This book offers comprehensive information on the genomics of spruces (Picea spp.), naturally abundant conifer tree species that are widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to their tremendous ecological and economic importance, the management of forest genetic resources has chiefly focused on conservation and tree improvement. A draft genome sequence of the 20-gigabase Norway spruce genome was published in the journal Nature in 2013. Continuous efforts to improve the spruce genome assembly are underway, but are hindered by the inherent characteristics of conifer genomes: high amounts of repetitive sequences (introns and transposable elements) in the genome and large gene family expansions with regards to abiotic stress, secondary metabolism and spruces' defense responses to pathogens and herbivory. This book presents the latest information on the status of genome assemblies, provides detailed insights into transposable elements and methylation patterns, and highlights the extensive genomic resources available for inferring population genomics and climate adaptation, as well as emerging genomics tools for tree improvement programs. In addition, this volume features whole-genome comparisons among conifer species, and demonstrates how functional genomics can be used to improve gene function annotations. The book closes with an outlook on emerging fields of research in spruce genomics.

Meiosis is one of the most critical processes in eukaryotes, required for continuation of species and generation of new variation. In plants, meiotic recombination is by far the most important source of genetic variation. In Plant Meiosis: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail methods for molecular cytogenetics and chromosome analysis in plants. These state-of -the-art protocols allow studying the organization and behavior of the genetic material in a wide range of both model and crop species. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM)series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Plant Meiosis: Methods and Protocols provides and extensive list of protocols developed and used in a number of laboratories at the cutting edge of meiosis and chromosome research.

This book combines several ideas and philosophies and provides a detailed discussion on the value addition of fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops, floricultural crops and in forestry. Separate chapters address the packaging, preservation, drying, dehydration, total quality management and supply chain management of horticultural crops. The book explains value addition as a process of increasing the economic value and consumer appeal of a commodity with special reference to horticultural crops. Each chapter focuses on a specific area, exploring value addition as a production/ marketing strategy driven by customer needs and preferences. But, as such, it is also a more creative field, calling for more imagination than calculated, routine work. Value is added to the particular produce item when the product is still available when the season is out and the demand for the product exceeds the available supply. Value addition is an important factor in the growth and development of the horticultural sector, both in India and around the world. But very little information is available on this particular aspect of horticulture. Albert Einstein famously said, "Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." This message is not only true for those people who want to make more of themselves, but also for those who want their creation or product in any form to excel. And it certainly applies to horticultural crops, which are extremely perishable. It is true that loss reduction is normally less costly than equivalent increases in production. The loss of fresh produce can be minimized by adopting different processing and preservation techniques to convert the fresh vegetables into suitable value-added and diversified products, which will help to reduce the market glut during harvest season. Value-added processed products are products that can be obtained from main products and by-products after some sort of processing and subsequently marketed for an increased profit margin. Generally speaking, value-added products indicate that for the same volume of primary products, a higher price is achieved by means of processing, packing, enhancing the quality or other such methods. The integrated approach from harvesting to the delivery into the hands of the consumer, if handled properly, can add value to fresh produce on the market. But most of the fresh produce has a limited life, although it can be stored at appropriate temperature and relative humidity for the same time. If such produce is processed just after harvesting, it adds value and stabilizes the processed products for a longer time. Preparing processed products will provide more variety to consumers and improve the taste and other sensory properties of food. This will also promote their fortification with nutrients that are lacking in fresh produce. By adopting suitable methods for processing and value addition, the shelf life of fresh produce can be increased manifold, which supports their availability year-round to a wider spectrum of consumers on both the domestic and international market. With increased urbanization, rising middle class purchasing power, changing food habits and a decline in making preserved products in individual homes, there is now a higher demand for industry-made products on the domestic market. In spite of all these aspects, only 1-2.2% of the total produce is processed in developing countries, as compared to 40-83% in developed countries. The horticultural export industry offers an important source of employment for developing countries. For instance, horticulture accounts for 30% of India's agricultural GDP from 8.5% of cropped area. India is the primary producer of spices, second largest producer of fruits and vegetables and holds a prominent position with regard to most plantation crops in the world. The cultivation of horticultural crops is substantially more labor-intensive than growing cereal crops and offers more post-harvest opportunities for the development of value-added products. This book offers a valuable guide for students of horticulture, as well as a comprehensive resource for educators, scientists, industrial personnel, amateur growers and farmers.

The existential environmental crisis prompted the United Nations to formulate the Millennium Development Goals at the turn of the 21st century in order to embark on an era of sustainable development. The progress and deficiencies in achieving the Millennium Development Goals provided impetus to the intelligentsia and policymakers to map out the pertinent goals for a sustainable growth trajectory for humanity and the planet. The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted in September 2015, took the shape of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. In effect, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals focus on protecting the earth's life support systems for intra- and inter-generational equity and for development that is rooted in sustainability science. Attaining these goals is an uphill task; nevertheless, scientific knowledge, trans and interdisciplinary inquiries, concerted global action and capacity building would provide an enabling environment for achieving the SDGs. This book explores the synergies and trade-offs between climate change management and other SDGs. It highlights the policy imperatives as well as the interrelations between combating climate change and its impacts (SDG 13) and food and nutritional security (SDG 2), water security (SDG 6), soil security (SDG 15), energy security (SDG 7), poverty eradication (SDG 1), gender equality (SDG 5), resilient infrastructure (SDG 9), and sustainable and resilient cities (SDG 11).

The openings offered by functional genomics reconciles organism biology and molecular biology, in order to define an integrative biology that should allow new insights about how a phenotype is built up from a genotype in interaction with its environment. This book covers a wide area of concepts and methods in genomics. This range from international genome sequencing projects to invaluable bioinformatics tools, analytical methods of gene expression, including final metabolic products, and their specific tissue to cellular compartmentalization. This new knowledge enables readers to understand the integration of basic physiological functions, and developmental programs. Also, the establishment of tight relationships between genomics, and genetics and plant breeding reveals synergies for exploiting molecular markers, for analysing genetic variation, or for studying quantitative traits. The integration that is now feasible by these new approaches also effects ecophysiology, and opens up new perspectives for the us

This volume covers up-to-date notions of seed structure, processes resulting to its formation (syngamy, triple fusion etc.), as well as of postseminal development (seed dormancy and germination). Great attention has been paid to the morphological and functional aspects of fertilization process and embryo- and endospermogenesis.

The book covers both the basics of plant chromosomes as well as advances such as molecular characteristics, to give the reader an understanding of the chromosome as vehicle of hereditary transmission. It is meant for all levels of students in genetics, evolution, and biodiversity.

For researchers and students, George's books have become the standard works on in vitro plant propagation. For this, the third edition of the classic work, authors with specialist knowledge have been brought on board to cover the hugely expanded number of topics in the subject area. Scientific knowledge has expanded rapidly since the second edition and it would now be a daunting task for a single author to cover all aspects adequately. However, this edition still maintains the integration that was characteristic of the previous editions. The first volume of the new edition highlights the scientific background of in vitro propagation. The second volume covers the practice of micropropagation and describes its various applications.

Ecologist Paul Colinvaux's past several years in the Amazon yield this manual written both in English and Portuguese. Consisting in part of illustrations of the principal pollen types that have been found and identified in the sediments of Amazonian lakes, this book should prove a useful tool for ecologists and climate modellers. The manual also contains brief reviews of pioneering pollen work in the Amazon to date, as well as sections on pollen methods, pollen statistics, paleoecology, and lake coring methods.

While scientific and socio-political communities around the world are aware of the natural and economic importance of biodiversity, we are faced with an ever-increasing number of plant species under threat of extinction. Conservation is thus a vital part of the plant scientist's work, in the field, in botanic gardens and in universities. This colour atlas has been conceived to integrate the dual botanical themes of plant propagation and conservation. Various texts deal with propagation, in vivo and in vitro, and with aspects of conservation, but none marries the two themes, let alone a book which uses the concise, focused colour atlas approach. Each of the chapters has been written by an acknowledged international authority on the subject, under the editorship of Dr Bryan Bowes whose Colour Guide to Plant Structure (2nd edition 2008) is already highly successful. Topics range from the history and likely future of conservation and the effects of human activity on plant diversity, to the practical techniques of collection, preservation, germination, propagation and management of plant populations in the laboratory and in the field. The text is referenced and is illustrated throughout by colour photos and photomicrographs of the highest quality. It appeals worldwide to students of conservation, plant science and biology, and to professionals and academics, plant propagators, ecologists, and conservationists working in botanic gardens, universities and colleges, in field research and in nurseries specialising in indigenous plants.

Cellulase is a key enzyme of industrial interest and plays a crucial role in the hydrolysis of cellulose, a prime component of plant cell walls. Cellulase covers a broad area in the global market of industrially important enzymes and it is considered as the third largest industrial enzyme globally. Additionally, cellulase contributes about 20% of the total enzyme market globally because of its massive demand in various industries such as in biofuel production, pulp, paper, textile, food, and beverages, as well as in detergent industries. Among these, the demand of cellulase may become frequently selected in the commercial production of biofuels in the future and thus will further increase demand of cellulase in the biofuel industry. Because biofuel production is still not realized in a cost-effective, practical implementation due to its high cost (the higher cost of biofuels is due to higher production costs of enzymes), there is a need to introduce these types of approaches, which will help to lower the cost of enzyme production for developing overall economic biofuel production.

This exciting new textbook examines the concepts of evolution as the underlying cause of the rich diversity of life on earth-and our danger of losing that rich diversity. Written as a college textbook, The Diversity and Evolution of Plants introduces the great variety of life during past ages, manifested by the fossil record, using a new natural classification system. It begins in the Proterozoic Era, when bacteria and bluegreen algae first appeared, and continues through the explosions of new marine forms in the Helikian and Hadrynian Periods, land plants in the Devonian, and flowering plants in the Cretaceous. Following an introduction, the three subkingdoms of plants are discussed. Each chapter covers one of the eleven divisions of plants and begins with an interesting vignette of a plant typical of that division. A section on each of the classes within the division follows. Each section describes where the groups of plants are found and their distinguishing features. Discussions in each section include phylogeny and classification, general morphology, and physiology, ecological significance, economic uses, and potential for research. Suggested readings and student exercises are found at the end of each chapter.

Bioremediation is a rapidly advancing field and the technology has been applied successfully to remediate many contaminated sites. The goal of every soil remediation method is to enhance the degradation, transformation, or detoxification of pollutants and to protect, maintain and sustain environmental quality.

Advances in our understanding of the ecology of microbial communities capable of breaking down various pollutants and the molecular and biochemical mechanisms by which biodegradation occurs have helped us in developing practical soil bioremediation strategies. Chapters dealing with the application of biological methods to soil remediation are contributed from experts authorities in the area of environmental science including microbiology and molecular biology from academic institutions and industry."

Over recent years, progress in micropropagation has not been as rapid as many expected and, even now, relatively few crops are produced commercially. One reason for this is that the biology of material growing in vitro has been insufficiently understood for modifications to standard methods to be made based on sound physiological principles. However, since 1984, tissue culture companies and others have invested considerable effort to reduce the empirical nature of the production process. The idea of the conference "Physiology, Growth and Development of Plants and Cells in Culture"(Lancaster, 1992) was to introduce specialists in different areas of plant physiology to micropropagators, with the express aims of disseminating as wide a range of information to as large a number of participants as possible, and beginning new discussions on the constraints and potentials affecting the development of in vitro plant production methods. This book is based on presentations from the conference and has been divided into two main sections, dealing with aspects of the in vitro environment - light, nutrients, water, gas - and with applied aspects of the culture process - morphogenesis, acclimation, rejuvenation, contamination.

The global population is growing at an alarming rate and is anticipated to reach about9.6billion bythe endof 2050. Addressing the problem of food scarcity for budding population vis-a-vis environmental changes is the main challenge plant biologists face in the contemporary era. Plant growth and productivity are scarce in many areas of the world due to a wide range of environmental stresses. The productive land is dwindling progressively by various natural and anthropogenic means that lead to enormous crop losses worldwide. Plants often experience these stresses and have the ability to withstand them. However, when the stress exceeds the normal tolerance level, plants accumulate organic osmolytes, osmoprotectants, cryoprotectants and antioxidant enzymes, which helps them tolerate these stresses and assist in their acclimatization towards the particular ambiance needed for maintaining their growth and development.

""

"Physiological Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies in Plants Under Changing Environment, Volume 1" discuss drought and temperature stresses and their mitigation through different means. This volume illuminates how plants that are bombarded by diverse and changing environmental stimuli, undergo appropriate physiological alterations that enable their survival. The information covered in the book is also useful in building apposite strategies to counter abiotic and biotic stresses inplants. Written by a diverse group of internationally renowned scholars, "Physiological Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies in Plants Under Changing Environment, Volume 1 "is a concise yet comprehensive resource that will be beneficial for the researchers, students, environmentalists and soil scientists of this field.

"

"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. It is a serial title that appears in the form of one volume per year. Articles perform the function of collecting, comparing, and contrasting the primary journal literature in order to form an overview of the topic. This detailed analysis aims to bridge the gap between the specialized researcher and the broader community of plant scientists. The series is particularly important at this time when the methods of molecular biology are leading to genetically-engineered crops, and when the supply of wild varieties of many crops are threatened.

This book describes the various applications of microorganisms in improving plant growth, health and the efficiency of phytochemical production. The chapters trace topics such as the role of PGPRs in improving salt stress and heavy metal tolerance in plants; the prevention and control of plant diseases; boosting soil fertility and agriculture productivity; the induction of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in medicinal and aromatic plants; the enhancement of phytochemical levels, and the action mechanisms, diversity and characterization of PGPRs. The reviews will be of interest for scientists in the fields of agriculture, microbiology, soil biology, plant breeding and herbal medicinal products.

Reproduction is a fundamental feature of life, it is the way life persists across the ages. This book offers new, wider vistas on this fundamental biological phenomenon, exploring how it works through the whole tree of life. It explores facets such as asexual reproduction, parthenogenesis, sex determination and reproductive investment, with a taxonomic coverage extended over all the main groups - animals, plants including 'algae', fungi, protists and bacteria. It collates into one volume perspectives from varied disciplines - including zoology, botany, microbiology, genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, animal and plant physiology, and ethology - integrating information into a common language. Crucially, the book aims to identify the commonalties among reproductive phenomena, while demonstrating the diversity even amongst closely related taxa. Its integrated approach makes this a valuable reference book for students and researchers, as well as an effective entry point for deeper study on specific topics.

Environmental conditions and changes, irrespective of source, cause a variety of stresses, one of the most prevalent of which is salt stress. Excess amount of salt in the soil adversely affects plant growth and development, and impairs production. Nearly 20% of the world's cultivated area and nearly half of the world's irrigated lands are affected by salinity. Processes such as seed germination, seedling growth and vigour, vegetative growth, flowering and fruit set are adversely affected by high salt concentration, ultimately causing diminished economic yield and also quality of produce. Most plants cannot tolerate salt-stress. High salt concentrations decrease the osmotic potential of soil solution, creating a water stress in plants and severe ion toxicity. The interactions of salts with mineral nutrition may result in nutrient imbalances and deficiencies. The consequence of all these can ultimately lead to plant death as a result of growth arrest and molecular damage. To achieve salt-tolerance, the foremost task is either to prevent or alleviate the damage, or to re-establish homeostatic conditions in the new stressful environment. Barring a few exceptions, the conventional breeding techniques have been unsuccessful in transferring the salt-tolerance trait to the target species. A host of genes encoding different structural and regulatory proteins have been used over the past 5-6 years for the development of a range of abiotic stress-tolerant plants. It has been shown that using regulatory genes is a more effective approach for developing stress-tolerant plants. Thus, understanding the molecular basis will be helpful in developing selection strategies for improving salinity tolerance. This book will shed light on the effect of salt stress on plants development, proteomics, genomics, genetic engineering, and plant adaptations, among other topics. The book will cover around 25 chapters with contributors from all over the world.

One of the oldest scientific traditions, plant breeding began in Neolithic times with methods as simple as saving the seeds of desirable plants and sowing them later. It was not until the re-encounter with Mendel's discoveries thousands of years later, the genetic basis of breeding was understood. Developments following have provided further insight into how genes acting alone or in concert with other genes and the environment, result in a particular phenotype. From Abaxial to Zymogram, the third edition of Dictionary of Plant Breeding contains clear and useful definitions of the terms associated with plant breeding and related scientific/technological disciplines. It defines jargon; provides helpful tables, examples, and breeding schemes; and includes a list of crop plants with salient details. Packed with data and organized to make that data easy to access, this revised and expanded reference provides comprehensive coverage of the latest discoveries in cytogenetics, molecular genetics, marker-assisted selection, experimental gene transfer, CRISPR technology, seed sciences, crop physiology, and genetically modified crops. Features: Provides a comprehensive list of technical terms used in plant breeding Explores the historical development of crop improvement Discusses applications of molecular genetics and biotechnology Includes numerous figures, drawings, tables, and schemes supplementing the glossary A complex subject, plant breeding draws from many scientific and technological disciplines, often making it difficult to know the precise meanings of many terms and to accurately interpret specific concepts. As in the previous editions, this dictionary unifies concepts by including the specific terms of plant breeding and terms that are adjusted from other disciplines. Drawing on Rolf Schlegel's 50 years of experience, the book provides an encyclopedic list of commonly used technical terms that reflect the latest developments in the field.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. This book offers 19 detailed protocols on the use of induced mutations in crop breeding and functional genomics studies, which cover topics including chemical and physical mutagenesis, phenotypic screening methods, traditional TILLING and TILLING by sequencing, doubled haploidy, targeted genome editing, and low-cost methods for the molecular characterization of mutant plants that are suitable for laboratories in developing countries. The collection of protocols equips users with the techniques they need in order to start a program on mutation breeding or functional genomics using both forward and reverse-genetic approaches. Methods are provided for seed and vegetatively propagated crops (e.g. banana, barley, cassava, jatropha, rice) and can be adapted for use in other species.

Pollen and spores are ubiquitous, and preserve exceptionally well. This, and their enormous structural diversity, offers exceptional opportunities for integrating findings from studies of both recent and fossil material, and for developing new insights into the pathways and processes of diversification. This volume brings together both international authorities and younger researchers who have developed novel approaches from such diverse fields as paleobotany, ontogeny, molecular biology, and systematics. Three main issues are discussed: the evidence provided by the fossil record, the contribution of ontogenetic data, and the methods of systematic analysis. Of special interest are the sections detailing the most recent findings regarding fossil angiosperms and ontogeny in primitive angiosperms. The information provided will be of great interest and relevance to such disparate disciplines as vegetational history, geology, plant taxonomy and plant evolution.

This important 2-volume reference book is the first comprehensive resource reflecting the current global status and prospects of date palm cultivation by country. This volume covers Africa and the Americas. Countries included are: Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Cameroon, Djibouti, Chad, Mali Somalia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Senegal, as well as the United States of America and the South American countries Chile and Peru. Topics discussed are: cultivation practices; genetic resources and breeding; conservation and germplasm banks; cultivar classification and identification based on morphological and molecular markers; micropropagation and progress toward scale-up production; and advances in dates processing and marketing. Chapters are supported by tables and color photographs. Appendixes summarize traits and distribution of major cultivars, commercial resources of offshoots and in vitro plants; and institutions and scientific societies concerned with date palm.

This book describes the various applications of microorganisms in improving plant growth, health and the efficiency of phytochemical production. The chapters trace topics such as the role of PGPRs in improving salt stress and heavy metal tolerance in plants; the prevention and control of plant diseases; boosting soil fertility and agriculture productivity; the induction of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in medicinal and aromatic plants; the enhancement of phytochemical levels, and the action mechanisms, diversity and characterization of PGPRs. The reviews will be of interest for scientists in the fields of agriculture, microbiology, soil biology, plant breeding and herbal medicinal products.

This volume presents the issues and challenges of crop pathogens and plant protection. Composed of the latest knowledge in plant pathology, the book covers topics such as fungal diseases of the groundnut, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, plant pathogenic fungi in the genomics era, the increased virulence of wheat rusts and oat fungal diseases. Written by experienced and internationally recognized scientists in the field, Future Challenges in Crop Protection Against Fungal Pathogens is a concise yet comprehensive resource valuable for both novice as well as experienced plant scientists and researchers.