This book reviews the current state of knowledge concerning cacao pathogens and methods for their management. Topics discussed include the history, biology and genetic diversity of Moniliophthora species (which cause witches' broom and frosty pod rot) and Phytophthora species (which cause black pod rot) that cause diseases resulting in major losses to cacao production. Emerging pathogens such as Cacao swollen shoot virus and Ceratobasidium theobromae (which causes vascular streak dieback) are also discussed in detail, along with many pathogens of significant local concern. Most of these pathogens represent major risks to global cacao production should they expand into new areas, breaking out of their current limited distributions. By considering cacao diseases as a group, similarities in the available tools and techniques used in their management become apparent, as do their limitations. Gaps in our current knowledge of cacao pathogens and the management of the diseases they cause are detailed, and suggestions for future research directions are provided. This insight allows readers to consider cacao disease threats from a more comprehensive, global perspective and paves the way for an improved synergy of efforts between the various research programs, agencies, and industries, both private and public, with vested interests in cacao production, and cacao farmers.

With the recent shift of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to organic agriculture, the employment of microbes that perform significant beneficial functions for plants has been highlighted. This book presents timely discussion and coverage on the use of microbial formulations, which range from powdered or charcoal-based to solution and secondary metabolite-based bioformulations. Bioformulation development of biofertilizers and biopesticides coupled with the advantages of nanobiotechnology propose significant applications in the agricultural section including nanobiosensors, nanoherbicides, and smart transport systems for the regulated release of agrochemical. Moreover, the formulation of secondary metabolites against individual phytopathogens could be used irrespective of geographical positions with higher disease incidences. The prospective advantages and uses of nanobiotechnology generate tremendous interest, as it could augment production of agricultural produce while being cost-effective both energetically and economically. This bioformulation approach is incomparable to existing technology, as the bioformulation would explicitly target the particular pathogen without harming the natural microbiome of the ecosystem. Nanobiotechnology in Bioformulations covers the constraints associated with large-scale development and commercialization of bioinoculant formations. Furthermore, exclusive emphasis is be placed on next-generation efficient bioinoculants having secondary metabolite formulations with longer shelf life and advanced competence against several phytopathogens. Valuable chapters deal with bioformulation strategies that use divergent groups of the microbiome and include detailed diagrammatic and pictorial representation. This book will be highly beneficial for both experts and novices in the fields of microbial bioformulation, nanotechnology, and nano-microbiotechnology. It discusses the prevailing status and applications available for microbial researchers and scientists, agronomists, students, environmentalists, agriculturists, and agribusiness professionals, as well as to anyone devoted to sustaining the ecosystem.

Soil salinity is a key abiotic-stress and poses serious threats to crop yields and quality of produce. Owing to the underlying complexity, conventional breeding programs have met with limited success. Even genetic engineering approaches, via transferring/overexpressing a single 'direct action gene' per event did not yield optimal results. Nevertheless, the biotechnological advents in last decade coupled with the availability of genomic sequences of major crops and model plants have opened new vistas for understanding salinity-responses and improving salinity tolerance in important glycophytic crops. Our goal is to summarize these findings for those who wish to understand and target the molecular mechanisms for producing salt-tolerant and high-yielding crops. Through this 2-volume book series, we critically assess the potential venues for imparting salt stress tolerance to major crops in the post-genomic era. Accordingly, perspectives on improving crop salinity tolerance by targeting the sensory, ion-transport and signaling mechanisms are presented here in volume 1. Volume 2 will focus on the potency of post-genomic era tools that include RNAi, genomic intervention, genome editing and systems biology approaches for producing salt tolerant crops.

Dothistroma pini changed New Zealand commercial forestry dramatically. Tree breeding became concentrated on a very few species and development of selection methods and breeding strategies changed in response to the new challenges. Tree-Breeding and Genetics in New Zealand provides a critical historical account of the work on provenance research and tree breeding, often with the wisdom of hindsight, and it tracks the development of breeding strategy, especially for P. radiata, Douglas-fir and the most important eucalypt species, E. regnans, E. fastigata and E. nitens. The book is a compendium of abstracts and summaries of all publications and reports on tree improvement in New Zealand since the early 1950s, with added critical comment by the author on much of the work. It is intended for other tree breeders internationally, for interested NZ foresters and for graduate students studying genetics and tree breeding.

"Advances in Botanical Research" publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciences. Currently in its 72nd volume, the series features several reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecology. This thematic volume features reviews on the molecular genetics of floral transition and flower development.
Publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciencesFeatures a wide range of reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecologyVolume features reviews on the molecular genetics of floral transition and flower development

This book provides the latest information about hairy root culture and its several applications, with special emphasis on potential of hairy roots for the production of bioactive compounds. Due to high growth rate as well as biochemical and genetic stability, it is possible to study the metabolic pathways related to production of bioactive compounds using hairy root culture. Chapters discuss the feasibility of hairy roots for plant derived natural compounds. Advantages and difficulties of hairy roots for up-scaling studies in bioreactors are included as well as successful examples of hairy root culture of plant species producing bioactive compounds used in food, flavors and pharmaceutical industry. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and students working on the area of plant natural products, phytochemistry, plant tissue culture, medicines, and drug discovery.

This volume continues the series of books on "Plant Pathology in the 21st Century", and contains the papers given at the 10th International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP 2013) held in Beijing, August 25-30, 2013 concerning seed health. Many pathogens are transmitted throughout infected seeds and propagation material .The fact that propagation material production is very much concentrated in few establishments, favors the quick spread of new diseases throughout seed commercialization. This phenomenon is very much accelerated in a globalized system. The book covers case studies of contamination, aspects of detection and diagnosis as well as disease management strategies, with special emphasis towards seed treatments with unconventional products. This book will be useful for all plant pathologists as well as students in advanced courses.

This book will shed light on the effect of salt stress on plants development, proteomics, genomics, genetic engineering, and plant adaptations, among other topics. Understanding the molecular basis will be helpful in developing selection strategies for improving salinity tolerance. The book will cover around 25 chapters with contributors from all over the world.

This book describes the basic botanical features of kiwifruit and its wild relatives, reports on the steps that led to its genome sequencing, and discusses the results obtained with the assembly and annotation. The core chapters provide essential insights into the main gene families that characterize this species as a crop, including the genes controlling sugar and starch metabolism, pigment biosynthesis and degradation, the ascorbic-acid pathway, fruit softening and postharvest metabolism, allergens, and resistance to pests and diseases. The book offers a valuable reference guide for taxonomists, geneticists and horticulturists. Further, since information gained from the genome sequence is extraordinarily useful in assessing the breeding value of individuals based on whole-genome scans, it will especially benefit plant breeders. Accordingly, chapters are included that focus on gene introgression from wild relatives and genome-based breeding.

This book discusses and addresses the rapidly increasing world population demand for food, which is expected to double by 2050. To meet these demands farmers will need to improve crop productivity, which relies heavily on nitrogen (N) fertilization. Production of N fertilizers, however, consumes huge amounts of energy and the loss of excess N fertilizers to leaching results in the pollution of waterways and oceans. Therefore, increasing plant nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is essential to help farmers produce more while conserving the environment. This book assembles some of the best work of top researchers from academic and industrial institutions in the area of NUE and provides valuable insight to scholars and researchers by its comprehensive discussion of current and future strategies to improve NUE through genetic manipulation. This book should also be highly valuable to policy makers, environmentalists, farmers, biotechnology executives, and to the hard-core researchers working in the lab.

This volume aims to present a representative cross-section of modern experimental approaches relevant to Plant Hormone Biology, ranging from relatively simple physiological to highly sophisticated methods. Chapters describe physiological, developmental, microscopy-based techniques, measure hormone contents, and heterologous systems. 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 Hormones:Methods and Protocols, Third Edition aims to provide researchers with useful methods to advance their research.

Ascorbic acid (AsA), vitamin C, is one of the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in plants and animals. In plants AsA serves as a major redox buffer and regulates various physiological processes controlling growth, development, and stress tolerance. Recent studies on AsA homeostasis have broadened our understanding of these physiological events. At the mechanistic level, AsA has been shown to participate in numerous metabolic and cell signaling processes, and the dynamic relationship between AsA and reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been well documented. Being a major component of the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle, AsA helps to modulate oxidative stress in plants by controlling ROS detoxification alone and in co-operation with glutathione. In contrast to the single pathway responsible for AsA biosynthesis in animals, plants utilize multiple pathways to synthesize AsA, perhaps reflecting the importance of this molecule to plant health. Any fluctuations, increases or decreases, in cellular AsA levels can have profound effects on plant growth and development, as AsA is associated with the regulation of the cell cycle, redox signaling, enzyme function and defense gene expression. Although there has been significant progress made investigating the multiple roles AsA plays in stress tolerance, many aspects of AsA-mediated physiological responses require additional research if AsA metabolism is to be manipulated to enhance stress-tolerance. This book summarizes the roles of AsA that are directly or indirectly involved in the metabolic processes and physiological functions of plants. Key topics include AsA biosynthesis and metabolism, compartmentation and transport, AsA-mediated ROS detoxification, as well as AsA signaling functions in plant growth, development and responses to environmental stresses. The main objective of this volume is therefore to supply comprehensive and up-to-date information for students, scholars and scientists interested in or currently engaged in AsA research.

At present, plants and agricultural sciences are playing a leading role in providing solutions to problems created by an ever growing world population. Through plant biotechnology scientists are seeking ways to improve crop functions that rapidly promote food production. Agricultural science is being used to experiment with producing plants tolerant to environmental stresses such as drought, salinity and coldness.

Of the plant species, woody plants are producing the most abundant biomass resources, playing important roles in the suppression of carbon dioxide increase and supplying huge energy and resources to human beings in the biosphere.
These Proceedings discuss the recent results of fundamental and applied research for global resource and energy, biomass production and environmental problems from the aspect of woody science.

Topics include:
- Formation of the vascular bundle
- Biosynthesis of cellulose
- Lignin biosynthesis and transgenic woody plants
- Cell and tissue culture, and transformation in gymnosperms
- Micropropagation of woody plants

Experience shows that biotic stresses occur with different levels of intensity in nearly all agricultural areas around the world. The occurrence of insects, weeds and diseases caused by fungi, bacteria or viruses may not be relevant in a specific year but they usually harm yield in most years. Global warming has shifted the paradigm of biotic stresses in most growing areas, especially in the tropical countries, sparking intense discussions in scientific forums. This book was written with the idea of collecting in a single publication the most recent advances and discoveries concerning breeding for biotic stresses, covering all major classes of biotic challenges to agriculture and food production. Accordingly, it presents the state-of-the-art in plant stresses caused by all microorganisms, weeds and insects and how to breed for them. Complementing Plant Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance, this book was written for scientists and students interested in learning how to breed for biotic stress scenarios, allowing them to develop a greater understanding of the basic mechanisms of resistance to biotic stresses and develop resistant cultivars.

Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume 12 - Magnoliophyta: Vitaceae to Garryaceae - includes treatments prepared by 53 authors covering 765 species in 122 genera classified in 29 families. Among the families treated in this volume, the largest are Euphorbiaceae (259 species), Rhamnaceae (105), Loasaceae (94), Linaceae (52), Oxalidaceae (36), Celastraceae (34), Vitaceae (30), Hydrangeaceae (25), Phyllanthaceae (23), and Cornaceae (20). Descriptions for all of the families, genera, and species (plus infraspecies, if recognized) are provided plus occurrence maps for species and infraspecies are included with more than 27% of the species illustrated. Keys are included to aid in the identification of genera in families and species plus infraspecies within the genera. Volume 12 is the twentieth volume to be published in the planned 30-volume Flora of North America North of Mexico series.

This volume will be the only existing single-authored book offering a science-based breeder 's manual directed at breeding for water-limited environments. Plant breeding is characterized by the need to integrate information from diverse disciplines towards the development and delivery of a product defines as a new cultivar. Conventional breeding draws information from disciplines such as genetics, plant physiology, plant pathology, entomology, food technology and statistics. Plant breeding for water-limited environments and the development of drought resistant crop cultivars is considered as one of the more difficult areas in plant breeding while at the same time it is becoming a very pressing issue. This volume is unique and timely in that it develops realistic solutions and protocols towards the breeding of drought resistant cultivars by integrating knowledge from environmental science, plant physiology, genetics and molecular biology.

This book highlights the advances in essential oil research, from the plant physiology perspective to large-scale production, including bioanalytical methods and industrial applications. The book is divided into 4 sections. The first one is focused on essential oil composition and why plants produce these compounds that have been used by humans since ancient times. Part 2 presents an update on the use of essential oils in various areas, including food and pharma industries as well as agriculture. In part 3 readers will find new trends in bioanalytical methods. Lastly, part 4 presents a number of approaches to increase essential oil production, such as in vitro and hairy root culture, metabolic engineering and biotechnology. Altogether, this volume offers a comprehensive look at what researchers have been doing over the last years to better understand these compounds and how to explore them for the benefit of the society.

The entire range of the developmental processes in plants is regulated by a shift in the hormonal concentration, tissue sensitivity and their interaction with the factors operating around them. Out of the recognized hormones, attention has largely been focused on five - Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinin, Abscisic acid and Ethylene. However, the information about the most recent group of phytohormone (Brassinosteroids) has been incorporated in this book. This volume includes a selection of newly written, integrated, illustrated reviews describing our knowledge of Brassinosteroids and aims to describe them at the present time. Various chapters incorporate both theoretical and practical aspects and may serve as baseline information for future researches through which significant developments are possible. This book will be useful to the students, teachers and researchers, both in universities and research institutes, especially in relation to biological and agricultural sciences.

This book provides insights into some of the key achievements made in the study of Lotus japonicus (birdsfoot trefoil), as well as a timely overview of topics that are pertinent for future developments in legume genomics. Key topics covered include endosymbiosis, development, hormone regulation, carbon/nitrogen and secondary metabolism, as well as advances made in high-throughput genomic and genetic approaches. Research focusing on model plants has underpinned the recent growth in plant genomics and genetics and provided a basis for investigations of major crop species. In the legume family Fabaceae, groundbreaking genetic and genomic research has established a significant body of knowledge on Lotus japonicus, which was adopted as a model species more than 20 years ago. The diverse nature of legumes means that such research has a wide potential and agricultural impact, for example, on the world's protein production.

"Global Tea Breeding: Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives" provides a global review on biodiversity and biotechnology issues in tea breeding and selection. The contributions are written by experts from China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Turkey, Indonesia, Japan, Bangladesh, Korea, Nigeria, and etc., which countries amount to 90% of the world tea production. This book focuses on the germplasm, breeding and selection of tea cultivars for the production of black, green and Oolong teas from the tea plant, "Camellia sinensis "(L.) O. Kuntze. It can benefit the tea breeders in the global tea industry, as well as the breeders of other woody cash crops like coffee and other sub-tropical fruit trees.

Liang Chen is a Professor and Associate Director at National Center for Tea Improvement, Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (TRICAAS), Hangzhou, China.

Zeno Apostolides is a Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Zong-Mao Chen is the Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a Professor at the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.

Plant cells house highly dynamic cytoskeletal networks of microtubules and actin microfilaments. They constantly undergo remodeling to fulfill their roles in supporting cell division, enlargement, and differentiation. Following early studies on structural aspects of the networks, recent breakthroughs have connected them with more and more intracellular events essential for plant growth and development. Advanced technologies in cell biology (live-cell imaging in particular), molecular genetics, genomics, and proteomics have revolutionized this field of study. Stories summarized in this book may inspire enthusiastic scientists to pursue new directions toward understanding functions of the plant cytoskeleton.

The Plant Cytoskeleton is divided into three sections: 1) Molecular Basis of the Plant Cytoskeleton; 2) Cytoskeletal Reorganization in Plant Cell Division; and 3) The Cytoskeleton in Plant Growth and Development.

This book is aimed at serving as a resource for anyone who wishes to learn about the plant cytoskeleton beyond ordinary textbooks. "

Genetic engineering and biotechnology along with conventional breeding have played an important role in developing superior cultivars by transferring economically important traits from distant, wild and even unrelated species to the cultivated varieties which otherwise could not have been possible with conventional breeding. There is a vast amount of literature pertaining to the genetic improvement of crops over last few decades. However, the wonderful results achieved by crop scientists in food legumes' research and development over the years are scattered in different journals of the World. The two volumes in the series 'Alien Gene Transfer in Crop Plants' address this issue and offer a comprehensive reference on the developments made in major food crops of the world. These volumes aim at bringing the contributions from globally renowned scientists at one platform in a reader-friendly manner. The second volume entitled, "Alien Gene Transfer in Crop Plants: Achievements and Impact" will deal more with the practical aspects. This volume will cover achievements of alien gene transfer in major food crops of the world and their impact on development of newer genetic variability and additional avenues for selection; development of superior cultivars for increased yield, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, improved nutritional and industrial quality; innovation of new techniques and positive as well as negative environmental implications. This volume has been divided into four groups with an aim to cover all major cereals, pulses, oilseeds and other crops (vegetable and horticultural crops) which are of economic importance.

The book focuses on the principles and practices of tropical maize improvement with special emphasis on early and extra-early maize to feed the increasing population in Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the similarities and differences between results obtained in temperate regions of the world and WCA in terms of corroboration or refutation of genetic principles and theory of maize breeding. The book is expected to be of great interest to maize breeders, advanced undergraduates, graduate students, professors and research scientists in the national and international research institutes all over the world, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. It will also serve as a useful reference for agricultural extension and technology transfer systems, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), seed companies and community-based seed enterprises, policy makers, and all those who are interested in generating wealth from agriculture and alleviating hunger and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This book presents the genetics and genomics of Jatropha, which is used for biofuel, and shows how plant genomics can be used to improve plant breeding. The utilization of plant biofuels is a promising solution to global issues such as the depletion of fossil fuels and resources and climate change. Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) is a species of shrub belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. Native to Mesoamerica, it is now grown widely in tropical and subtropical areas in America, Africa and Asia. The seed oil of Jatropha is a suitable source for biodiesel or bio jet fuel, and since it is not edible and can grow in semi-arid lands unsuitable for the cultivation of food crops, its production does not compete with that of food to inflate its price. The characteristics of this promising biofuel plant, however, have not been fully exploited in terms of breeding, mainly because of the lack of information on its genetics and genomics. The structure of the whole genome of Jatropha is analyzed, providing insights into on the plant's genetic system and accelerating the molecular breeding process.

This volume discusses the sustainability of Egypt's agriculture and the challenges involved. It provides a comprehensive review and the latest research findings, and covers a variety of topics under the following themes: * Applicability of sustainable agriculture in Egypt * Sustainable agriculture under water scarcity and polluted soil environments * Improved crop productivity using a variety of tried and tested procedures * Biotechnology application for agricultural sustainability and food security * Potentiality of soil-sensing for a more sustainable agricultural environment The volume closes with a summary of the key conclusions and recommendations from all chapters. Together with the companion volume Sustainability of Agricultural Environment in Egypt: Part II, it offers an essential source of information for postgraduate students, researchers, and stakeholders alike.