This volume contains comprehensive reviews on the current status of knowledge concerning the physiological, biochemical, and molecular events underlying plant morphogenesis processes authored by the main lecturers at the NATO Advanced Study Institute which was held in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, Septe

Our requirement for plant breeders to be successful has never been greater. However one views the forecasted numbers for future population growth we will need, in the immediate future, to be feeding, clothing and housing many more people than we do, inadequately, at present. Plant breeding represents the most valuable strategy in increasing our productivity in a way that is sustainable and environmentally sensitive. Plant breeding can rightly be considered as one of the oldest multidisciplinary subjects that is known to humans. It was practised by people who first started to carry out a settled form of agriculture. The art, as it must have been at that stage, was applied without any formal underlying framework, but achieved dramatic results, as witnessed by the forms of cultivated plants we have today. We are now learning how to apply successfully the results of yet imperfect scientific knowledge. This knowledge is, however, rapidly developing, particularly in areas of tissue culture, biotechnology and molecular biology. Plant breeding's inherent multifaceted nature means that alongside obvious subject areas like genetics we also need to consider areas such as: statistics, physiology, plant pathology, entomology, biochemistry, weed science, quality, seed characteristics, repro ductive biology, trial design, selection and computing. It therefore seems apparent that modern plant breeders need to have a grasp of wide range of scientific knowledge and expertise if they are successfully to a exploit the techniques, protocols and strategies which are open to them.

The International Symposium on "Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Biosynthesis and Action of the Plant Hormone Ethylenc" ,vas held in Agen, France from August 31 st and September 4th, 1992. The planning and management of the scientific and social programme of the Conference were carried out jointly by the "Ethylene Research Group" of ENSAlIN"P (Toulouse) and Agropole Congres Service (Agen). Since the last meetings in Israel (1984) and in Belgium (1988), ethylene physiology has gone through a period of exciting progress due to new developments in cellular and molecular bioiogy. New methods and tools have been developed to better understand the role and functions of ethylene in fruit ripening, flower senescence, abscission, piant growth, and cell differentiation. Genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis have been characterized and transgenic plants with altered ethylene production have been generated. The feasibility of delaying fruit ripening or flower senescence by genetic manipulation is now demonstrated, thus opening new perspectives for the postharvest handling of plant products. Some progress has also been made on the understanding of ethylene action. However, much remains to be done in this area to elucidate the ethylene signal transduction pathway. Around 140 scientists from 20 countries attended the Symposium. They presented 47 oral reports and 40 poster demonstrations. All of them are published in these proceedings. It has been a pleasure for us to organize this important Symposium and to edit this book.

This supplement, containing six chapters, is the first in a series of important works designed to be integrated into the text of the Plant Tissue Culture Manual to maintain it as a valuable source of laboratory methodology

Wheat, which is the second most important cereal crop in the world, is being grown in a wide range of climates over an area of about 228 945 thou sand ha with a production of about 535 842 MT in the world. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ) accounts for 80% of the wheat consumption, howe ver, it is attacked by a large number of pests and pathogens; rusts and smuts cause enormous damage to the crop and reduce the yield drastically in some areas. The major breeding objectives for wheat include grain yield, earliness, resistance to lodging and diseases, spikelet fertility, cold tolerance, leaf duration and net assimilation rate, fertilizer utilization, coleoptile length, nutritional value, organoleptic qualities, and the improvement of charac ters such as color and milling yield. The breeding of wheat by traditional methods has been practiced for centuries, however, it has only now come to a stage where these methods are insufficient to make any further breakthrough or to cope with the world's demand. Although numerous varieties are released every year around the world, they do not last long, and long-term objectives cannot be realized unless more genetic variability is generated. Moreover, the intro duction of exotic genetic stocks and their cultivation over large areas results in the depletion and loss of the native germplasm pool."

This book presents edited and revised papers from the seventh International Workshop on Seeds, held in Salamanca, Spain, in May 2002. The key topics addressed include seed development, germination and dormancy, as well as desiccation, seed ecology and seed biotechnology.

Topics for the Beltsville Symposia are selected to highlight specific areas of research and science policy that are of concern to scientists in the Beltsville Area as well as to the general scientific community. Each sympo sium in the series is structured to provide a realistic appraisal of current findings, research progress, and relevant policy issues within the constraints established by the organizing committee. Thus, the presentations and dis cussions that have marked these symposia have had a strong appeal to the broad community of scientists. Knowledge of the diversity of living organisms is still quite limited. Since the time of Linnaeus, about 1.7 million species have been described. The actual number has been estimated between 5-50 million. Many species, land races, and strains are vanishing. Clearly, the world's scientific institutions are inadequately equipped to attain sufficient knowledge of a significant fraction of the diverse living forms. Also, efforts in the collection and preservation of germplasm of plants and animals urgently need to be strengthened. These mattes are critically important to future generations. This symposium addresses vital concerns of biotic diversity and germ plasm preservation from diverse perspectives. Many of the parts provide concrete recommendations for action, and they call attention to areas of research that must be pursued with intensity."

Proceedings of a Workshop, organized by the Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG VI) of the Commission of the European Communities, and held in Boignville (France) on May 25-27, 1988

The germination of seeds is a magical event, in which a pinch of dust-like material may give rise to all the power and the beauty of the growing plant. The mechanisms of seed dormancy, of the breaking of seed dormancy and of germination itself continue to remain shrouded in mystery, despite the best efforts of plant scientists. Perhaps we are getting there, but very slowly. This book considers germination and dormancy from the point of view of plant physiology. Plant physiologists attempt to understand the relation ship between plant form and function and to explain, in physical and chemical terms, plant growth and development. The place of germination and dormancy in plant ecophysiology is taken into account with attempts to understand the seed in its .environment, whether the environment be natural, semi-natural or wholly artificial. In due course plant scientists hope to develop a precise understanding of germination and dormancy in cellular and molecular terms, and therefore there is some biochemistry in this book. Biochemists who wish to learn something about seeds should find this book useful."

Proceedings of the EEC Flax Workshop, held in Brussels, Belgium, May 4-5, 1988 sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities, Directorate-General for Agriculture.

This open access book presents simple, robust pre-field screening protocols that allow plant breeders to screen for enhanced tolerance to heat stress in rice. Two critical heat-sensitive stages in the lifecycle of the rice crop are targeted - the seedling and flowering stages - with screening based on simple phenotypic responses. The protocols are based on the use of a hydroponics system and/or pot experiments in a glasshouse in combination with a controlled growth chamber where the heat stress treatment is applied. The protocols are designed to be effective, simple, reproducible and user-friendly. The protocols will enable plant breeders to effectively reduce the number of plants from a few thousands to less than 100 candidate individual mutants or lines in a greenhouse/growth chamber, which can then be used for further testing and validation in the field conditions. The methods can also be used to classify rice genotypes according to their heat tolerance characteristics. Thus, different types of heat stress tolerance mechanisms can be identified, presenting opportunities for pyramiding different (mutant) sources of heat stress tolerance.

In the series of International Protoplast Symposia the Symposium of 1987 was held in Wageningen (The Netherlands). Earlier Symposia took place in Jena (DDR) 1963, Brno (CSSR) 1967, Salamanca (Spain) 1971, Nottingham (UK) 1975, Szeged (Hungary) 1979 and Basel (Switzerland) 1983. This 7th International Protoplast Symposium was organized by K.J. Puite (Secretary), J.J.M. Dons (Treasurer), H.J.Huizing and E.J.L. Hotke-Staal (Local Organizers), the first three persons being scientists, respectively, from the Research Institute Ital, the Institute for horticultural plant breeding IVT and the Foundation for agricultural plant breeding SVP at Wageningen. Scientific Advisers of the Symposium were A. J. Kool, M. Koornneef and F.A. Krens. The International Agricultural Centre lAC served as the Symposium location. The Organizing Committee decided that the scientific programme of the Symposium should be mainly focussed on protoplast technology of relevance to plant breeding. Therefore research on microbial protoplasts and on secondary metabolites was not included. About 250 scientists from 27 different countries were welcomed at the meeting. Speakers at Symposium Sessions and authors of Poster contributions were asked to hand over their manuscripts for the Symposium Proceedings already at the meeting, permit ting early publication of the Proceedings. These manuscripts give the state of the art of the protoplast research and illustrate the progress since the last Protoplast Symposium.

This is the third annual compendium of a Technical Session of the Physiology Working Group of the Society of American Foresters held at the National Convention. Specialists in a dedicated area of tree physiology were invited to prepare chapter contributions synthesizing the status of knowledge in their area of expertise. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) was selected as the topic for in-depth examination at the 1986 Technical Session because a knowledge of how these "secondary messengers" regulate tree morphogenesis is vital to applications of biocontrol and biotechnology. Plant growth regulators have been the subject of numerous reviews in recent years. However, few have dealt specifically with woody perennials, and they are generally confined to single processes and/or organs. This volume attempts to provide a more comprehensive treatise of PGRs as they influence various ontogenetic events in forest trees. Reproductive physiology, both sexual and asexual, is emphasized because of its relevance to current efforts directed at increasing efficiency in the breeding and production of genetically improved trees for reforestation. The chapters on vegetative growth will be of interest to silviculturists and urban foresters as they consider cultural treatments in the management of forests and individual trees for specific products and purposes. This book should serve as a valuable text and source of reference for students, researchers and other professionals interested in gaining a better understanding of PGRs. The reader, however, who expects definitive answers to how PGRs function or can be used to control specific processes is likely to be disappointed.

This book describes how competition between plant species, and succession in plant ecosystems, operate in grasslands and grazed pastures, both natural and sown. It discusses how competition both affects botanical structure, productivity and persistence of pastures and is itself regulated by biological, environmental and management factors, such as grazing animals. The book also examines the ways in which competition and succession are analyzed, evaluated and measured, and brings to the agricultural arena the considerable progress made in understanding the principles of competition from theoretical and experimental ecology.

The dynamic role of plant hormones in regulation of plant growth and development revealed by its control of rates of metabolic processes and various related enzymetic reactions at molecular and submolecular levels is now weil established. During the course of last 35 years endless development in agricultural biotechnology has provided immense literature to understand hormone-regulated aspects of plant growth and development ; but plant physiologists all over the world are still devoting themselves and will continue for an indifinite period to disclose the mystries of this regulation. Volume I of this series has already been published and has been accepted weil. This encouraged me to edit aseries of volumes (I do not know the number) on this subject. In the following pages various aspects of hormone-controlled physiological processes Iike, Hormonal Control of pro tein synthesis in plants, Auxin-induced elongation, Hormonal regulation of abnormal growth in plants, Hormonal regulation of development in mosses, Some phenolics as plant growth and morphogenesis regulators, Plant growth regulating properties of sterol inhibiting fungicides, Hormonal regulation of sex expression in plants, Water relation and plant growth regulators, Hormonal regulation of root development under water stress, Gravity perception and responses meehanism in graviresponding cereal grass shoots, Hormonal regulation of leaf Growth senescence in relation to stomatal movement, and Chloroindole auxins of pea and related species, have been included.

In 1980, a conference on tissue culture of fruit crops was held at Beltsville to summarize the current status of this technology and to stimulate interest in it among research scientists, students, and commercial producers in the U. S. Interest in that conference and the proceedings from it far exceeded the expectations of the organizing committee. Since that time, micropropagation of fruit crops in the U. S. has increased significantly, but still lags far behind applications to production of ornamental plants. Within the past two years, a number of new laboratories have been established and some of the existing laboratories have expanded to a size far larger than any previously anticipated. Creation of new laboratories capable of producing more than 400,000 plants per week will test the ingenuity of laboratory managers and the skills of marketing departments. In recent years, numerous symposia have been held on various aspects of biotechnology and genetic engineering. Although micro propagation is the key to providing large numbers of genetically engineered plants, it is a topic that has been relegated to a minor position, or ignored completely, at such meetings. Accordingly, the time seemed propitious for a conference devoted solely to all aspects of micropropagation as applicable to horticultural crops.

Proceedings of a Seminar in the CEC Programme of the Coordination of Research on Plant Protein Improvement, held in Gembloux, Belgium, Sept. 3-5, 1985

This book focuses on the previously neglected interface between the conservation of plant genetic resources and their utilization. Only through utilization can the potential value of conserved genetic resources be realized. However, as this book shows, much conserved germplasm has to be subjected to long-term pre-breeding and genetic enhancement before it can be used in plant breeding programs.The authors explore the rationale and approaches for such pre-breeding efforts as the basis for broadening the genetic bases of crop production. Examples from a range of major food crops are presented and issues analyzed by leading authorities from around the world.

Proceedings of a Seminar in the CEC Programme of Research on Plant Protein Improvement, held in Copenhagen 11th-13th September 1984

Plant hormone research is the favorite topic of physiologists. Past three decades have witnessed that this subject has received much attention. The inquisitive nature of human mind has pumped much in literature on this subject and this volume is the product of such minds. In the following pages various hormonal-controlled physiological processes like, flowering, seed dormancy and germination, enzyme secretion, senes cence, ion transport, fruit ripening, root growth and development, thig momorphogenesis and tendril thigmonasty have been included. The volume also contains a review paper on 'Growth Regulating Activity of Penicillin in Higher Plants' and has been presented for the first time. The vast contents of each review paper have been written by erudite scholars who have admirably carried out their evangelic task to make the text up TO date. This volume, I am sure, would stimulate the appetite of researchers of peripheral disciplines of botany and agricultural sciences and they will continue to enjoy the fun and adventures of plant hormone research. Save one. my most outstanding debts are due to the rich array of the contributors and other plant physiologists specially to Prof. Thomas Gaspar (Belgium), Prof. E. E. Goldschmidt (Isreal), Prof. H. Greppin (Switzerland), Dr. K. Gurumurti (India), Prof. M. A. Hall (U. K. ), Prof. H. Harada (Japan), Dr. M. Kaminek (Czechoslovakia), Dr. J. L. Karm oker (BangIa Desh), Prof. Peter B. Kaufman (U. S. A. ), Dr. V. I. Kefeli . / (U. S. S. R. ), Dr. M. Kutaoek (Czechoslovakia), Prof. S."

The Sixth International Congress on Photosynthesis took place from 1 to 6 August 1983, on the Campus of the "Vrije Universiteit Brussel", in Brussels, Belgium. These Proceedings contain most of the scientific contributions offered during the Congress. The Brussels Congress was the largest thus far held in the series of International Congresses on Photosynthesis. It counted over 1100 active participants. The organizers tried to minimize the disadvantages of such a large size by making maximum use of the facili ties available on a university campus. Most contributions were offered in the form of posters which were displayed in a substantial number of classrooms. The discussion sessions, twice a day, four or five in parallel, took place in lecture rooms in the very vicinity of these classrooms. In this way it was attempted to generate the atmosphere of a small meeting. The unity of the subject Photosynthesis was preserved in the ten plenary lectures, organ~sed in such a way that a general overview of two diverse topics was given every day. In addition, there were the five times four parallel symposia dealing with some six teen general topics. Every editor of proceedings of a congress is faced with the problem of editing and arranging the contributions, a problem compounded by the wide diversity and the large number of the 753 manuscripts.

This is the fourth major publication on Vicia faba reporting proceedings of seminars organised through the Commission of the European Communities in the context of the E.E.C. Common Research Programme on Plant Protein Improvement. The previous three volumes report proceedings from the seminar in Sari in 1978 (Some current research on Vicia faba in Western Europe), and from Cambridge in 1979 (Vicia faba : Feeding value, processing and viruses) and in Wageningen in 1980 (Vicia faba : Physiology and Breeding). The theme of this seminar, held at the University of Nottingham from 14th to 16th September 1983 was selected to examine current research on agronomy, physiology, plant breeding and nutrition. 84 delegates from 15 European countries attended. Throughout the seminar there was a spirit of friendliness and co-operation. Everyone seemed dedicated to doing real justice to the faba bean crop. The organisation of this seminar would not have been possible without the help of my secretary, Mrs. Jeanne Rodwell who undertook most of the administrative and secretarial work. P.D. Hebblethwaite COMPONENTS OF THE YIELD AND YIELD OF VICIA FABA Ph. Plancquaert, J.L. Raphalen Institut Technique des Cereales et des Fourrages 8 Avenue du President Wilson, 75116 Paris, France. ABSTRACT Preliminary experiments have indicated the main factors affecting the yield of winter (6 trials) and spring faba beans (5 trials) : information is presented on the development of pods and flowers, yield and yield components and grain protein content at different locations in France.