This comprehensive volume covers recent studies into agricultural problems caused by soil and water contamination. Considering the importance of agricultural crops to human health, the editors have focused on chapters detailing the negative impact of heavy metals, excessive chemical fertilizer use, nutrients, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, agricultural wastes and toxic pollutants, among others, on agricultural soil and crops. In addition, the chapters offer solutions to these negative impacts through various scientific approaches, including using biotechnology, nanotechnology, nutrient management strategies, biofertilizers, as well as potent PGRs and elicitors. This book serves as a key source of information on scientific and engineered approaches and challenges for the bioremediation of agricultural contamination worldwide. This book should be helpful for research students, teachers, agriculturalists, agronomists, botanists, and plant growers, as well as in the fields of agriculture, agronomy, plant science, plant biology, and biotechnology, among others. It serves as an excellent reference on the current research and future directions of contaminants in agriculture from laboratory research to field application.

Root hairs, the tip-growing extensions of root epidermal cells, are a model system for answering many plant cell and developmental biology research questions. This book, written by experts in the field, covers the research up to 2008 on cellular, genetic, electrophysiological and developmental aspects of root hair growth, as well as the interaction of root hairs with rhizobia and mycorrhizae in the establishment of symbiosis. With a wealth of information on technical and experimental aspects useful in the laboratory, this comprehensive book is a valuable resource for researchers and students in the broad field of plant cell and molecular biology. Written for: Libraries, institutes; scientists

This book provides an up-to-date overview of redox signaling in plant cells and its key role in responses to different stresses. The chapters, which are original works or reviews, focus on redox signaling states; cellular tolerance under different biotic and abiotic stresses; cellular redox homeostasis as a central modulator; redox homeostasis and reactive oxygen species (ROS); redox balance in chloroplasts and mitochondria; oxidative stress and its role in peroxisome homeostasis; glutathione-related enzyme systems and metabolism under metal stress; and abiotic stress-induced redox changes and programmed cell death. The book is an invaluable source of information for plant scientists and students interested in redox state chemistry and cellular tolerance in plants.

Hormonal Cross-Talk, Plant Defense and Development: Plant Biology, Sustainability and Climate Change focuses specifically on plants and their interaction to auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, abscisic acid, jasmonates, brassinosteroids, strigolactones, and the potential those interactions offer for improved plant health and production. Plant hormones (auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, abscisic acid, jasmonates, brassinosteroids, salicylic acid, strigolactones etc.) regulate numerous aspects of plant growth and developmental processes. Each hormone initiates a specific molecular pathway, with each pathway integrated in a complex network of synergistic, antagonistic and additive interactions. This is a valuable reference for those seeking to understand and improve plant health using natural processes. The cross-talks of auxins - abscisic acid, auxins - brassinosteroids, brassinosteroids- abscisic acid, ethylene - abscisic acid, brassinosteroids - ethylene, cytokinins - abscisic acid, brassinosteroids - jasmonates, brassinosteroids - salicylic acid, and gibberellins - jasmonates - strigolactones have been shown to regulate a number of biological processes in plant system. The cross-talk provides robustness to the plant immune system but also drives specificity of induced defense responses against the plethora of biotic and abiotic interactions.

Increasing interest has been emerging in the last decade in the field of signal recognition and transduction. This is particularly true for animal systems where an impressive amount of literature is appearing and where many important pathways have been clarified at a molecular level. In the elucidation of the functions of single components of a given pathway, gene cloning has played a major role and opened the field to the genetic engineering of these complex systems. At variance with this situation, plant systems are less well elucidated, even if in recent years exciting research of developments have been initiated especially with the view toward the most promising role plants in biotechnology. Recent studies have elucidated some of the events involved in the perception of the plant hormone signals and some steps concerning its transduction. Only for three of the five hormones in plants, namely auxin, ethylene and cytokinins, have specific receptors been isolated. The use of classical molecular approaches, together with the more recently isolated mutants, have produced crucial information on receptors and shed light on possible transduction pathways. As in the case of red light, more than one pathway can be triggered by one specific signal. Many systems involved in animal signaling are now shown to be present also in plants, and in view of the fast progress in this area, it will be possible in the near future to fully describe the content of the "black boxes" in the reaction chain specifically triggered by a signal.

Bioactive compounds produced by natural sources, such as plants, microbes, endophytic fungi, etc., can potentially be applied in various fields, including agriculture, biotechnology and biomedicine. Several bioactive compounds have proved to be invaluable in mediating plant-microbe interactions, and promoting plant growth and development. Due to their numerous health-promoting properties, these compounds have been widely used as a source of medication since ancient times. However, there is an unprecedented need to meet the growing demand for natural bioactive compounds in the flavor and fragrance, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Moreover, discovering new lead molecules from natural sources is essential to overcoming the rising number of new diseases. In this regard, natural bioactive compounds hold tremendous potential for new drug discovery. Therefore, this field of research has become a vital area for researchers interested in understanding the chemistry, biosynthetic mechanisms, and pharmacological activities of these bioactive metabolites. This book describes the basics of bioactive plant compounds, their chemical properties, and their pharmacological biotechnological properties with regard to various human diseases and applications in the drug, cosmetics and herbal industries. It offers a valuable asset for all students, educators, researchers, and healthcare experts involved in agronomy, ecology, crop science, molecular biology, stress physiology, and natural products.

This book caters to the need of researchers working in the ever-evolving field of agricultural biotechnology. It discusses and provides in-depth information about latest advancements happening in this field. The book discusses evolution of plant tissue culture techniques, development of doubled haploids technology, role of recombinant-DNA technology in crop improvement. It also provides an insight into the global status of genetically modified crops, use of RNAi technology and mi-RNAs in plant improvement. Chapters are also dedicated for different branches of 'omics' science including genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics along with the use of molecular markers in tagging and mapping of various genes/QTLs of agronomic importance. This book also covers the role of enzymes and microbes in agriculture in productivity enhancement. It is of interest to teachers, researchers of biotechnology and agriculture scientists. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and postgraduate students of biotechnology, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences. National and international biotechnologists and agricultural scientists will also find this to be a useful read.

The growing scale of plant-based chemicals for industrial use has generated considerable interest in developing methods to meet their desired production levels. Among various available strategies for their production, the development of Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated hairy root cultures (HRCs) is generally considered the most feasible approach. Additionally, several proof-of-principle experiments have demonstrated the practical feasibility of HRCs in the plant-based remediation of environment pollutants, biotransformation of important compounds, and production of therapeutic proteins. Given that hairy root biotechnology has now been recognized as a promising and highly dynamic research area, this book offers a timely update on recent advances, and approaches hairy roots as a multifaceted biological tool for various applications. Further, it seeks to investigate the loopholes in existing methodologies, identify remaining challenges and find potential solutions by presenting well thought-out scientific discussions from various eminent research groups working on hairy root biotechnology. This book provides detailed conceptual and practical information on HRC-based research, along with relevant case studies. The content is divided into three broad sections, namely (i) Hairy Roots and Secondary Metabolism, (ii) Progressive Applications, and (iii) Novel Approaches and Future Prospects. By informing the research and teaching community about the major strides made in HRC-based interventions in plant biology and their applications, the book is sure to spark further research in this fascinating field.

The knowledge of ecology and epidemiology of rhizomania is particularly useful to understand the means and practices able to limit or avoid its further diffusion. Some promising methods of biological control using coexisting and non-pathogenic organisms could potentially help improve the action of the not completely effective genetic resistances. This integrated protection would be valuable, especially in the even more frequent development of resistance-breaking strains in the BNYVV, where the known types of resistance, alone or in combination, seem to have lost part of their original ability to protect the crop. Therefore, further efforts will be needed to discover new traits likely still present in the wild species of the genus Beta. The availability of large collections of germplasm stored in the International Beta gene-banks should ensure the enhanced efficiency of genetic resistance by means of conventional and marker-assisted selection methods. Some almost immune transgenic varieties seem already to be waiting for release where and when it will be possible. The introduction chapter describes briefly the sugar beet crop, the more common diseases, and the damage caused by rhizomania. The following chapters discuss biological properties of the causal virus, BNYVV, and its vector, Polymyxa betae, and their interactions with the environment and the host-plant. In particular, the great advances in research of the molecular biology of BNYVV should be noteworthy, which have been established by a wide range of the most modern methods. Recent work focused on the genetic diversity and evolution of BNYVV is moving forward our understanding of the dramatic worldwide epidemics of rhizomania. Newly developed molecular techniques also lead to practical applications, such as quantification of inoculum in ecological and epidemiological research.

This book provides all aspects of the physiology, stress responses and tolerance to abiotic stresses of the Brassicaceae plants. Different plant families have been providing food, fodder, fuel, medicine and other basic needs for the human and animal since the ancient time. Among the plant families, Brassicaceae has special importance for their agri-horticultural importance and multifarious uses apart from the basic needs. Interest understanding the response of Brassicaceae plants toward abiotic stresses is growing considering the economic importance and the special adaptive mechanisms. The knowledge needs to be translated into improved elite lines that can contribute to achieve food security. The physiological and molecular mechanisms acting on Brassicaceae introduced in this book are useful to students and researchers working on biology, physiology, environmental interactions and biotechnology of Brassicaceae plants.

The genome is more than a linear code as depicted by its DNA sequences as several interacting factors play a crucial role in shaping its organization and function. The complete sequences of a number of plant genomes and the recent advances of high-throughput technologies has fueled research efforts in the field of Plant Nuclear Biology unveiling numerous insights about the mechanisms underlying genome regulation. Genomic information is being integrated into molecular- and cellular-level mechanisms of the plant processes. A host of nuclear processes underlie key developmental processes as well as biotic and abiotic interactions. Non-coding RNAs have been increasingly recognized as players in gene expression and genome defense and integrity. However, in vivo, genomes exist as elaborate physical structures, and their functional properties are strongly determined by their cellular organization. Various types of subcellular structure have been identified in the nucleus, which are associated with transcription factors, RNA processing proteins and epigenetic regulators. Interestingly, these nuclear bodies display different behaviors in response to the environment. This book compiles a series of landmark discussions of the recent advances in plant nuclear biology research focusing in the functional relevance of the arrangement of genomes and nuclear processes that impact plant physiology and development.

Seaweeds (macroalgae) represent the most striking living components in the Antarctic's near-shore ecosystems, especially across the West Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent islands. Due to their abundance, their central roles as primary producers and foundation organisms, and as sources of diverse metabolically active products, seaweed assemblages are fundamental to biogeochemical cycles in Antarctic coastal systems. In recent years, the imminence of climate change and the direct impacts of human beings, which are affecting vast regions of the Antarctic, have highlighted the importance of seaweed processes in connection with biodiversity, adaptation and interactions in the benthic network. Various research groups have been actively involved in the investigation of these topics. Many of these research efforts have a long tradition, while some "newcomers" have also recently contributed important new approaches to the study of these organisms, benefiting polar science as a whole. This book provides an overview of recent advances and insights gleaned over the past several years. Focusing on a timely topic and extremely valuable resource, it assesses the challenges and outlines future directions in the study of Antarctic seaweeds.

This volume covers broad aspects of cell expansion in three different cell types: root hairs, pollen tubes, and hypocothyl cells. Chapters focus on the cutting-edge methods to study in detail several complex aspects of cell expansion such as secretion, endocytosis and recycling, cellular signaling and trafficking, and protein and polysaccharides cell wall biosynthesis in real time during cell expansion. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Plant Cell Expansion: Methods and Protocols is an essential reference book for plant scientist, molecular, and cell biologist as well as plant biochemists .

Even though most of the biomass of the planet is in forests, we live in a world where wood as a raw material and its products are increasingly scarce. This is particularly so in important areas such as the European Community, which is far from self-sufficient in terms of wood. In recent years the need to intensify forest production and, in some cases, to uti lize abandoned agricultural land for forestry has focussed world-wide attention on the economic importance of fast-growing tree plantations. These are usually managed as short "rotations" (growing cycles) of less than 15 years, often for the production of industrial raw materials or biomass for energy. Under the designation of fast-growing tree plantations, or short rotation silviculture, one may find ecosystems managed for different economic objectives, with different intensities of technical intervention and different levels of productivity. They may include any of a wide range of species grown under various environmental conditions. A common factor, however, is the greater possibility that exists, relative to conventional forestry, for manipulation of both the environment and the genetics of the trees."

Henslow's importance as Darwin's mentor is well established. He recommended Darwin for the post of naturalist on the Beagle and also encouraged him to read Lyell's pivotal geology text (also reissued in this series). While professor of botany at Cambridge, Henslow nurtured independent inquiry and acute observation in his students. These attributes are evident in this liberally illustrated 1835 book, which also reveals the influence of Candolle's Th orie El mentaire de la Botanique (1813) and Physiologie V g tale (1832). Henslow's book, like his meticulous research papers and his innovative lectures, included focussed investigations on the nature and stability of 'species'. Charles Darwin paid such close attention that he became known as 'the man who walks with Henslow', and Henslow's teachings were to echo through Darwin's writings, from his jottings in notebooks on the Beagle onward. This reissue gives modern readers easy access to the work of this inspirational scientist.

Plants have evolved with a complex array of signaling molecules to facilitate their growth and development and their interactions with the environment. A vast number of different peptide molecules form an important but until recently often overlooked component amongst these signaling molecules. Plant peptide signals are involved in regulating meristem growth and organogenesis, modulating plant growth and homeostatic responses. They also have important roles as signals of imminent danger or pathogen attack. This volume focuses on the roles of various peptide signaling molecules in development, defence and homeostasis. As it is likely that further plant peptide signaling molecules remain to be discovered, the last section takes a practical look at methods to identify new peptides and characterise their functions.

The secretory activity of plants is a manifestation of the fundamental property of all living organisms: the ability to exchange substances and energy with the environment. This book summarizes today's knowledge of all such secretory activities of higher plants. It equally considers the cellular aspects, intratissular and external secretion, gas excretion and the excretion of substances under extreme conditions as well as the biological effects of plant excreta. The first edition of the book was published in Russian in Moscow in 1989 (Nauka Publishing House), then the English larger variant - in Heidelberg-Berlin 1993 (Springer-Verlag).

This volume provides a collection of state-of-the-art protocols on plant vacuolar trafficking. Chapters guide the reader through design and preparation of fusion proteins, expression vectors, and detailed analysis of different microscopy techniques. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Vacuolar Trafficking: Methods and Protocols aims to be a highly valuable resource for researchers interested in learning more about this field

This book, now in its second edition, provides researchers and operators a complete description of all aspects regarding the wild ancestor of sugar beet. The possibility of crossing modern crops with the ancestors from which they are derived in order to recover some traits lost through domestication is increasingly attracting interest. The selective process implemented by the first growers led to the elimination of features not considered useful at the time. Yet some of these lost traits have now become very important. In fact, in many areas sugar beet cultivation would now be impossible without the transfer of some genetic resistances from Beta maritima, the crop's ancestor. Moreover, the isolation of such traits is becoming increasingly critical with regard to current and future environmental and economic considerations on e.g. the use of pesticides. This second edition replaces certain photographs and has been updated to reflect the latest advances and findings. One chapter and several sections have been rewritten, and significant revisions have been made throughout the text. The new techniques provide breeders with massively improved analytical means for the safest and fastest selection procedures. Not only will these techniques allow Beta maritima to take on a far greater role as a source of favorable traits; the relative ease with which these characteristics can be transferred will also make it possible to use the germplasm of the whole genus Beta and Patellifolia, which to date has been highly complex, if not impossible, due to the difficulties of hybridization.

This book focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the signal transduction pathway of ethylene, its interaction with other hormones and its roles in biological processes. It discusses at which point plants could have acquired ethylene signaling from an evolutionary perspective. Ethylene was the first gaseous hormone to be identified and triggers various responses in higher plants. Our grasp of ethylene signaling has rapidly expanded over the past two decades, due in part to the isolation of the components involved in the signal transduction pathway. The book offers a helpful guide for plant scientists and graduate students in related areas.

It is widely recognised that photosynthesis in many important crops is well below its theoretical potential. With crop yields and stability under threat from the impact of climate change, there is now an urgent need to synthesise existing research on best practices for improving C3 photosynthesis in crops to optimise sustainable crop production and yields. Understanding and improving crop photosynthesis reviews the wealth of current research that addresses this challenge. The book explores our understanding of the general components of C3 photosynthesis, including its biochemistry, as well as the recent advances in techniques for improving photosynthesis, focussing primarily on light harvesting and optimising chloroplast function/light conversion. Through providing its readers with a comprehensive exploration of crop photosynthesis, the book showcases how farmers can utilise their understanding of the science behind this key process to optimise their yields and achieve successful crop production.

Development is a complex and highly dynamic process involving the cross talk among genes, maternal effects and environmental circumstances. Widespread evidence from plant to animal species show that variation in developmental conditions can modulate life history trajectories and influence key traits, such as growth, reproduction, and senescence. These effects are not limited to a single generation but can also be passed on future generations. This book aims to bring together studies of early life effects from the fields of evolutionary biology, global change biology, and biomedicine to synthesise and improve current knowledge of the mechanisms involved, and how variation in early life conditions translates into Darwinian fitness outcomes. Relying on examples of organisms' responses to the ongoing and future environmental challenges of the Anthropocene, this book takes a novel approach to address the adaptive meaning of early life effects. The book has a broad scientific approach, targeting eco-evolutionary biologists, behavioural biologists, eco-physiologists, eco-toxicologists, as well as epidemiologists and biomedical scientists.

In order to understand a process as complex as nitrogen fixation and to be in a position to manipulate it for the benefit of mankind, researchers are now working at the frontiers of science in many different areas: protein structure and function; catalytic mechanisms; electron transfer processes; regulatory circuits and environmental sensing; metabolic integration; chemical communication between organisms; differentiation; genome structure and function; microbial ecology; plant physiology; plant molecular biology; and agronomy. This volume represents a testimony to the advances in nitrogen fixation research that have been made and the contribution of these efforts to the solution of many other varied scientific problems. Limiting steps for future advances are analyzed and new horizons in nitrogen fixation research are proposed.

The formation of galls - abnormal growths or swelling in a plant - may be induced by infection of the plant by bacteria or fungi, or attack from certain mites, nematodes or insects. This book provides comprehensive coverage of the biology of galls and their complex ecological etiology. The expert contributors address topics such as the effect of insect secretions on plant growth, the evolution and physiology of gall-inducing insects, patterns in gall development and induction, the role of nutritive cells, and many other key issues. This valuable work in cecidology will interest all biologists and botanists concerned with plant health, and entomologists working in the field of plant-insect relationships.

This book is designed to popularize Quinoa cereal among both scientific and food industry. Quinoa is an attractive candidate for protein replacement, has potential for futuristic biotechnological modifications, and is able to grow under many different abiotic stresses. To save the world from animal cruelty, quinoa emerges as a hero for vegans and vegetarians. This book deals with morphological features, life cycle, nutritional qualities, genetics, agronomic manipulations, ecological communications, stress tolerance mechanisms, and food applications of Chenopodium quinoa. Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal native to Andes Region in South America. Over time, it spread to many different regions worldwide and is emerging as protein-rich vegetarian food source. In order to cure malnutrition globally, it is important to channel this lesser-known grain to local cultivators. This can only be done through well-proven scientific data that supports its qualities. This book aims to do the same, while also giving an insight into the vast scope quinoa posses as an experimental crop. Its stress-tolerant abilities can inspire scientists to understand those mechanisms, further exploit them, and even introduce them into other stress-sensitive crops. In future, quinoa can be among the top sources that offer food security. Due to its adaptability, ease of cultivation, and rich output, sustainability can be achieved by regulating its breeding and growth. This book is of interest to researchers, teachers, agronomic cultivators, environmentalists, botanists, microbiologists, geneticists and food technologists. This book covers recent advances, challenges in cultivation, biology, nutrition, and agricultural science topics, suitable for both young learners and advanced scientists. Cultivators who want to know more about quinoa and introduce it into their agronomic applications will find helpful information from the text.