In any ecosystem, plant and microbe interaction is inevitable. They not only co-exist but also support each other's survival and provide sustenance in stressful environments. Agro-ecosystems in many regions around the globe are affected by high temperatures, soil salinity/alkalinity, low pH and metal toxicity. High salinity and severe draught are other major constraints affecting agricultural practices and also plants in the wild. A major limiting factor affecting global agricultural productivity is environmental stresses. Apart from decreasing yield, they also have a devastating impact on plant growth. Plants battle with various kind of stresses with the help of symbiotic associations with the rhizospheric microbes. Naturally occuring plant-microbe interactions facilitate the survival of plants under these stressful conditions. The rhizosphere consists of several groups of microbes, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) is one such group of microbes that assists plants in coping with multiple stresses and also promote plant growth. These efficient microbes support the stress physiology of the plants and can be extremely useful in solving agricultural as well food- security problems. This book provides a detailed, holistic description of plant and microbe interaction. It elucidates various mechanisms of nutrient management, stress tolerance and enhanced crop productivity in the rhizosphere, discussing The rhizospheric flora and its importance in enhancement of plant growth, nutrient content, yield of various crops and vegetables as well as soil fertility and health. Divided into two volumes, the book addresses fundamentals, applications as well as research trends and new prospects for agricultural sustainability. Volume 1: Stress Management and Agricultural Sustainability, includes chapters offering a broad overview of plant stress management with the help of microbes. It also highlights the contribution of enzymatic and molecular events occurring in the rhizosphere due to plant microbe interactions, which in turn help in the biological control of plant disease and pest attacks. Various examples of plant microbe interaction in rhizospheric soil are elaborated to facilitate the development of efficient indigenous microbial consortia to enhance food and nutritional security. Providing a comprehensive information source on microbes and their role in agricultural and soil sustainability, this timely research book is of particular interest to students, academics and researchers working in the fields of microbiology, soil microbiology, biotechnology, agronomy, and the plant protection sciences, as well as for policy makers in the area of food security and sustainable agriculture.

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

This book offers an up-to-date review of the regulatory role of nitric oxide (NO) changes in the morphological, physio-biochemical as well as molecular characteristics of plants under abiotic stress. The first of two parts comprises four chapters and focuses on the properties, chemical reactions involving NO and reactive nitrogen species in plants. The second part, consisting of eleven chapters, describes the current understanding of the role of NO in the regulation of gene expression, NO signaling pathways and its role in the up-regulation of the endogenous defense system and programmed cell death. Furthermore, its interactions with other signaling molecules and plant hemoglobins under environmental and soil related abiotic stresses, including post-harvest stress in fruits, vegetables and ornamentals and wounding are discussed in detail. Together with the companion book Nitric Oxide in Plants: Metabolism and Role in Stress Physiology, this volume provides a concise overview of the field and offers a valuable reference work for teachers and researchers in the fields of plant physiology, biochemistry and agronomy.

Plant remains can preserve a critical part of history of life on Earth. While telling the fascinating evolutionary story of plants and vegetation across the last 500 million years, this book also crucially offers non-specialists a practical guide to studying, dealing with and interpreting plant fossils. It shows how various techniques can be used to reveal the secrets of plant fossils and how to identify common types, such as compressions and impressions. Incorporating the concepts of evolutionary floras, this second edition includes revised data on all main plant groups, the latest approaches to naming plant fossils using fossil-taxa and techniques such as tomography. With extensive illustrations of plant fossils and living plants, the book encourages readers to think of fossils as once-living organisms. It is written for students on introductory or intermediate courses in palaeobotany, palaeontology, plant evolutionary biology and plant science, and for amateurs interested in studying plant fossils.

Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Trees, Volume 89 in the Advances in Botanical Research series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on such topics as the Activity of the shoot apical and cambial meristems: Coordination and responses to environmental signals, Conifer functional genomics, Nitrogen storage and cycling, Tree defense against pests and pathogens, The ectomycorrhizal contribution to tree nutrition, Phytoremediation with trees, Transcriptional regulation of wood formation, Transgenic poplars, the Genomics of forest trees, and much more.

The problems engendered by the conflicting imperatives of development and ecology show no sign of ending, and every day more locations are added to the list of landscapes poisoned by human activity. This vital book, featuring an international set of authors, is a key reference for researchers and environmental managers, as well as anyone involved in the mining industry or landscape remediation. The comprehensive coverage of current approaches to phytoremediation begins by examining the problem. It looks at natural and human-induced toxins, and their effects on natural vegetation as well as agricultural crops. Particular attention is paid to the two largest challenges to remediation -- heavy metals, and the salt stress that is impeding agricultural productivity worldwide. The text moves on to focus on the efficacy of different plant species in removing toxic pollutants from the environment. Along with analysis of a number of case studies, this section includes new and updated information on the mechanism of toxin-tolerance in plants.

A thorough understanding of the mechanisms of photosynthesis, regulation of structure and function and the adaptive strategies of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms is central to any effort directed at improving crop productivity and providing sustainable agriculture. Photosynthesis is the most widely researched topic in plant science. Further probing of its mechanisms, regulation and adaptation, employing a variety of modern tools and techniques, is imperative to gain a better insight of this very intricate process. Unravelling the cause of stress impairments and stress tolerance in plants would help in ensuring the optimum production of food, fibres and fuels. This book presents a study of photosynthesis and provides details of experimental approaches that have been adopted to understand the complex regulatory and adaptive processes. Its 27 chapters have been divided into four sections: "Evolution, Structure and Function"; "Biodiversity, Metabolism and Regulation"; "Stress and Adaptations"; and "Techniques". With contributions from leading subject experts from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and USA, this comprehensive treatise

How do plants make a living? Some plants are gamblers, others are swindlers. Some plants are habitual spenders while others are strugglers and miserly savers. Plants have evolved a spectacular array of solutions to the existential problems of survival and reproduction in a world where resources are scarce, disturbances can be deadly, and competition is cut-throat. Few topics have both captured the imagination and furrowed the brows of plant ecologists, yet no topic is more important for understanding the assembly of plant communities, predicting plant responses to global change, and enhancing the restoration of our rapidly degrading biosphere. The vast array of plant strategy models that characterize the discipline now require synthesis. These models tend to emphasize either life history strategies based on demography, or functional strategies based on ecophysiology. Indeed, this disciplinary divide between demography and physiology runs deep and continues to this today. The goal of this accessible book is to articulate a coherent framework that unifies life history theory with comparative functional ecology to advance prediction in plant ecology. Armed with a deeper understanding of the dimensionality of life history and functional traits, we are now equipped to quantitively link phenotypes to population growth rates across gradients of resource availability and disturbance regimes. Predicting how species respond to global change is perhaps the most important challenge of our time. A robust framework for plant strategy theory will advance this research agenda by testing the generality of traits for predicting population dynamics.

In this translation of the French edition (L'U. de Saint-'etienne, 1999), the author treats the interrelated factors that inform plants' adaptations to their environments. Applying ecophysiological principles to identify mechanisms of dysfunction in ecosystems, he presents data-based cases for: less stressful growing methods (e.g., using cultivars that require less water and polluting fertilizers); confining genetically modified organisms to the lab; and reality-based holistic studies.

Contents:
1. Introduction to the Genus 2. Analysis and Quality Control of Commercial Artemisia Species 3. Artemisia absinthium 4. Artemisia dracunculus 5. Artemisia herba-alba 6. Ethnobothany, Phytochemistry and Biological/Pharmacological Activities of Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. Mexicana (Estafiate) 7. Artemisia pallens 8. Artemisia vulgaris 9. Artemisia Species in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Discovery of Artemisinin 10. Cultivation of Artemisia annua L. 11. variation and Heritability of Artemisinin Content in Artemisia annua L. 12. Phytochemistry of Artemisia annua and the Development of Artemisinin-Derived Antimalarial Agents 13. The Mode of Action of Artemisinin and its Derivatives 14. The Clinical Use of Artemisinin and its Derivatives in the Treatment of Malaria 15. Regulation of the Quality and Use of Artemisinin and its Derivatives

The book examines the functions of the neurotransmitters acetylcholine and biogenic amines dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, and histamine in plant organisms. Also addressed are how many plant reactions are sensitive to neurotransmitters and their significance in the field of medicine. Papers in the collecting describe participation of the components of animal cholinergic and aminergic regulatory systems in the functioning of many plant processes within and outside the cell, from changes in ion permeability of membranes, energetics, and metabolism to complex processes such as fertilization, motility, and finally germination, growth, and morphogenesis.

Now in its third edition, this book describes photosynthesis by considering the partial processes involved throughout the various level of plant (cell, organelle and molecule), and their contributions to the complete process. It also considers the molecular and biochemical events which take place in the photosynthetic system. Finally it explains how these determine the physiological characteristics of plant productivity. The new edition has been extensively revised with comprehensively updated references and many new figures. It includes a new chapter on the applications of genetic modification of photosynthesis systems.

Primary Active Transporters: A Plethora of Plant Plasmalemma Proton Pumps (M.R. Sussman). Studies on the Higher Plant CalmodulinStimulated ATPase (D.E. Evans et al.). Secondary Ion and Metabolite Transporters: ProtonSugar Cotransporters in Plants (N. Sauer). Insights into the Structure of the Chloroplast Phosphate Translocator Protein (H. Wallmeier et al.). Channel Proteins: Soybean Nodulin26 (D.P.S. Verma). Putative LType Calcium Channels in Plants (R. Ranjeva et al.). Receptor Proteins: Hormone Perception and Signal Transduction in Aleurone (R. Hooley et al.). The Auxin Receptor (R.M. Napier, M.A. Venis). Protein Targeting and Assembly in Membranes: Sequence Determinants for Protein Import into Chloroplasts and Thylakoid Membrane Protein Assembly (G. von Heijne). 11 additional articles. Index.

Plants are sessile organisms that live under a constant barrage of biotic and abiotic insults. Both biotic and abiotic stress factors have been shown to affect various aspects of plant system including the acceleration in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ascorbate (AsA)-glutathione (GSH) pathway is a key part of the network of reactions involving enzymes and metabolites with redox properties for the detoxification of ROS, and thus to avert the ROS-accrued oxidative damage in plants. The present book mainly deals with the information gained through the cross-talks and inter-relationship studies on the physiological, biochemical and molecular aspects of the cumulative response of various components of AsA-GSH pathway to stress factors and their significance in plant stress tolerance.

Abiotic stresses such as high temperature, low-temperature, drought, and salinity limit crop productivity worldwide. Understanding plant responses to these stresses is essential for rational engineering of crop plants. In Arabidopsis, the signal transduction pathways for abiotic stresses, light, several phytohormones and pathogenesis have been elucidated. A significant portion of plant genomes (most studies are Arabidopsis and rice genome) encodes for proteins involves in signaling such as receptor, sensors, kinases, phosphatases, transcription factors and transporters/channels. Despite decades of physiological and molecular effort, knowledge pertaining to how plants sense and transduce low and high temperature, low-water availability (drought), water-submergence and salinity signals is still a major question before plant biologists. One major constraint hampering our understanding of these signal transduction processes in plants has been the lack or slow pace of application of molecular genomic and genetics knowledge in the form of gene function. In the post-genomic era, one of the major challenges is investigation and understanding of multiple genes and gene families regulating a particular physiological and developmental aspect of plant life cycle. One of the important physiological processes is regulation of stress response, which leads to adaptation or adjustment in response to adverse stimuli. With the holistic understanding of the signaling pathways involving not only one gene family but multiple genes or gene families, plant biologists can lay a foundation for designing and generating future crops that can withstand the higher degree of environmental stresses (especially abiotic stresses, which are the major cause of crop loss throughout the world) without losing crop yield and productivity.

This volume brings together all aspects of TAXOLA(R) research, development, and clinical use. It provides comprehensive knowledge of the compound and a perspective of the complex interrelationships needed for its development and production. Each chapter is written by an authority in the field. Chapters are carefully coordinated to maximize information on key topics while avoiding overlap and duplication. Previously unpublished material is presented along with thorough reviews of each topic.

The "Phytochemical Dictionary of the Leguminosae" is the first of a new type of reference source giving phytochemical records for all legumes (plants in the Pea family - Leguminosae or Fabaceae). The precise chemical substances found, the organs in which they occur (eg the leaf or the seed) and the bibliographic citation are given for each plant species recorded. These are accompanied by extensive supporting botanical, chemical, geographical and bibliographic information for each plant and substance. Over 4,000 chemical substances occurring in 2,000 plant species are contained within 20,000 entries. The Leguminosae is one of the world's most economically important groups of plants, including peas, beans, soya and chickpeas, and provides the world's major source of nitrogen fixed from the atmosphere. As this book contains detailed, comprehensive and up-to-date phytochemical data on this family, available for the first time in a single source, it will prove invaluable to all those working in the food, pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, as well as in botanical, natural product and taxonomic research. This new work has been compiled as a joint project by two specialist organisations, the International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS) and the Chapman & Hall Chemical Database (CHCD). Coverage includes both wild and cultivated species from all over the world. The primary literature used is current to mid-1992. The book is divided into two volumes, the first containing the Plant Section and the second the Chemical Section. The two are linked by extensive cross-referencing and each section has its own indexes. Volume 1 of the dictionary is unique in that it lists not only all legume species from which chemical substances are reported, but also lists under each species what the substances are and in which organs they occur. The substances are grouped together under types of compounds and the original sources are cited. This part is organized alphabetically by genus and species name, followed by a Plant Name Index and Plant Constituent Index. This part of the dictionary may be used in two ways. By selecting a plant species of interest, the reader will see the precise listing of substances reported and the organs in which they occur. Alternatively, by using the Plant Constituent Index, the reader should find a full listing of all legume species from which a particular substance is reported, and from which the main entries for these plant species can be located. Each species entry is annotated with the plant's geographical distribution, its taxonomic details (common name, synonyms used in the phytochemical literature, etc.), botanical data on, for example, life form and economic uses, and reference citations. The problems of nomenclature and synonymy have been overcome for both plant names and substance names. Plant names and classification have been verified using the ILDIS plant taxonomic database: records for the same species originally published under different names are united in the dictionary. Similarly, substance names and classes have been verified using the Chapman & Hall Chemical Database: records for the same substance under different names in the literature are likewise united in the dictionary. Volume 2 is a Chemical Dictionary giving key chemical data on all substances occurring in the Leguminosae, matching those reported in Part 1. This part is taken from the Chapman & Hall Chemical Database and its layout and format is uniform with the renowned Dictionary of Organic Compounds. Each substance has (where appropriate): alternative names, structure diagram, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number, molecular formula and weight and Type of Compound. These substances are indexed by Chemical Name, Molecular Formula and CAS Registry Number to allow rapid location of the information required.

This book presents a holistic view of the complex and dynamic responses of plants to nanoparticles, the signal transduction mechanisms involved, and the regulation of gene expression. Further, it addresses the phytosynthesis of nanoparticles, the role of nanoparticles in the antioxidant systems of plants and agriculture, the beneficial and harmful effects of nanoparticles on plants, and the application of nanoparticles and nanotubes to mass spectrometry, aiming ultimately at an analysis of the metabolomics of plants. The growing numbers of inventions in the field of nanotechnology are producing novel applications in the fields of biotechnology and agriculture. Nanoparticles have received much attention because of the unique physico-chemical properties of these compounds. In the life sciences, nanoparticles are used as "smart" delivery systems, prompting the Nobel Prize winner P. Ehrlich to refer to these compounds as "magic bullets." Nanoparticles also play an important role in agriculture as compound fertilizers and nano-pesticides, acting as chemical delivery agents that target molecules to specific cellular organelles in plants. The influence of nanoparticles on plant growth and development, however, remains to be investigated. Lastly, this book reveals the research gaps that must be bridged in the years to come in order to achieve larger goals concerning the applications of nanotechnology in the plants sciences. In the 21st century, nanotechnology has become a rapidly emerging branch of science. In the world of physical sciences, nanotechnological tools have been exploited for a broad range of applications. In recent years, nanoparticles have also proven useful in several branches of the life sciences. In particular, nanotechnology has been employed in drug delivery and related applications in medicine.

The adaptation of desirable agricultural plants to infertile and problem soils is an increasingly important strategy for improving food supplies in many parts of the world. The plant breeding approach complements, and in some cases may replace agronomic practices such as the use of fertilizers and soil amendments to provide solutions which are economically and environmentally sustainable. The Symposium at which the papers in this volume were presented drew together workers in plant breeding, plant nutrition, physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology to discuss research on gene systems which affect the mineral nutrition of plants. Papers describe successes in plant breeding for problem soils as well as advances in understanding of mechanisms at the whole plant and cellular levels. Papers in the "molecular" area point the way to the contribution which the new biology will make to this field in the future. The reviews and research papers are grouped under five topics: better plants for acid soils; salinity tolerance; efficiency of uptake and use of macronutrients; efficiency for iron and micronutrients; and tolerance of heavy metals and boron.

Various plant metabolites are useful for human life, and the induction and reduction of these metabolites using modern biotechnical technique is of enormous potential important especially in the fields of agriculture and health. Plant Metabolism and Biotechnology describes the biosynthetic pathways of plant metabolites, their function in plants, and some applications for biotechnology. Topics covered include: * biosynthesis and metabolism of starch and sugars * lipid biosynthesis * symbiotic nitrogen fixation * sulfur metabolism * nucleotide metabolism * purine alkaloid metabolism * nicotine biosynthesis * terpenoid biosynthesis * benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis * monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis * flavonoid biosynthesis * pigment biosynthesis: anthocyanins, betacyanins and carotenoids * metabolomics in biotechnology Plant Metabolism and Biotechnology is an essential guide to this important field for researchers and students of biochemistry, plant biology, metabolic engineering, biotechnology, food science, agriculture, and medicine.

This book provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of the recent developments in cotton production and processing, including a number of genetic approaches, such as GM cotton for pest resistance, which have been hotly debated in recent decades. In the era of climate change, cotton is facing diverse abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, toxic metals and environmental pollutants. As such, scientists are developing stress-tolerant cultivars using agronomic, genetic and molecular approaches. Gathering papers on these developments, this timely book is a valuable resource for a wide audience, including plant scientists, agronomists, soil scientists, botanists, environmental scientists and extention workers.

This book deals with an array of topics in the broad area of abiotic stress responses in plants focusing "problems and their management" by selecting some of the widely investigated themes. Such as, Cell signalling in Plants during abiotic and biotic stress, Salinity stress induced metabolic changes and its management, High temperature stress: responses, mechanism and management, Low temperature stress induced changes in plants and their management, Biotechnological approaches to improve abiotic stress tolerance, Nutritional poverty in wheat under abiotic stress scenario, Strategies for improving soil health under current climate change scenario, Abiotic stress management in Pulse crops, Mitigation strategies of abiotic stress in fruit crops, Impacts of abiotic stress and possible management option in vegetable crops, and Abiotic stress: impact and management in ornamental crops. This book is useful for under-graduate and post-graduate students in Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, agronomy, horticulture, Botany, Environmental sciences and other cognate disciplines of agriculture and allied sciences and other research workers. We fervently believe that this book will provide good information and understanding of abiotic stress problems and their management in plants. Note: T& F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This title is co-published with NIPA.

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

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

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

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This book delivers current state-of-the-science knowledge of tree ecophysiology, with particular emphasis on adaptation to a novel future physical and chemical environment. Unlike the focus of most books on the topic, this considers air chemistry changes (O3, NOx, and N deposition) in addition to elevated CO2 effects and its secondary effects of elevated temperature. The authors have addressed two systems essential for plant life: water handling capacity from the perspective of water transport; the coupling of xylem and phloem water potential and flow; water and nutrition uptake via likely changes in mycorrhizal relationships; control of water loss via stomata and its retention via cellular regulation; and within plant carbon dynamics from the perspective of environmental limitations to growth, allocation to defences, and changes in partitioning to respiration. The authors offer expert knowledge and insight to develop likely outcomes within the context of many unknowns. We offer this comprehensive analysis of tree responses and their capacity to respond to environmental changes to provide a better insight in understanding likelihood for survival, as well as planning for the future with long-lived, stationary organisms adapted to the past: trees.