The most numerous of the world's invasive species, rodent pests have a devastating impact on agriculture, food, health and the environment. In the last two decades, the science and practice of rodent control has faced new legislation on rodenticides, the pests' increasing resistance to chemical control and the impact on non-target species, bringing a new dimension to this updated 2nd edition and making essential reading for all those involved in rodent pest control, including researchers, conservationists, practitioners and public health specialists.

Overzealous and indiscriminate use of many synthetic pesticides during recent decades in the control of plant pests has resulted in a number of environmental and toxicological problems. Reducing the release of synthetic chemicals into the environment requires that alternative sources of chemicals are developed that can be used safely in the management of plant pests. Botanical antimicrobials derived from plants are currently recognised as biodegradable, systemic, eco-friendly and non-toxic to mammals and are thus considered safe. Their modes of action against pests are diverse. Natural compounds are well suited to organic food production in industrialised countries and can play greater roles in the protection of food crops in developing countries Some plant based antimicrobials (e.g. neem products, pyrethoids and essential oils) are already used to manage pest populations on a large scale. Plant scientists and agriculturists now devote significant attention to discovery and further development and formulation of novel plant products with antimicrobial activity.This book is the first to bring together relevant aspects of the basic and applied sciences of natural pesticides and discussed modern trends in the use of natural products in pest management.

This volume is an account of the scientific and social responses made to the discovery of an invasive forest insect - the emerald ash borer or EAB (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888) - in North America, that was formally announced in July 2002. Since its recognition, this wood-boring beetle has become one of the most destructive and costly exotic species ever encountered. More than $300 million in federal USDA-APHIS funds (alone) have been devoted to battling this pest, which has killed some tens of millions of ash trees, chiefly within southeastern Michigan and surrounding states. EAB has now been found in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. But those numbers are almost certain to keep growing in coming years. While primarily a case study, this work nonetheless examines larger issues concerning invasive species as a whole, their inadvertent transport and worldwide spread through the rise of globalization, regulations that have been adopted to prevent their introduction, and the successes or failures of state and federal agencies to try and enforce those regulations. It offers the first general work of its kind to appear on the ash borer that is directed towards a broad audience including the public, entomologists and foresters, environmentalists and ecologists, researchers, regulators, and indeed anyone who wishes to learn more about this important and timely topic. No previous knowledge of EAB or invasion biology is assumed. This book covers all of the major aspects of scientific research and management that have occurred since EAB was recognized in 2002. It is thoroughly researched and draws from the best available data and sources, which represent (a) archival materials; (b) scholarly publications and conference proceedings; (c) interviews conducted with leading participants in the EAB program; (d) selected newspaper/magazine articles; and (e) reputable sources found on the Internet (e.g., USDA-APHIS).

Bananas arise as one of the most popular fruits consumed all around the world. Banana belongs to the genus Musa from the family Musaceae. It is original from tropical regions and presents a strong ability to protect itself from the oxidative stress caused by extreme climatic conditions such as intense sunshine and high temperature. For this protection, bananas increase the production of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity, which protect the fruit from the oxidative damage. This book provides current research on the cultivation, consumption and crop diseases of bananas. Chapter One addresses the biochemical characterisation of Musa spp. genotypes, with emphasis on bioactive secondary metabolites of interest to human nutrition. Chapter Two focuses on the composition of bananas, including macronutrients, micronutrients and bioactive compounds, as well as the effect of postharvest treatments and storage conditions in the quality of bananas. Chapter Three reviews sustainable management of banana waste through renewable energy and bio-fertiliser generation. Chapter Four reviews some of the recently reported valuable uses of banana pseudstem sap (BPS), for growth of sustainable agricultural process, food technology and value-added medicinal products, and in textiles for improving certain functional attributes. The final chapter examines banana as an important food allergen source.

In the race to feed the world's seven billion people, we are at a standstill. Over the past century, we have developed increasingly potent and sophisticated pesticides, yet in 2014, the average percentage of U.S. crops lost to agricultural pests was no less than in 1944. To use a metaphor the field of evolutionary biology borrowed from "Alice in Wonderland," farmers must run ever faster to stay in the same place--i.e., produce the same yields.
With "Chasing the Red Queen," Andy Dyer offers the first book to apply the Red Queen Hypothesis to agriculture. He illustrates that when selection pressure increases, species evolve in response, creating a never-ending, perpetually-escalating competition between predator (us) and prey (bugs and weeds). The result is farmers are caught in a vicious cycle of chemical dependence, stuck using increasingly dangerous and expensive toxics to beat back progressively resistant pests.
To break the cycle, we must learn the science behind it. Dyer examines one of the world's most pressing problems as a biological case study. He presents key concepts, from Darwin's principles of natural selection to genetic variation and adaptive phenotypes. Understanding the fundamentals of ecology and biology is the first step to "playing the Red Queen," and escaping her unwinnable race. The book's novel frame will help students, researchers, and policy-makers alike apply that knowledge to the critical task of achieving food security.

A comprehensive manual of phytobacteriology, this work is heavily illustrated with over 200 colour photographs and line illustrations. It begins by outlining the history and science of bacteriology and gives an overview of the diversity and versatility of complex bacteria. It then explains the characterization, identification and naming of complex bacteria, and explores how bacteria can cause disease and how plants react to such disease. The book also discusses the economic importance of bacterial diseases as well as strategies for their control and the reduction of crop losses. It concludes with 50 examples of plant pathogenic bacteria and the diseases that they cause.

It used to be: If you see a coyote, shoot it. Better yet, a bear. Best of all, perhaps? A wolf. How we've gotten from there to here, where such predators are reintroduced,protected, and in some cases revered, is the story Frank Van Nuys tells in Varmints and Victims, a thorough and enlightening look at the evolution of predator management in the American West. As controversies over predator control rage on, Varmints and Victims puts the debate into historical context, tracing the West's relationship with charismatic predators like grizzlies, wolves, and cougars from unquestioned eradication to ambivalent recovery efforts. Van Nuys offers a nuanced and balanced perspective on an often-emotional topic, exploring the intricacies of how and why attitudes toward predators have changed over the years. Focusing primarily on wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, and grizzly bears, he charts the logic and methods of management practiced by ranchers, hunters, and federal officials Broad in scope and rich in detail, this work brings new, much-needed clarity to the complex interweaving of economics, politics, science, and culture in the formulation of ideas about predator species, and in policies directed at these creatures. In the process, we come to see how the story of predator control is in many ways the story of the American West itself, from early attempts to connect the frontier region to mainstream American life and economics to present ideas about the nature and singularity of the region.

Climate change poses significant risks to future crop productivity as temperatures rise, rainfall patterns become more variable, and pest and disease pressures increase. The use of crop genetic resources to develop varieties more tolerant to rapidly changing environmental conditions will be an important part of agricultural adaptation to climate change. Finding new genetic traits that can facilitate adaptation -- and incorporating them into commercially successful varieties -- is time-consuming, expensive, and technically difficult. This book reviews the types of genetic resources, the ways they have been used, and how they might be used in the future. The book also discusses economic, scientific, and institutional factors that will determine the extent of genetic resource use and the benefits it might bring to climate change adaptation. Moreover, this title evaluates economic and institutional factors influencing the flow of genetic resources, including international agreements, and their significance for agricultural research and development in the United States. Finally, the book examines the composition of U.S. and international seed markets, regulations affecting agricultural seeds, the structure and evolution of the seed industry, and trends in private and public R&D in plant breeding.

In the race to feed the world's seven billion people, we are at a standstill. Over the past century, we have developed increasingly potent and sophisticated pesticides, yet in 2014, the average percentage of U.S. crops lost to agricultural pests was no less than in 1944. To use a metaphor the field of evolutionary biology borrowed from "Alice in Wonderland," farmers must run ever faster to stay in the same place--i.e., produce the same yields.
With "Chasing the Red Queen," Andy Dyer offers the first book to apply the Red Queen Hypothesis to agriculture. He illustrates that when selection pressure increases, species evolve in response, creating a never-ending, perpetually-escalating competition between predator (us) and prey (bugs and weeds). The result is farmers are caught in a vicious cycle of chemical dependence, stuck using increasingly dangerous and expensive toxics to beat back progressively resistant pests.
To break the cycle, we must learn the science behind it. Dyer examines one of the world's most pressing problems as a biological case study. He presents key concepts, from Darwin's principles of natural selection to genetic variation and adaptive phenotypes. Understanding the fundamentals of ecology and biology is the first step to "playing the Red Queen," and escaping her unwinnable race. The book's novel frame will help students, researchers, and policy-makers alike apply that knowledge to the critical task of achieving food security.