs subcellular signaling compartments, and Signaling dynamics.

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.

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.

An ever-growing roster of model organisms is a hallmark of 21st century Developmental Biology. Emerging model organisms are well suited to asking some fascinating and important questions that cannot be addressed using established model systems. And new methods are increasingly facilitating the adoption of new research organisms in laboratories. This volume is written by some of the scientists who have played pivotal roles in developing new models or in significantly advancing tools in emerging systems.

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.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 172, the latest release in this leading reference on the topic, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field, with each chapter written by an international board of authors.

Agricultural Nanobiotechnology: Biogenic Nanoparticles, Nanofertilizers and Nanoscale Biocontrol Agents presents the most up-to-date advances in nanotechnology to improve the agriculture and food industry with novel nanotools for the controlling of rapid disease diagnostic and enhancement of the capacity of plants to absorb nutrients and resist environmental challenges. Highlighting the emerging nanofertilizers, nanopesticides and nanoherbicides that are being widely explored in order to overcome the limitations of conventional agricultural supplements, the book provides important insights to enable smart, knowledge-driven selection of nanoscale agricultural biomaterials, coupled with suitable delivery approaches and formulations will lead to promising agricultural innovation using nanotechnology. Agricultural Nanobiotechnology: Biogenic Nanoparticles, Nanofertilizers and Nanoscale Biocontrol Agents explores emerging innovations in nanobiotechnology for agriculture, food, and natural resources to address the challenges of food security, sustainability, susceptibility, human health, and healthy life. The book is ideal for the multidisciplinary scientists whose goal is to see the use of nanomaterials in agriculture to reduce the amount of spread chemicals, minimize nutrient losses in fertilization and to generate increased yield through pest and nutrient management.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 171, the latest release in this leading reference, contains a variety of updates and new advances in the field, including updates on Elevated CO2 in Semi-arid Cropping Systems: A Synthesis of Research from the Australian Grains Free Air CO2 Enrichment (AGFACE) Research Program, Simultaneous Effects of Legume Cultivation on Carbon and Nitrogen Accumulation in Soil, Growing Small Grains Organically in the Semiarid West: A Review of Markets and Management Practices to Optimize Productivity and Sustainability, Principles and Applications of Topography in Precision Agriculture, Retention of Heavy Metals by Dredged Sediments and their Management Following Land Application, and more. Other chapters focus on Genetic Diversity for Developing Climate-resilient Wheats to Achieve Food Security Goals and A Century of Subclover: Lessons for Sustainable Intensification from a Historical Review of Innovations in Subterranean Clover Seed Production.

Sea urchins and other echinoderms, which have been studied intensively by developmental biologists for more than a century, are currently among the most prominent models for elucidating the genomic regulatory processes that control embryogenesis and the evolution of those processes. This volume contains reviews from the world's leading researchers who are using echinoderms to address these questions. Chapters focus on gene regulatory networks that drive the differentiation and morphogenesis of major embryonic tissues such as the skeleton, muscle, nervous system, immune system, pigment cells, and germ line, and on evolutionary insights from comparative studies of these networks across echinoderms and other taxa. Other chapters comprehensively review the architecture and evolution of the cell signaling pathways that establish the early embryonic axes and on recent evolutionary changes in gene networks that have led to dramatic changes in the life history modes of echinoderms. This volume provides a comprehensive, current picture of exciting research at the interface between developmental genomics and evolution from one of the research communities leading this work.

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.