Microbial Endophytes and Plant Growth: Beneficial Interactions and Applications explains how modern molecular tools can unlock the plant's microbial network, building the bridge between plant and environment. Chapters describe the usefulness of the endophytic microbiome of different crops, including cereals, vegetables and horticulture, and delve into the latest research surrounding the applications of plant-microbe interactions in improving plant growth. Other topics discussed include root endophytes and their role in plant fitness, seed associated endophytes and their functions, and microbial endophytes and nanotechnology. This is a one-stop resource for scientists wanting access to the latest research in plant microbiology. The book also provides advanced techniques for using multi-omics approaches to study plant-microbe interactions, providing readers with a practical approach.

The objective of this book is to provide state-of-the-art knowledge, and highlight the current developments taking place in biological sciences. The book encompasses topics on prokaryotic cyanobacteria to higher plants, distributed in fourteen s for the benefit of graduate and post-graduate students as well as young researchers and scientists. Subjects covered include molecular and biochemical diversity of microbes, stress biology, cyanotoxins, antimicrobial activity of drugs originated from plants, natural bioactive compounds of microbial origin, detection approaches for genetically modified crops, genomics and proteomics. The book provides an insight for future perspectives in particular field with extensive bibliographies at the end of each . With all these, this book becomes highly useful and must-read for students, researchers and professionals in botany, biotechnology, bioinformatics, environmental sciences, agriculture, molecular biology and other streams of biological sciences.

Changing Climate and Resource Use Efficiency in Plants reviews the efficiencies for resource use by crop plants under different climatic conditions. This book focuses on the challenges and potential remediation methods for a variety of resource factors. Chapters deal with the effects of different climatic conditions on agriculture, radiation use efficiency under various climatic conditions, the efficiency of water and its impact on harvest production under restricted soil moisture conditions, nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency in different environmental conditions under the influence of climate change, and various aspects of improving phosphorus use efficiency. The book provides guidance for researchers engaged in plant science studies, particularly Plant/Crop Physiology, Agronomy, Plant Breeding and Molecular Breeding. In addition, it provides valuable insights for policymakers, administrators, plant-based companies and agribusiness companies.

Botanists and seed collectors Rod and Rachel Saunders set out on what seemed to some to be an impossible mission – to find and photograph, in full bloom, all gladioli species found in South Africa and to collect and share their observations in a field guide. They had found all but one species before their untimely deaths at the hands of kidnappers in a forest in KwaZulu-Natal.

In the wake of this tragic event, friends and colleagues collaborated to keep the Saunders’ dream alive. This book is the result their collective efforts.

Gladioli are showy bulbous plants that fall within the Iris family, and the bulk of species are endemic to South Africa. Comprehensive and lavishly illustrated with more than 1,300 photographs, this guide covers the 166 Gladiolus species known to occur in the region.

The book is divided into seven taxonomic sections, according to the species’ distinguishing features. Each species is presented on a double-page spread, with a full plate of color photographs, including close-ups of diagnostic features, different color forms and habitats. Botanical descriptions cover identification (corm, cataphyll, spike, bracts, anthers, pollen, capsules, seeds, and scent), distribution, pollination, conservation status, and notes on ecology and the authors’ personal observations in the field. Distribution maps and flowering periods are given for each species, and tables highlight differences between similar-looking gladioli.

There are almost 300 recognized species, widely distributed across Africa, Europe and the Middle East, with more than half of the species found in southern Africa, making this book useful to botanists world-wide, as well as to horticulturist, propagators, students, gardeners and anyone with an interest in natural history.