During the past decade, there has been tremendous progress in maize biotechnology. This volume provides an overview of our current knowledge of maize molecular genetics, how it is being used to improve the crop, and future possibilities for crop enhancement. Several chapters deal with genetically engineered traits that are currently, or soon will be, in commercial production. Technical approaches for introducing novel genes into the maize genome, the regeneration of plants from transformed cells, and the creation of transgenic lines for field production are covered. Further, the authors describe how molecular genetic techniques are being used to identify genes and characterize their function, and how these procedures are utilized to develop elite maize germplasm. Moreover, molecular biology and physiological studies of corn as a basis for the improvement of its nutritional and food-making properties are included. Finally, the growing use of corn as biomass for energy production is discussed.

The main theme of the book is sustainable disease management in a European context. Some of the questions addressed are: How does society benefit from plant pathology research? How can new molecular approaches solve relevant problems in disease management? What other fields can we exploit in plant pathology research? What challenges are associated with free trade across the new borders? How can we contribute to solving problems of developing countries? How does plant pathology contribute to food quality and safety? How does globalization/internationalization affect teaching and extension in plant pathology?

Molecular Mechanisms of Plant and Microbe Coexistence presents studies on the complex and manifold interactions of plants and microbes at the population, genomics and proteomics level. The role of soil microbial diversity in enhancing plant health and plant microbe beneficial symbioses is discussed. Microbial communities are shown in the light of evolution. Main topics include genome coexistence and the functional genomics and proteomics of plant-associated microbes, which could form the basis for new environmentally benign strategies to combat infectious plant diseases and regulate plant growth. Further chapters focus on the role of signaling during the different stages of plant microbe coexistence, in symbiotic or pathogenic relationships, in quorum sensing and plant viral infections. Methods for studying the interactions in the root zone complement the book, which will certainly be of relevance in the practical application to agriculture, food security and for maintaining the balance of our ecosystems.

This manual is intended for the practising chemist who has to do a job in analysing plant material. Therefore, the present manual only contains ready-to-hand procedures without any comment. The procedures described are only for inorganic components, which frequently occur in the plant. Most procedures are designed to give a total content value of the element under consideration, regardless of the chemical structure in which it occurs in the plant.

We have chosen for a design in which all digestion procedures are described in one chapter, all extraction procedures in one chapter and all determination procedures in one chapter. As a consequence, one has to choose a suitable digestion method in combination with the intended determination technique; this has been indicated within each individual determination procedure.

For determination of the elements, mainly spectrometric techniques are used here. Depending on the kind of element and the expected concentration level, the following methods are applied: flame atomic emission spectrometry (flame AES), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (flame AAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), electrothermal atomisation (graphite furnace) atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), spectrophotometry and segmented flow analysis (SFA). Besides, potentiometry (ion selective electrodes (ISE)) and coulometry will be encountered. In many cases, more than one method is described to determine a component. This provides a reference, as well as an alternative in case of instrumental or analytical problems.

Palynology is important in basic as well as in manifold applied sciences, as e.g. biology, medicine, forensics, earth history, climatology and food production. This volume is the first fully illustrated handbook of palynological principles and glossary terms, exclusively using LM and EM micrographs of superior quality. A comprehensive General Chapter on pollen morphology, anatomy, pollen development etc. based on the present knowledge in palynology introduces the reader in the world of pollen. The glossary part comprises more than 300 widely used terms illustrated with over 1.000 high quality light and/or electron microscopic pictures to show the character range of a term. Terms are grouped by feature, e.g. ornamentation, where each term is illustrated on a separate page, definition and original citation included and where necessary, provided with a comprehensive explanatory comment. The term's use in LM, SEM or TEM and its assignment to anatomical, morphological and/or functional pollen features is indicated by icons and colour coding, respectively. This handbook is not only a valuable source for students and researchers but also for all persons interested in pollen and its aesthetic beauty.

Christel Ross investigates whether evolutionary changes by plant breeding are an important factor for the invasion success of Mahonia aquifolium in Germany. Her findings show that invasive populations differ from native populations in quantitative-genetic traits and molecular markers, whereas their genetic diversity is similar. She postulates that these evolutionary changes are rather a result of plant breeding, which includes interspecific hybridisation, than the result of a genetic bottleneck or the releases from specialist herbivores.

In this book, authors who are experts in their fields describe current advances on commercial crops and key enabling technologies that will underpin future advances in biotechnology. They discuss state of the art discoveries as well as future challenges. Tremendous progress has been made in introducing novel genes and traits into plant genomes since the first creation of transgenic plants thirty years ago, and the first commercialization of genetically modified maize in 1996. Consequently, cultivation of biotech crops with useful traits has increased more than 100-fold from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to over 175 million hectares globally in 2013. This achievement has been made possible by continued advances in understanding the basic molecular biology of regulatory sequences to modulate gene expression, enhancement of protein synthesis and new technologies for transformation of crop plants. This book has three sections that encompass knowledge on genetically modified (GM) food crops that are currently used by consumers, those that are anticipated to reach the market place in the near future and enabling technologies that will facilitate the development of next generation GM crops. Section I focuses only on genetically modified maize and soybean (3 chapters each), while Section II discusses the GM food crops rice, wheat, sorghum, vegetables and sugar cane. Section III covers exciting recent developments in several novel enabling technologies, including gene targeting, minichromosomes, and in planta transient expression systems.

Molecular biology techniques have considerably increased our understanding of mechanisms underlying the control of flower initiation, development, function and senescence, processes which can be critically important in managing the yield of agricultural crops. The book covers the molecular and genetic control of flower morphogenesis in particular species and discusses the role and regulation of gene expression in the development, together with action of the male and female gametes in plant reproduction. The considerable variation in longevity of flowers and pattern of senescence are reviewed. The importance of ethylene in the control mechanism is discussed using examples of both ethylene-sensitive and insensitive species. The book will be vital to those researching floral physiology, and a useful reference for undergraduates studying relevant botanical courses.

Paleopalynology, second edition, provides profusely illustrated treatment of fossil palynomorphs, including spores, pollen, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans, scolecodonts, and various microscopic fungal and algal dispersal bodies. The book serves both as a student text and general reference work. Palynomorphs yield information about age, geological and biological environment, climate during deposition, and other significant factors about the enclosing rocks. Extant spores and pollen are treated first, preparing the student for more difficult work with fossil sporomorphs and other kinds of palynomorphs. Recognizing that palynomorphs occur together in rocks because of chemical robustness and stratigraphic distribution, not biological relationship, the central sections are organized stratigraphically.

Molecular farming is a biotechnological approach that includes the genetic adjustment of agricultural products to create proteins and chemicals for profitable and pharmaceutical purposes. Plant molecular farming describes the manufacture of recombinant proteins and other biologically active product in plants. This approach depends on a genetic transformation of plants that can be accomplished by the methods of stable gene transfer, such as gene transfer to nuclei and chloroplasts, and unstable transfer methods like viral vectors. The requirement for recombinant proteins in terms of quality, quantity, and diversity is increasing exponentially This demand is traditionally met by recombinant protein construction technologies and the engineering of orthodox expression systems based on bacteria or mammalian cell cultures. However, majority of developing countries cannot afford the high costs of medicine derived from such existing methods. Hence, we need to produce not only the new drugs but also the cheaper versions of those already present in the market. Plant molecular farming is considered as a cost-effective technology that has grown and advanced tremendously over the past two decades. This book summarizes the advances and challenges of plant molecular farming for all those who are working on or have an interest in this rapidly emerging area of research.

Flowering and fruiting are key processes in the biology of higher plants, ensuring the transfer of genetic material from one generation to the next. In addition, as almost all of the world's agricultural and horticultural industries depend on the production of flowers, fruits and seeds, the study of the reproductive biology of cultivated plants is of fundamental importance to humankind. Surprisingly, therefore, this topic has received relatively little attention from environmental physiologists compared with studies on the growth and development of vegetative structures. This book, based on a meeting held by the Environmental Physiology Group of the Society of Experimental Biology, sets out to correct this deficiency. The topic is given a broad and comprehensive treatment, with chapters covering the onset of flowering through to the development and growth of fruits and seeds, and finally to ecological and evolutionary aspects of fruiting. This volume will therefore serve as a useful introduction to the various aspects of flowering and fruiting and will also provide a thorough general overview of the subject for students and researchers alike.

In a new series in plant conservation sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), this book is a practical guide to a subject of increasing concern to the conservation biologist. As with each of the books in the series, this book aims to give an authoritative guide to the subject in a clear, jargon-free style. It should therefore not only be of interest to the academic biologist interested in the phenomenon of invasion, but also to government and non-governmental personnel involved in the decision-making process needed as a result of the problems encountered with invasive species. Case-studies highlight specific problems from a wide range of countries, including North America, South and Central America, Africa, Australasia, South and South East Asia, Europe, the Pacific and Atlantic Islands and Indonesia. The book contains an appendix with a list of invasive species and their countries of origin. A bibliography contains reference to all cited articles and books. This book should be of interest to conservation biologists, economic botanists, ethnobotanists, plant ecologists, agriculturalists, those interested in development problems, geographers, environmental scientists, ecotourists and "green" lay people.

Plant hormones play a crucial role in controlling the way in which plants growand develop. Whilemetabolism providesthepowerand buildingblocks for plant life, it is the hormones that regulate the speed of growth of the individual parts and integrate these parts to produce the form that we recognize as a plant. In addition, theyplayacontrolling role inthe processes of reproduction. This book is a description ofthese natural chemicals: how they are synthesizedand metabolized; howthey work; whatwe knowoftheir molecular biology; how we measure them; and a description ofsome ofthe roles they play in regulating plant growth and development. Emphasis has also been placed on the new findings on plant hormones deriving from the expanding use ofmolecular biology as a tool to understand these fascinating regulatory molecules. Even at the present time, when the role of genes in regulating all aspects of growth and development is considered of prime importance, it is still clear that the path of development is nonetheless very much under hormonal control, either via changes in hormone levels in response to changes in gene transcription, or with the hormones themselves as regulators ofgene transcription. This is not a conference proceedings, but a selected collection ofnewly written, integrated, illustrated reviews describing our knowledge of plant hormones, and the experimental work that is the foundation of this knowledge.

This textbook contains the material for a course in the major principles of modelling crop growth processes. There is much more to crop growth than what is discussed in this textbook, but it provides a sound basis for further work and study in this field. Chapter by chapter the book leads the reader to different modelled aspects of crop growth, and at the end, the reader will have a good understanding of the Wageningen simulation model SUCROS for the potential production situation. By then, it will be much easier to find one's way through descriptions and listings of other models. Throughout the text, the study of the different topics is facilitated by exercises that support the course in a hands-on computer practical exercise. A very simple crop growth model, almost entirely based on radiation interception, is given first. This skeleton model is then expanded by submodels for respiration, carbon assimilation, plant development, and a more detailed model for radiation interception and reflection. Modelling of transpiration and the leaf energy balance is given by way of introduction. There are many listings of the submodels, written in the simulation language FST (FORTRAN Simulation Translator), as well as of SUCROS itself, together with plentiful comments. Some supporting theory is provided in the form of Appendices. The book is meant for students and scientists who would like to acquire a working knowledge of the technique of crop growth modelling.

This book presents the life science experiments in a space microgravity environment conducted on board the SJ-10 recoverable satellite, which was launched on April 6th 2016 and recovered on April 18th 2016. It covers 10 scientific projects in radiation biology, gravitational biology and biotechnology that were selected from ~100 proposals from various institutions in China and around the world. Primarily exploring the rhythm of life in a space microgravity environment, all of the experiments - conducted on nine payloads of the SJ-10 satellite - have never been previously conducted in the respective fields. In addition, the book provides extensive information on the mission's execution, data collection, and scientific outcomes.

This supplement, containing six chapters, is the first in a series of important works designed to be integrated into the text of the Plant Tissue Culture Manual to maintain it as a valuable source of laboratory methodology

This book serves as the first comprehensive compilation describing the breeding strategies and genetics and genomics of the coconut palm. It describes gene evolution of economically important traits such as oil biosynthesis, aroma and fragrance, disease-resistant genes and small RNAs-mediated gene regulation of coconut. Application of "omics" approaches in palms and the prospects of genome editing technologies in coconut are also discussed. The author list includes pioneers and experts in the field of coconut genomics. The book appeals to postgraduate students, researchers and industry players in the field of plantation crops in general and coconut in particular.

The germination of seeds is a magical event, in which a pinch of dust-like material may give rise to all the power and the beauty of the growing plant. The mechanisms of seed dormancy, of the breaking of seed dormancy and of germination itself continue to remain shrouded in mystery, despite the best efforts of plant scientists. Perhaps we are getting there, but very slowly. This book considers germination and dormancy from the point of view of plant physiology. Plant physiologists attempt to understand the relation ship between plant form and function and to explain, in physical and chemical terms, plant growth and development. The place of germination and dormancy in plant ecophysiology is taken into account with attempts to understand the seed in its .environment, whether the environment be natural, semi-natural or wholly artificial. In due course plant scientists hope to develop a precise understanding of germination and dormancy in cellular and molecular terms, and therefore there is some biochemistry in this book. Biochemists who wish to learn something about seeds should find this book useful."

This edited book brings out a comprehensive collection of information on the modern omics-based research. The main focus of this book is to educate researchers about utility of omics-based technologies in rapid crop improvement. In last two decades, omics technologies have been utilized significantly in the area of plant sciences and has shown promising results. Omics technology has potential to address the challenge of food security in the near future. The comprehensive use of omics technology occurred in last two decades and helped greatly in the understanding of complex biological problems, improve crop productivity and ensure sustainable use of ecosystem services. This book is of interest to researchers and students of life sciences, biotechnology, plant biotechnology, agriculture, forestry, and environmental sciences. It is also a useful knowledge resource for national and international agricultural scientists.

The Sixth International Congress on Photosynthesis took place from 1 to 6 August 1983, on the Campus of the "Vrije Universiteit Brussel", in Brussels, Belgium. These Proceedings contain most of the scientific contributions offered during the Congress. The Brussels Congress was the largest thus far held in the series of International Congresses on Photosynthesis. It counted over 1100 active participants. The organizers tried to minimize the disadvantages of such a large size by making maximum use of the facili ties available on a university campus. Most contributions were offered in the form of posters which were displayed in a substantial number of classrooms. The discussion sessions, twice a day, four or five in parallel, took place in lecture rooms in the very vicinity of these classrooms. In this way it was attempted to generate the atmosphere of a small meeting. The unity of the subject Photosynthesis was preserved in the ten plenary lectures, organ~sed in such a way that a general overview of two diverse topics was given every day. In addition, there were the five times four parallel symposia dealing with some six teen general topics. Every editor of proceedings of a congress is faced with the problem of editing and arranging the contributions, a problem compounded by the wide diversity and the large number of the 753 manuscripts.

This open access book presents simple, robust pre-field screening protocols that allow plant breeders to screen for enhanced tolerance to heat stress in rice. Two critical heat-sensitive stages in the lifecycle of the rice crop are targeted - the seedling and flowering stages - with screening based on simple phenotypic responses. The protocols are based on the use of a hydroponics system and/or pot experiments in a glasshouse in combination with a controlled growth chamber where the heat stress treatment is applied. The protocols are designed to be effective, simple, reproducible and user-friendly. The protocols will enable plant breeders to effectively reduce the number of plants from a few thousands to less than 100 candidate individual mutants or lines in a greenhouse/growth chamber, which can then be used for further testing and validation in the field conditions. The methods can also be used to classify rice genotypes according to their heat tolerance characteristics. Thus, different types of heat stress tolerance mechanisms can be identified, presenting opportunities for pyramiding different (mutant) sources of heat stress tolerance.

Genetically Engineered Plants as a Source of Vaccines Against Wide Spread Diseases: An Integrated View provides an integrated outlook of the disciplines involved in the development of plant-based vaccines as well as an updated compilation of the successful developments in the field. The volume covers immunological aspects of mucosal vaccine design, molecular approaches to attain high levels of the recombinant antigens, the rationale of using bioreactor to expand plant biomass, and pharmaceutical technology approaches that have been applied to the development of plant-based vaccine formulations. Practical figures and tables are presented to facilitate reading and identification of key points. Perspectives for this field are also discussed. Written by authorities in the field, Genetically Engineered Plants as a Source of Vaccines Against Wide Spread Diseases: An Integrated View is a comprehensive resource for researchers and students interested in plant genetics and breeding, immunology, and genetic engineering.

Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens compiles fundamental and specific information and procedures involving in vitro soybean transformation, which forms the basis for the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic manipulation of soybean using plant tissue culture. This method serves as one of the most preferred, reliable and cost-effective mechanism of transgene expression in both leguminous recalcitrant species and non-legume crops. The technology is favoured due to its simplicity, feasibility and high transformation rates that are so far achieved mostly in monocot plants and a few dicot genotypes. This book provides a comprehensive review of plant transformation which remains necessary for many researchers who are still facing protocol-related hurdles. Among some of the major topics covered in Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens are the history and discovery of Agrobacterium bacterium, longstanding challenges causing transformation inefficiencies, types and conditions of explants, development of transgenic plants for stress resistance, and the role of transgenic plants on animal/human health, including the environment. Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens helps the reader to understand how soybean, like many other orphan legume crops, faces the risk of overexploitation which may render the currently available varieties redundant and extinct should its narrow gene pool not improve. Plant transformation serves as a key technique in improving the gene pool, while developing varieties that are drought tolerant, have enhanced nutritional value, pest resistant and reduce the destruction by disease causing microorganims. This book is an essential foundation tool that is available for researchers and students to reinforce the application of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation in soybean.

The importance of haploids is well known to geneticists and plant breeders. The discovery of anther-derived haploid Datura plants in 1964 initiated great excitement in the plant breeding and genetics communities as it offered shortcuts in producing highly desirable homozygous plants. Unfortunately, the expected revolution was slow to materialise due to problems in extending methods to other species, including genotypic dependence, recalcitrance, slow development of tissue culture technologies and a lack of knowledge of the underlying processes. Recent years have witnessed great strides in the research and application of haploids in higher plants. After a lull in activities, drivers for the resurgence have been: (1) development of effective tissue culture protocols, (2) identification of genes c- trolling embryogenesis, and (3) large scale and wide spread commercial up-take in plant breeding and plant biotechnology arenas. The first major international symposium on "Haploids in Higher Plants" took place in Guelph, Canada in 1974. At that time there was much excitement about the potential benefits, but in his opening address Sir Ralph Riley offered the following words of caution: "I believe that it is quite likely that haploid research will contr- ute cultivars to agriculture in several crops in the future. However, the more extreme claims of the enthusiasts for haploid breeding must be treated with proper caution. Plant breeding is subject from time to time to sweeping claims from ent- siastic proponents of new procedures.