Currently 868 million people are undernourished and 195 million children under five years of age are stunted. At the same time, over 1 billion people are overweight and obese in both the developed and developing world. Diseases previously associated with affluence, such as cancer, diabetes and cardio-vascular disease, are on the rise. Food system-based approaches to addressing these problems that could enhance food availability and diet quality through local production and agricultural biodiversity often fall outside the traditional scope of nutrition, and have been under-researched. As a consequence, there remains insufficient evidence to support well-defined, scalable agricultural biodiversity interventions that can be linked to improvements in nutrition outcomes. Agricultural biodiversity is important for food and nutritional security, as a safeguard against hunger, a source of nutrients for improved dietary diversity and quality, and strengthening local food systems and environmental sustainability. This book explores the current state of knowledge on the role of agricultural biodiversity in improving diets, nutrition and food security. Using examples and case studies from around the globe, the book explores current strategies for improving nutrition and diets and identifies key research and implementation gaps that need to be addressed to successfully promote the better use of agricultural biodiversity for rural and urban populations and societies in transition.

Demonstrates the intimate relationship between biological diversity and cultural diversity. The 15 contributors look at experimentation using crops such as rice, maize, beans and root crops, illustrated by case studies from India, Nepal and Nigeria among others. There are also studies of water harvesting in the Sudan and of the home gardens in South India.;The findings of this study show: farmers do experiment; farmers know their local environments intimately, and their experiments are usually site-specific; farmers have a close and detailed knowledge of local cultivators, and are well aware of the need to promote biological diversity; the experiments underlie the imporatnce of "in situ" conservation, including the protection of wild plants; and any attempts of local conservation of natural resources should involve the local inhabitants.;This collection emphasizes the importance of cultural factors and will contribute to the debate about biological diversity.

Modern Coconut Management is aimed at guiding those who work with small-scale farmers and farmer groups through the complex area of coconut management. It will also be of value to the many processors and others, whose livelihoods depend on coconuts. The emphasis is on the need for training and education of coconut smallholders in how to become good managers, using appropriate techniques and materials. The book combines a wealth of information that exists in this area with new research on diseases and pests and breeding techniques to improve crop performance. The book also deals with coconut based farming systems in which many aspects of the combination of coconuts with other crops and/or animals are discussed. Equally important are processing techniques which are vital to the survival of the coconut industry. There is a section of the book devoted to post-harvest treatment, processing and research where the many new developments in the processing of coconut products are discussed. This book will serve as a valuable reference tool to trainers and agencies working with coconut smallholders, as well as those involved with the processing of coconuts and products.

In the developing world, day to day crop management is often women's work. Yet women's interest and knowledge are often ignored. In addition to empowerment, involving women can provide significant support to crop protection programmes. This book addresses many aspects of plant protection. Most chapters, however, relate to integrated pest management (IPM). Practical lessons on women's roles in crop protection and ways to increase access to information and training are evident. Contributions come from Bhutan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Russia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Tanzania, and Ghana.

This book addresses the impact of important climatic changes on plant pests (including weeds, diseases and insect pests), and their interactions with crop plants. Anthropogenic activities have seriously impacted the global climate. As a result, carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature levels of the earth are on a continuous rise. The global temperature is expected to increase by a 3 DegreesC or more by the end of this century. The CO2 concentration was below 300 parts per million (ppm) before the start of the industrial era; however, recently it has exceeded 400 ppm. This is highest ever in human history. Other than global warming and elevated CO2 concentrations, anthropogenic activities have also disturbed the global water cycle, ultimately, impacting the quantity and distribution of rainfall. This has resulted in drought conditions in many parts of the world. Global warming, elevated CO2 concentration and drought are considered the most important recent climatic changes that are impacting global ecosystems and human societies. Among other impacts, the effects of climatic changes on pests, pest-crop interactions and pest control are important with relevance to global food security, and hence require immediate attention by plant scientists. This book discusses innovative and the most effective pest control methods under an environment of changing climate and elaborates on the impact of drought on plant pests and their control.

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.

Cotton is one of the most important fiber and cash crops throughout the world, and it plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economies of many countries. Here is a rich resource of information on the cultivation and production of cotton. This volume provides an overview of the origin and evolution of cotton and its physiological basis and characterization, and goes on to discuss methods of cultivation, biotic stresses, and harvesting and postharvest technology. The volume addresses new advances in research for best cultivation methods, effective utilization of resources, and operations for achieving higher yields, thus achieving higher productivity. The authors take an interdisciplinary approach, providing valuable information necessary to increase cotton productivity to meet the world's growing demands.

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.

This volume, Temperate Fruits: Production, Processing, and Marketing, presents the latest pomological research on the production, postharvest handling, processing and storage, and information on marketing for a selection of temperate fruits. These include apple, pear, quince, peach, plum, sweet cherry, kiwifruit, strawberry, mulberry, and chestnut. With chapters from fruit experts from different countries of the world, the book provides the latest information on the effect of climate change on fruit production, organic fruit growing and advanced fruit breeding, the nutraceutical value and bioactive compounds in fruits and their role in human health, and new and advanced methods of fruit production. Topics include microirrigation, sustainable nutrient management, crop protection and plant health management, and farm mechanization.

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.

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.

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.

This new 2-volume set discusses the importance of fodder production of the minor fodder crops for animals. The volumes focuses on fodder production for forage crops, cover 17 major forage crops and 25 minor forage crops. The volumes discuss crop production methodology and agronomic management in a systemic way, providing an abundance of information on each type of forage crop discussed, including preferred soil type, land capability, cropping patterns, climate, and socioeconomic conditions. They also address pests of the various forage crops, disease management, agroforestry in fodder and forage crops, preservation of forage crops, and forage production and climate change. Forage crops are very essential for quality milk and meat production. Farm animals are normally fed fodder available from cultivated areas, supplemented by a small extent with harvested grasses and top feeds. The three major sources of fodder are crop residues, cultivated fodder, and fodder from trees, pastures, and grazing lands. The patterns and types of fodder crops vary by geographical location.

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.

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.