The Impact of Nanoparticles on Agriculture and Soil, part of the Nanomaterials-Plant Interaction series, contributes the most recent insights into understanding the cellular interactions of nanoparticles in an agricultural setting, focusing on current applications and means of evaluating future prospects. In order to ensure and improve the biosafety of nanoparticles, it is a primary concern to understand cellular bioprocess like nanomaterial's cellular uptake and their influence on cellular structural, functional and genetic components. This book addresses these and other important aspects in detail along with showcasing their applications in the area of agriculture. With an international team of authors, and experienced editors, this book will be valuable to those working to understand and advance nanoscience to benefit agricultural production and human and environmental welfare. In-depth knowledge of these bioprocess will enable researchers to engineer nanomaterials for enhanced biosafety.

This book provides unparalleled integration of fundamentals and most advanced management to make this strawberry crop highly remunerative besides enhancing per capita availability of fruit even in the non-traditional regions of the world.

Harvested Forages deals with the subject of food for domestic animal feeding. Such food is called "forage" and includes things like alfalfa and other plants usually referred to as "hay." Topics include the ways that this forage is produced, how it is harvested, and ways that it should be stored. Other issues that are dealt with include various criteria and measurement procedures for assessing forage nutritive quality, potential health hazards associated with particular plants and plant toxins, and various issues of plant growth, pest control, and soil fertility--among other topics. This book is essential for any institution with a strong program in range sciences, animal sciences, animal feeding and nutrition, and related programs.
Key Features
* Synthesizes and summarizes a vast and widely dispersed literature in animal science
* Serves as a reference for managers of harvested forages as well as all those involved with the forage production industry

Policy Issues in Genetically Modified Crops: A Global Perspective contains both theoretical and empirical evidence of a broad range of aspects of GM crop policies throughout the world. Emphasizing world agriculture production and ethics of GM crops, the book balances insights into the various discussions around the use of GM crops including soil health, effects on animals, environmental sustainability impact, and ethical issues. The book presents aspects of GM crop policies and prevailing controversies throughout the world, in 5 sections containing 23 chapters. Beginning with the discussion of the policies related to GM crops, the book dives deep into issues related to food insecurity, agricultural sustainability, food safety, and environmental risks. Section 5 also captures the recent advances in agricultural biotechnology encompassing research trends, the nano-biotech approach to plant genetic engineering, and other transformation techniques in crop development. The contributors of the book represent different backgrounds, providing a holistic overview of diverse approaches and perspectives. Policy Issues in Genetically Modified Crops: A Global Perspective is a valuable resource for researchers in agricultural policy and economics, agricultural biotechnology, soil science, genetic engineering, ethics, environmental management, sustainable development, and NGOs.

Biocontrol and Secondary Metabolites: Applications and Immunization for Plant Growth and Protection covers established and updated research on emerging trends in plant defense signaling in, and during, stress phases. Other topics cover growth at interface as a sustainable way of life and the context of human welfare and conservation of fungi as a group of organisms. Further, the book explores induced systemic resistance using biocontrol agents and/or secondary metabolites as a milestone for sustainable agricultural production, thus providing opportunities for the minimization or elimination of the use of fungicides.

Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. The emphasis of the series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops.

An increased understanding of the developmental physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology during early growth, maturation, ripening, and postharvest conditions has improved technologies to maintain the shelf life and quality of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. "Postharvest Biology and Technology of Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers" provides a comprehensive introduction to this subject, offering a firm grounding in the basic science and branching out into the technology and practical applications. An authoritative resource on the science and technology of the postharvest sector, this book surveys the body of knowledge with an emphasis on the recent advances in the field.

Microbe Mediated Remediation of Environmental Contaminants presents recent scientific progress in applying microbes for environmental management. The book explores the current existing practical applications and provides information to help readers develop new practices and applications. Edited by recognized leaders in the field, this penetrating assessment of our progress to date in deploying microorganisms to the advantage of environmental management and biotechnology will be widely welcomed by those working in soil contamination management, agriculture, environment management, soil microbiology, and waste management. The polluting effects on the world around us of soil erosion, the unwanted migration of sediments, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the improper treatment of human and animal wastes have resulted in serious environmental and social problems around the world, problems which require us to look for solutions elsewhere than established physical and chemical technologies. Often the answer lies in hybrid applications in which microbial methods are combined with physical and chemical ones. When we remember that these highly effective microorganisms, cultured for a variety of applications, are but a tiny fraction of those to be found in the world around us, we realize the vastness of the untapped and beneficial potential of microorganisms.

Controlled Release Fertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture provides a comprehensive examination of precision fertilizer applications using the 4-R approach-the right amount of fertilizer at the right time to the right plant at the correct stage of plant growth. This volume consolidates detailed information on each aspect of controlled release fertilizers, including up-to-date literature citations, the current market for controlled release fertilizers and patents. Presenting the tremendous advances in experimental and theoretical studies on sustainable agriculture and related areas, this book provides in-depth insight into state-of-the-art controlled release mechanisms of fertilizers, techniques, and their use in sustainable agriculture. Conventional release mechanisms have historically meant waste of fertilizers and the adverse effects of that waste on the environment. Controlled release delivery makes significant strides in enhancing fertilizer benefit to the target plant, while protecting the surrounding environment and increasing sustainability.

Explores the Sustainable Development of Agriculture in Technology Precision agriculture technology, when properly integrated into the crop production process, can greatly improve overall production and sustainability. Precision Agriculture Technology for Crop Farming focuses on the technology of site-specific crop management; detailing applications for sensing, data handling, modeling, and control. Written by experts who have contributed significantly to the development of precision agriculture technology, this book reviews its history-establishing background on the various processes and applications-describes the current status, and offers insight into the future technology of precision agriculture. Introducing processes and applications based on a global scale, the book reveals how precision agriculture can be used in large-scale agriculture, community agriculture, and diversified farming. It includes site-specific information from a variety of information sources for planning, planting, growing, and harvesting agricultural crops. It also presents a new concept based on the control system theory that can be used to formulate systematic methods for more effective precision crop production. In addition, this author: Describes yield monitors and guidance systems, GPS-based soil sampling, real-time crop and soil sensors, and remote sensing Evaluates a Japanese model of community-based precision agriculture aimed at high profitability and reliability under regional and environmental constraints Highlights autonomous vehicles, field robots, and other intelligent machinery, emerging developments, and future technology in the field of production agriculture Precision Agriculture Technology for Crop Farming provides an overview of precision agriculture technology development, discusses current and future considerations, and aims to facilitate the successful integration of precision agriculture technology.

As soil and crop management procedures have become more complex, County Agricultural Agents, farm advisors, consultants, and fertilizer and chemical dealers have had to specialize in some aspect of soil fertility and crop nutrition management procedures, limiting their ability to provide a range of advice and services. Most farmers and growers can no longer turn to just one source for the information and instruction needed to achieve their production goals. With over 70 percent new material, the second edition of the Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Manual discusses the principles determining how plants grow and the elements essential for successful crop production, with a focus on the principles of soil fertility and plant nutrition. The book covers physical and chemical properties of soil, chemical and organic fertilizers, soil acidity and alkalinity, liming and liming materials, and micronutrients essential to plant growth. It also describes elements toxic to plants, soil testing, and plant analysis. The topics and discussion in this self-contained book are practical and user-friendly, yet comprehensive enough to cover material presented in upper-level soil and plant science courses. It allows practitioners with general background knowledge to feel confident applying the principles presented to soil/crop production systems.

Biology of Citrus provides a concise and comprehensive discussion of all major developmental, genetic and horticultural aspects of citriculture in an easily readable text. The book deals with the history, distribution and climatic adaptation of the crop, followed by taxonomy and systematics, including a horticultural classification of edible citrus species. Subsequent chapters cover tree structure and function, reproductive physiology, including flowering, fruiting, productivity, ripening, post-harvest and fruit constituents. The main aspects of cultivated citrus, such as rootstocks, irrigation, pests, viruses and diseases are dealt with, leading to a concluding chapter that considers genetic improvement, including the use of tissue culture and plant biotechnology. The book includes many specially produced original illustrations and the extensive reading lists will make it invaluable for students and citrus specialists.

Demystifies the genetic, biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance in plants Heat stress--when high temperatures cause irreversible damage to plant function or development--severely impairs the growth and yield of agriculturally important crops. As the global population mounts and temperatures continue to rise, it is crucial to understand the biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of thermotolerance to develop 'climate-smart' crops. Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants provides a holistic, cross-disciplinary survey of the latest science in this important field. Presenting contributions from an international team of plant scientists and researchers, this text examines heat stress, its impact on crop plants, and various mechanisms to modulate tolerance levels. Topics include recent advances in molecular genetic approaches to increasing heat tolerance, the potential role of biochemical and molecular markers in screening germplasm for thermotolerance, and the use of next-generation sequencing to unravel the novel genes associated with defense and metabolite pathways. This insightful book: Places contemporary research on heat stress in plants within the context of global climate change and population growth Includes diverse analyses from physiological, biochemical, molecular, and genetic perspectives Explores various approaches to increasing heat tolerance in crops of high commercial value, such as cotton Discusses the applications of plant genomics in the development of thermotolerant 'designer crops' An important contribution to the field, Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants is an invaluable resource for scientists, academics, students, and researchers working in fields of pulse crop biochemistry, physiology, genetics, breeding, and biotechnology.

Olive culture is growing rapidly, and expanding all over the world outside traditional centres of olive growth and production. Olives are not only a significant food source, but also contribute to human health and are becoming popular in health-conscious diets far beyond their Mediterranean origins.Reviewing an extensive array of literature from both a theoretical and practical perspective, this comprehensive guide deals with all aspects of olive culture, from its history, origins and traditional techniques to the latest horticultural procedures and basic physiology. The book's accessible and broadly illustrated format makes it an indispensable text for students, interested individuals and both active and amateur horticulturists.

Crop Physiology: Case Histories of Major Crops updates the physiology of broad-acre crops with a focus on the genetic, environmental and management drivers of development, capture and efficiency in the use of radiation, water and nutrients, the formation of yield and aspects of quality. These physiological process are presented in a double context of challenges and solutions. The challenges to increase plant-based food, fodder, fiber and energy against the backdrop of population increase, climate change, dietary choices and declining public funding for research and development in agriculture are unprecedented and urgent. The proximal technological solutions to these challenges are genetic improvement and agronomy. Hence, the premise of the book is that crop physiology is most valuable when it engages meaningfully with breeding and agronomy. With contributions from 92 leading scientists from around the world, each chapter deals with a crop: maize, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum and oat; quinoa; soybean, field pea, chickpea, peanut, common bean, lentil, lupin and faba bean; sunflower and canola; potato, cassava, sugar beet and sugarcane; and cotton.

Trends in Wheat and Bread Making provides a comprehensive look at the state-of-the-art in bread making from ingredient to shelf-life, with a focus on the impact of processing on the nutritional value and consumer acceptability of this global staple. The book also includes chapters on new breads and bakery products fortified with plant-processing-by-products and/or natural antioxidants, and explores efforts to improve biotechnological processes and fermentation for bread making. It is an excellent resource for researchers, industry professionals and enterprises hoping to produce enhanced bread products through processing-related nutritional and quality improvements.

Improving Cereal Productivity through Climate Smart Practices is based on the presentations of the 4th International Group Meeting on "Wheat productivity enhancement through climate smart practices," and moves beyond the presentations to provide additional depth and breadth on this important topic. Focused specifically on wheat, and with chapters contributed by globally renowned pioneers in the field of cereal science, the book helps readers understand climate change and its effects on different aspects of wheat production in different parts of the world. This book will be important for those in research and industry seeking to contribute to the effective feeding of the world's population.

Given the central role of the food and agriculture system in driving so many of the connected ecological, social and economic threats and challenges we currently face, Rethinking Food and Agriculture reviews, reassesses and reimagines the current food and agriculture system and the narrow paradigm in which it operates. Rethinking Food and Agriculture explores and uncovers some of the key historical, ethical, economic, social, cultural, political, and structural drivers and root causes of unsustainability, degradation of the agricultural environment, destruction of nature, short-comings in science and knowledge systems, inequality, hunger and food insecurity, and disharmony. It reviews efforts towards 'sustainable development', and reassesses whether these efforts have been implemented with adequate responsibility, acceptable societal and environmental costs and optimal engagement to secure sustainability, equity and justice. The book highlights the many ways that farmers and their communities, civil society groups, social movements, development experts, scientists and others have been raising awareness of these issues, implementing solutions and forging 'new ways forward', for example towards paradigms of agriculture, natural resource management and human nutrition which are more sustainable and just. Rethinking Food and Agriculture proposes ways to move beyond the current limited view of agro-ecological sustainability towards overall sustainability of the food and agriculture system based on the principle of 'inclusive responsibility'. Inclusive responsibility encourages ecosystem sustainability based on agro-ecological and planetary limits to sustainable resource use for production and livelihoods. Inclusive responsibility also places importance on quality of life, pluralism, equity and justice for all and emphasises the health, well-being, sovereignty, dignity and rights of producers, consumers and other stakeholders, as well as of nonhuman animals and the natural world.

This volume discusses the nutraceutical importance, production technologies, management and cultivation practices of underutilized vegetables, which can be described as those vegetable crops which are neither grown commercially on a large scale nor traded widely. While much of the crops addressed in the book are cultivated, traded and consumed at the local level, there are over 60 species of minor vegetables with high growth and yield potentials that are not cultivated to a large extent for greater populations. This work highlights the production technologies needed to grow these vegetables on a larger scale and under various adverse soil and climatic conditions, and their nutritional and medical benefits to assist with food security, health and poverty alleviation in rural areas. Production of underutilized vegetables is low, due to the unavailability of planting material, lack of awareness about the nutritional and medicinal importance among the farmers and inadequate information on the production techniques of these crops. In this context, there is an urgent need to take up a program on genetic resources exploration, management, utilization, and improvement of underutilized vegetable crops to ensure food and nutritional security. Readers will learn about these technologies and practices, while also learning about the unique properties and benefits of these underutilized vegetables. The book will be useful for academicians and researchers focusing on vegetable production and breeding, as well as farmers and sustainability scientists looking for underexplored sources of nutrition to benefit large rural populations.

The second edition of this very well-received book, which in its first edition was entitled "Postharvest Technology of Fruits and Vegetables," has been welcomed by the community of postharvest physiologists and technologists who found the first edition of such great use. The book covers, in comprehensive detail, postharvest physiology as it applies to postharvest quality, technology relating to maturity determination, harvesting, packaging, postharvest treatments, controlled atmosphere storage, ripening and transportation on a very wide international range of fruits and vegetables.

The new edition of this definitive work, which contains many full colour photographs, provides key practical and commercially-oriented information of great use in helping to ensure that fruit and vegetables reach the retailer in optimum condition, with the minimum of loss and spoilage.

"Fruits and vegetables, 2nd edition "is essential reading forfruit and vegetable technologists, food scientists and food technologists, agricultural scientists, commercial growers, shippers and warehousing operatives and personnel within packaging companies. Researchers and upper level students in food science, food technology, plant and agricultural sciences will find a great deal of use within this landmark book. All libraries in research establishments and universities where these subjects are studied and taught should have copies readily available for users.

A. K. Thompson was formerly Professor and head of Postharvest Technology, Silsoe College, UK.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are species closely related to crop plants which can contribute beneficial traits, such as pest or disease resistance and yield improvement. These species are critical for improving agricultural production and increasing food security. They are also essential components of natural and semi-natural habitats as well as agricultural systems, and are therefore vital in maintaining ecosystem health. However, CWR, like any other group of wild species, are subject to an increasing range of threats: habitat loss, degradation and mismanagement, over-collection and climate change. Through an examination of the national, regional and global context of CWR, these authoritative studies present methodologies and case studies that review and provide recommendations for global conservation and use. Topics range from the establishment of conservation priorities and strategies, threat assessment and genetic erosion and pollution.

Millets and Pseudo Cereals is the first comprehensive resource to focus on the potential crop improvements through genetic enhancements. The choice of food crop for a region is primarily determined by the conditions of climate and soil. Once labelled as orphan crops, millets and pseudo-cereals are now known as miracle grains due to their adaptation to harsh conditions and high nutritional quality. Small millets and pseudo-cereals are now seen to occupy special niches through their ability to adapt to challenging conditions. These crops have a comparative advantage in marginal lands where they withstand stress conditions and contribute to sustainable production. They also contribute to the diversity-richness and production stability of agro-ecosystems. Millets include sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, little millet and kodo millet while the other group which are not cereals but consumed as cereals and generally referred as pseudo-cereals comprises of grain amaranths, buckwheat and chenopods. Millets and Pseudo Cereals presents current information on the genetic architecture of important economic traits and the genomic resources for gene enabled breeding. This compilation contains information on the global status, available germplasm resources, nutritional value, breeding advancements, genomics applications and sustainability of agriculture through millets and pseudo-cereals cultivation. This book is a valuable resource for those conducting research and exploring new areas for advancing crop genetic understanding.

Variety trials are an essential step in crop breeding and production. These trials are a significant investment in time and resources and inform numerous decisions from cultivar development to end-use. Crop Variety Trials: Methods and Analysis is a practical volume that provides valuable theoretical foundations as well as a guide to step-by-step implementation of effective trial methods and analysis in determining the best varieties and cultivars. Crop Variety Trials is divided into two sections. The first section provides the reader with a sound theoretical framework of variety evaluation and trial analysis. Chapters provide insights into the theories of quantitative genetics and principles of analyzing data. The second section of the book gives the reader with a practical step-by-step guide to accurately analyzing crop variety trial data. Combined these sections provide the reader with fuller understanding of the nature of variety trials, their objectives, and user-friendly database and statistical tools that will enable them to produce accurate analysis of data.

An in-depth treatment of cutting-edge work being done internationally to develop new techniques in crop nutritional quality improvement Phytonutritional Improvement of Crops explores recent advances in biotechnological methods for the nutritional enrichment of food crops. Featuring contributions from an international group of experts in the field, it provides cutting-edge information on techniques of immense importance to academic, professional and commercial operations. World population is now estimated to be 7.5 billion people, with an annual growth rate of nearly 1.5%. Clearly, the need to enhance not only the quantity of food produced but its quality has never been greater, especially among less developed nations. Genetic manipulation offers the best prospect for achieving that goal. As many fruit crops provide proven health benefits, research efforts need to be focused on improving the nutritional qualities of fruits and vegetables through increased synthesis of lycopene and beta carotene, anthocyanins and some phenolics known to be strong antioxidants. Despite tremendous growth in the area occurring over the past several decades, the work has only just begun. This book represents an effort to address the urgent need to promote those efforts and to mobilise the tools of biotechnical and genetic engineering of the major food crops. Topics covered include: * New applications of RNA-interference and virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) for nutritional genomics in crop plants * Biotechnological techniques for enhancing carotenoid in crops and their implications for both human health and sustainable development * Progress being made in the enrichment and metabolic profiling of diverse carotenoids in a range of fruit crops, including tomatoes, sweet potatoes and tropical fruits * Biotechnologies for boosting the phytonutritional values of key crops, including grapes and sweet potatoes * Recent progress in the development of transgenic rice engineered to massively accumulate flavonoids in-seed Phytonutritional Improvement of Crops is an important text/reference that belongs in all universities and research establishments where agriculture, horticulture, biological sciences, and food science and technology are studied, taught and applied.