The cut flower and foliage industry is a global business with major production locations in North America, South America, Central America, East Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Few other horticulture crops are as ubiquitous, yet the production techniques and challenges are universal. This book describes the main international production locations and markets, including current trends and directions. The focus is on production in protected cultivation. The major species - including rose, chrysanthemum, carnation, orchid and gerbera - dominate the global market and these are individually explored in detail. Specialty species and cut foliages are also addressed, as well as significant details of production, including irrigation and fertilization, disease and disease management, and biological control of pests. Finally, the postharvest chapter covers details of harvesting, transporting and delivering high quality flowers that provide an excellent vase life. Highly illustrated with color photos throughout, this is an essential resource for students and researchers in horticulture, growers and producers, and those in the floriculture industry.

The edible alliums are some of the most ancient cultivated crops and include onions, leeks, shallots, garlic and chives. They are grown in most regions of the world, from the subarctic to the humid tropics, although bulb onions are best adapted to production in subtropical and temperate areas. This book introduces the scientific principles that underlie production practices. It begins by discussing the classification, origins, distribution and economic importance of the major food alliums, before considering their structure, genetics and breeding. Chapters then follow on the physiology of crop growth, development and yield, on crop production and on flowering and seed production. Some alliums are harvested as bulbs and others as green shoots, and a chapter is devoted to the storage and dormancy of both types. Pests, diseases and weeds are then discussed, before a final chapter on the biochemistry and food science of alliums. The book is written at a level suitable for students of horticulture, crop science and food science, as well as for growers and crop consultants interested in the scientific principles that form the basis of their practice. It also provides a valuable example of how the different disciplines within plant sciences interrelate when applied to particular crops.

This book is a comprehensive and up-to-date resource covering the botany, production and uses of limes. The lime is an important fruit crop throughout citrus producing regions of the world, with its own specific benefits, culture and marketplace, but producers face issues affecting successful cultivation and production. The Lime: Botany, Production and Uses contains detailed information on: * Breeding, genetics and biodiversity of limes * Orchard establishment, management and precision agriculture * Pests and diseases, including the latest knowledge regarding current threats such as Witches' Broom Disease and Citrus Greening * Harvesting and postharvest management * Traditional and commercial uses of limes Authored by an international team of experts and presented in full colour throughout, this book is an essential resource for academic researchers and specialist extension workers, in addition to growers and producers involved in the citrus industry.

Disheartened by the shrink-wrapped, Styrofoam-packed state of contemporary supermarket fruits and vegetables, many shoppers hark back to a more innocent time, to visions of succulent red tomatoes plucked straight from the vine, gleaming orange carrots pulled from loamy brown soil, swirling heads of green lettuce basking in the sun.

With "Hybrid," Noel Kingsbury reveals that even those imaginary perfect foods are themselves far from anything that could properly be called natural; rather, they represent the end of a millennia-long history of selective breeding and hybridization. Starting his story at the birth of agriculture, Kingsbury traces the history of human attempts to make plants more reliable, productive, and nutritious--a story that owes as much to accident and error as to innovation and experiment. Drawing on historical and scientific accounts, as well as a rich trove of anecdotes, Kingsbury shows how scientists, amateur breeders, and countless anonymous farmers and gardeners slowly caused the evolutionary pressures of nature to be supplanted by those of human needs--and thus led us from sparse wild grasses to succulent corn cobs, and from mealy, white wild carrots to the juicy vegetables we enjoy today. At the same time, Kingsbury reminds us that contemporary controversies over the Green Revolution and genetically modified crops are not new; plant breeding has always had a political dimension.

A powerful reminder of the complicated and ever-evolving relationship between humans and the natural world, "Hybrid" will give readers a thoughtful new perspective on--and a renewed appreciation of--the cereal crops, vegetables, fruits, and flowers that are central to our way of life.

Medicinal plants and plant-derived medicine are widely used in traditional cultures all over the world and they are becoming increasingly popular in modern society as natural alternatives to synthetic chemicals. As more and more natural remedies are being commercialised, there is a need for a user-friendly reference guide to the plants and their products. The book gives the reader a bird's eye view of more than 350 of the best known medicinal plants of the world and their uses, in a compact, colourful and scientifically accurate reference text. It provides quick answers to the most obvious questions: Where does this plant originate? What does it look like? In which culture is it traditionally used? What is it used for? Which chemical compounds does it contain? How safe is it? What is known about its pharmacological activity? What evidence is there that it is effective? The authors also provide short overviews of the various health conditions for which medicinal plants are used and the active compounds (secondary metabolites) found in the plants and their modes of actions. This new edition has an additional 30 plant species, many new and improved photographs and the text has been fully updated to reflect the latest regulatory status of each plant.

Root and tuber crops are important to agriculture, food security and income for 2.2 billion people in developing countries. These species produce large quantities of dietary energy and have stable yields under difficult environmental conditions. This second edition of Tropical Root and Tuber Crops is an authoritative treatment of four important root and tuber crops: cassava. sweet potato, yams, and aroids. The same format is followed for each crop: Origin and History, Taxonomy and Botany, Breeding and Genetics, Developmental Physiology, Agronomy, Pests and Diseases, Post-Harvest Quality and Marketing. This new edition reviews the scientific literature produced during the last decade and presents major technical advancements. Modern molecular tools have been used to clarify the phylogeny, taxonomy and origin of these species. Similar advances have been made in physiology, agronomy, pathology and product chemistry. It is essential reading for students, researchers and horticulturists.

Orchids, the epitome of floral beauty, have long inspired poetry, adventure, art and scientific discovery. In Orchid Muse, historian and home orchid grower Erica Hannickel brings together fascinating tales of the orchid-smitten throughout history, along with tips on growing the exotic blooms at the centre of each account. Consider, for instance, Empress Eugenie and Queen Victoria, the two most powerful women in nineteenth-century Europe, who shared a passion for Coelogyne cristata. John Roebling, builder of the Brooklyn Bridge, and Raymond Burr, the actor famed for playing Perry Mason, cultivated thousands of orchids, introducing captivating new and unusual species. Transporting the reader from hazardous Amazonian journeys to a seedy dime museum in Gilded Age New York's Tenderloin, from the glories of the palace gardens of Chinese Empress Cixi to the island of Bourbon, where the vanilla orchid thrives, Orchid Muse spans the world, exploring our enduring fascination with these exquisite flowers.

Presents the latest information on applied topics in horticultural science.* Numerous essays provide easy, time-saving and cost-effective access to the primary literature.* Sponsored by the American Society of Horticultural Science.

Handbook of Plant Disease Identification and Management presents the fundamentals of plant diseases identification based on symptomology and management focusing mainly on integrated pest management approach. It discusses a variety of techniques for the diagnosis of crop disease, losses due to crop diseases, and theories behind disease management. It describes how society is constraining the possibilities for management of crop diseases by changing the environment; biologically controlling crop diseases; and the epidemiologic and genetic concepts of managing host genes. This book discusses managing diseases through diverse chemical, biological, and physical methods. It highlights climatic factors affecting crops by creating favorable condition for most of the diseases. This book serves as a complete guide for growers, researchers, and graduate students to understand basics of plant disease identification. It explains the disease cycle for respective crops with favorable conditions promoting disease development. It intends to aid growers in managing diseases and help scientists with future research.

Aeroponics: Growing Vertical covers aspects of the emerging technology, aeroponics, which is a sister to hydroponics, involving state-of-the-art controlled environment agriculture. The book begins with an introduction of aeroponics followed by a summary of peer-reviewed technical literature conducted over 50 years involving various aspects of aeroponics. It covers the science and all the patent literature since 2001 to give the reader a comprehensive view of the innovations related to aeroponics. This book is a useful reference for people interested in learning about how aeroponics works. This book is for novices as well as scientists interested in research activities conducted in countries around the world as well as work in using aeroponics in outer space. Designed for the user interested in research conducted in the past, this a helpful resource for those in the next generation of profitable agricultural endeavors. Features: * Comprehensive resource presenting key aspects of aeroponics * Focus on areas of aeroponics including its history, science, innovations, business, and practice * Provides a complete overview of the intellectual property associated with aeroponics * Presents a broad overview of research using aeroponic systems across the globe * Features information on key start-up businesses and activities that drive this technology Thomas Gurley earned a BA in chemistry from Houghton College and a PhD in analytical chemistry from Case Western Reserve University and has 40 years industrial chemistry experience with companies including Goodyear, Abbott Labs, and his consulting company, Manning Wood LLC. He holds two Fulbright scholarships to Ukraine and Uganda. He is currently R&D Director for Aero Development Corporation, a manufacturer of aeroponic commercial growing systems. He conducts research in aeroponics as an adjunct professor at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina.

Locus Amoenus provides a pioneering collection of new perspectives on Renaissance garden history, and the impact of its development. Experts in the field illustrate the extent of our knowledge of how the natural world looked and how humans related to their environment. * A ground-breaking collection of new perspectives on garden history * Essays demonstrate the extent of our knowledge of how the natural world looked and how humans related to their environment * The book's broad coverage includes botany and herbals, literary reflections of changing ideas of landscape and nature, and human's place within it * Contributors come from a wide range of experts, including archaeologists, scholars and the librarian and archivist to the Royal Horticultural Society * Reflects the growing emergence of this field, which has been assisted both by archaeology and ideas from green studies and environmental criticism * Richly illustrated throughout

Cultivated Power explores the collection, cultivation, and display of flowers in early modern France at the historical moment when flowering plants, many of which were becoming known in Europe for the first time, piqued the curiosity of European gardeners and botanists, merchants and ministers, dukes and kings. Elizabeth Hyde reveals how flowers became uniquely capable of revealing the curiosity, reason, and taste of those elite men who engaged in their cultivation. The cultural and increasingly political value of such qualities was not lost on royal panegyrists, who seized on the new meanings of flowers in celebrating the glory of Louis XIV. Using previously unexplored archival sources, Hyde recovers the extent of floral plantations in the gardens of Versailles and the sophisticated system of nurseries created to fulfill the demands of the king's gardeners. She further examines how the successful cultivation of those flowers made it possible for Louis XIV to demonstrate that his reign was a golden era surpassing even that of antiquity. Cultivated Power expands our knowledge of flowers in European history beyond the Dutch tulip mania and restores our understanding of the importance of flowers in the French classical garden. The book also develops a fuller perspective on the roles of gender, rank, and material goods in the age of the baroque. Using flowers to analyze the movement of culture in early modern society, Cultivated Power ultimately highlights the influence of curious florists on the taste of the king and the extension of the cultural into the realm of the political.

First published in 1997, this volume contributes to the knowledge for the trade of vegetables, fruits and tubers (so-called horticultural commodities). As African policy makers try to keep pace with new developments in private food trade, they require knowledge of the structures of private trade systems and the factors that govern their long-term development. The study analyses the structure and development of horticultural marketing channels in Kenya. It is based primarily on surveys of some 500 farmers in four districts and 750 horticultural traders in 18 market places. Commercial horticultural farmers, domestic traders, export traders, agents, facilitators, marketing cooperatives and processors are all reviewed. The study devotes special attention to the efficiency of collecting wholesalers, and to the development of rural assembly markets. It develops a model which can elucidate vertical differentiation processes in the Kenyan horticultural channels. The analyses show that marketing channel theory can be of great relevance to the developing world. The proposed vertical differentiation model can aid in predicting future changes in horticultural marketing systems, in Kenya as well as in other African countries.

Fruit ripening is an important aspect of fruit production. The timing of it affects supply chains and buying behaviour, and for consumers ripeness not only affects perceptions of health but has nutritional effects too. Ripeness is closely related to spoilage which has a major financial impact on agricultural industries. Currently there are fast moving developments in knowledge of the factors affecting fruit ripeness, and this up-to-date monograph seeks to draw together the disparate research in this area. The aim of the book is to produce a comprehensive account covering almost every area related to fruit ripening including the latest molecular mechanisms regulating fruit ripening, its impact on human nutrition and emerging research and technologies.

Completely updated with new content and full-colour figures throughout, the second edition of this successful book continues to provide a comprehensive coverage of pineapple breeding, production and yield. Pineapple is an increasingly important crop and demand for fresh pineapple is steadily growing; stakeholders in the value chain are worldwide. The Pineapple: Botany, Production and Uses provides essential coverage from botany through to postharvest handling and provides the technical information required by all those working with the crop. The second edition: - Contains new chapters on organic production and production for other uses (fibre and ornamentals). - Includes major updates to content on taxonomy, biotechnology, cultural systems, nutrition, varieties and genetic improvement. - Explores physiological changes associated with the year-round growing of pineapple in addition to the associated cultural practices and mineral nutrition. - Considers the impacts of climate change and environmental issues on pineapple crops, and relevant mitigation strategies. - Looks at the effects of new cultivars and technologies on cultural practices and plant nutrition. Written by an international team of experts, this book is an essential resource for researchers, growers and all those involved in the pineapple industry.

This practical book provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of all aspects of the commercial production of blackberries and their hybrids, covering plant growth and development, cultivar description and selection, propagation, pruning, soil and water management, postharvest management, economics and marketing, and pest identification and management. Cultivated blackberries are a relatively new crop, but with new cultivars and cultural practices they are now grown and available worldwide. Production regions have expanded internationally due to innovative methods showing much promise and evidence of human health benefits. Blackberries and Their Hybrids explains the many complex steps involved in producing a conventional or an organic crop for the fresh and processed markets, and: - Contains information gathered from global sources - Is appropriate for areas that can produce blackberries for the local, domestic and/or export markets - Includes full-color images throughout Authored by a team of experts, this book is essential for growers, extension workers, fruit industry personnel, students, and lecturers involved in the commercial production of blackberries and their hybrids.

""'Creasy and Creasy is the 'go to' reference on my bookshelf when I am searching for thoughts on current production systems. Given the authors' experience, there is good awareness of viticultural practices in different climate zones... I trust readers will find as much benefit and enjoyment with this updated volume as I found with the first."' Dr. Richard Smart, 'the flying vine-doctor', Cornwall, UK Fully revised with new content and full-colour figures throughout, the second edition of this successful book contains expanded content for all sections, particularly those covering the impact of climate change, seasonal management, mechanisation and organic management options. There is a new vine balance section, as well as significant updates to rootstocks and grafting. It includes information on wine grapes in addition to grapes for fresh consumption and raisin production. Covering a broad range of topics from grapevine growth and fruit development, to vineyard establishment, mechanisation and postharvest processing, this book provides historical and current information about the grape industry and sets out the theory and science behind production practices. It is an invaluable resource for grape producers, horticulture and plant science students, as well as enthusiasts of the vine and its products.

This book provides a means for the accurate identification of over 190 families and 2220 genera of flowering plants cultivated out-of-doors in gardens in north-west Europe and in other geographical regions with a similar climate, including parts of North America. The text is an abridged version of The European Garden Flora, published in six volumes, and consitutes a handy single volume digest that considers families and genera, but not species. A key to all the families is provided and for each of the families, a key to the genera within it. Scientifically rigorous descriptions of families and genera follow, including information on the number of constituent genera or species, and details of geographical distribution. Illustrations of genera from most of the major families are included to aid accurate identification.

Successful seed supplies are vital in maintaining vegetable production and availability, and for ensuring food security for many subsistence farmers in developing countries. Providing a broad and expert coverage of the horticultural production of vegetables grown from seed, this fully updated new edition includes new coverage of the production of genetically modified crops, organic seed production, packaging, and honey bee population, as well as updated references and further reading. It is an essential text for horticulturists, researchers, seed scientists, vegetable producers, students, technicians and practitioners in vegetable seed production in both developed and developing countries.

In the heart of London, beside the Thames not far from the site of the world famous flower show, there is another magical garden. It has been there for over three hundred years and is now the calmest corner, and the most valuable four acres of freehold, in fashionable SW3. It has been the scene of some of the most important developments in the history of horticulture, medicine and twentieth-century agriculture. This book tells its fascinating story.

With the increased interest in and demands for compost from commercial horticultural industries, composting is on the verge of becoming an economically feasible option for waste management. While horticultural producers can create some of the compost to meet their own needs, demand has grown beyond what they can supply for themselves and others. Compost Utilization in Horticultural Cropping Systems gives you the tools to meet the needs of this growing industry.
Consider these statistics:
o Americans generate about 200 million megagrams of municipal solid waste per year
o The agricultural market for compost could reach over 680 million m3 per year
o Two horticultural areas together account for over 50% of compost use: landscaping (31%) and food crop production (25%)
Now consider this:
o Proven benefits of compost use, including plant disease suppression, better moisture retention, supplying plant nutrients, and building soil organic matter
o Increased pressure on peat supplies and wider availability of compost products
o Creation of composting enterprises by the horticultural industry in response to its own needs, rising disposal fees for organic waste, and consumer demand for compost at retail centers
The first book to establish a composite of the existing scientific knowledge on the use of compost in commercial horticultural enterprises, Compost Utilization in Horticultural Cropping Systems gives you a comprehensive review of the production, use, and economics of compost. It covers production methods, compost quality and the parameters associated with its measurement, and the biological, chemical, and physical processes that occur during composting. Rather than searching for information in various places, now you can find all the information you need in one convenient source.

The first of two volumes, this book covers major tropical fruits such as avocado, litchi, mango, papaya and pineapple. Early chapters describe the tropics and its soils and deal with key issues such as tree management and postharvest handling, updated and expanded to include best handling practices and food safety issues and the way to address these issues in marketing. Following these are self-contained chapters on single fruits which provide in-depth studies of botany, areas of origin and distribution, descriptions of ecological requirements and world production and utilization of each fruit. Propagation & cultural practices from ancient to modern are described to show the regional differences that environmental and biological pressures exert on fruit production and fruit quality. "Tropical Fruits" is essential reading for students and teachers of horticulture as well as horticultural industry personnel and policy-makers.

Although thought of as a minor crop, peppers are a major world commodity due to their great versatility. They are used not only as vegetables in their own right but also as flavorings in food products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Aimed at advanced students and growers, this second edition expands upon topics covered in the first, such as the plant s history, genetics, production, diseases and pests, and brings the text up to date with current research and understanding of this genus. New material includes an expansion of marker-assisted breeding to cover the different types of markers available, new directions, and trends in the industry, the loss of germplasm and access to it, and the long term preservation of Capsicum resources worldwide."

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is an exquisite, nutritionally and economically valuable crop of tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It outshines other tropical fruits in productivity, hardiness, adaptability, nutritional value, and ensures higher economic returns to growers. Guava is commercially grown in over 70 countries, and is gaining in popularity as a 'super fruit' due to its nutritional and health benefits. Notable recent developments include the potential to improve crop yields and quality. New research has also contributed to better understanding of the crop environment, plant growth and physiology of tree and fruit development, with implications for both breeding and cultivation. Guava is one of the few tree fruits where round-the-year harvest is possible by crop regulation. Interspecific hybridization with wild Psidium species has yielded hybrids which are resistant to wilt (a major guava disease in many countries) and are graft compatible. This book: * is the only publication available in English covering sustainable guava cultivation; * presents the current state of knowledge on the origin, history, physiology, culture and trade of guava throughout the world; and * addresses the major production and post-harvest problems. With contributions from international experts, this is a valuable resource for researchers and students in horticulture, and guava-industry support personnel.