During recent decades, tremendous progress and innovations have been made in rice science with the goal of increasing production to meet the world's growing demands. This new volume provides a concise overview of rice, covering the background and importance of rice; origin, evolution, and domestication of rice; and the world rice production. It goes on to provide new and important recent research advances on many different aspects of rice science and production. The authors look at advances in rice ideotypes, abiotic stress management techniques, biotic stress affecting crop productivity, new methods and technology for cultivation, and new methods and techniques in rice grain quality analysis and processing. It also describes new rice varieties, new hybrid rice technology, and new breeding methods for rice.

The existence and competition of trees and shrubs to sustain and put forth growth under varied environmental conditions is dependent on the interactions that occur between the plant metabolic processes and the prevailing environmental conditions. In order to understand the productivity of trees and shrubs, it is a prerequisite to know the experimental techniques of these vital processes. This volume provides a comprehensive presentation of this topic. The first part of this book deals with various aspects of experimental ecophysiology and recent research results of studies on plant pigments, epicuticular wax, leaf nutrients, carbon fixation, all supported by literature. The second part of the volume describes various laboratory techniques such as diffusion, imbibition, calorimetry, atomic absorption, mineral nutrition, nutrition analysis of forage, litterfall chemistry, nutrient cycle, etc. The third and fourth parts deal with advances in the techniques in the development of ecophysiology. The book will serve as an important handbook and resource for students, faculty and teachers, technicians, and researchers and scientists involved in forest science dealing with ecophysiology and biochemistry of woody and crop plants.

This new volume offers a multi-pronged perspective on maize science, bringing together important recent research advances from several disciplines. The volume covers maize from origin to biotechnology. It provides an overview of recent world maize production along with technological advancements and green strategies in maize science. The authors cover the background of maize, its origin and domestication, ideotypes, botany, taxonomy, physiology of crop growth, methods of cultivation, production, nutritional functions, biotic and abiotic stress impacts, postharvest management and technology, maize grain quality, and advances in breeding and biotechnology, filling a gap in the literature of maize.

This new volume, Advances in Sorghum Science: Botany, Production, and Crop Improvement, provides an easy-to-read and comprehensive treatment of the sorghum crop. With the world's production of sorghum topping over 55 million tons annually, sorghum is very important for as a staple dietary food for much of the world as a rich source of micronutrients and macronutrients, as an ingredient in the processing of many foods, and as a source of fodder. The authors of the volume provide detailed information on sorghum from several disciplines and bring together recent literature under one umbrella. The book covers the various aspects of the sorghum crop, starting from its origin, to its domestication, and going on to biotechnology of the crop. It describes sorghum production, ideotypes, botany, physiology, abiotic and biotic factors affecting crop productivity, methods of cultivation, postharvest management, grain quality analysis for food processing, improvement of sorghum crop, and research advancements in breeding and biotechnology. This valuable resource will be helpful to researchers and scientists working to understand the relation between various disciplines and the implementation of new methods and technology for crop improvement and higher productivity. The multi-pronged approach will help to enable the increase sorghum productivity to meet the world's growing demands.

During recent decades, tremendous progress and innovations have been made in rice science with the goal of increasing production to meet the world's growing demands. This new volume provides a concise overview of rice, covering the background and importance of rice; origin, evolution, and domestication of rice; and the world rice production. It goes on to provide new and important recent research advances on many different aspects of rice science and production. The authors look at advances in rice ideotypes, abiotic stress management techniques, biotic stress affecting crop productivity, new methods and technology for cultivation, and new methods and techniques in rice grain quality analysis and processing. It also describes new rice varieties, new hybrid rice technology, and new breeding methods for rice.

The existence and competition of trees and shrubs to sustain and put forth growth under varied environmental conditions is dependent on the interactions that occur between the plant metabolic processes and the prevailing environmental conditions. In order to understand the productivity of trees and shrubs, it is a prerequisite to know the experimental techniques of these vital processes. This volume provides a comprehensive presentation of this topic. The first part of this book deals with various aspects of experimental ecophysiology and recent research results of studies on plant pigments, epicuticular wax, leaf nutrients, carbon fixation, all supported by literature. The second part of the volume describes various laboratory techniques such as diffusion, imbibition, calorimetry, atomic absorption, mineral nutrition, nutrition analysis of forage, litterfall chemistry, nutrient cycle, etc. The third and fourth parts deal with advances in the techniques in the development of ecophysiology. The book will serve as an important handbook and resource for students, faculty and teachers, technicians, and researchers and scientists involved in forest science dealing with ecophysiology and biochemistry of woody and crop plants.

This new volume emphasizes the drastic quantitative and qualitative transformation of our surrounding environment and looks at bioresource management and the tools needed to manageenvironmental stresses. This unique compilation and interpretation of concrete scientific ventures undertaken by environmental specialists at the global level explores research dedicated to the management of natural resources by controlling biotic and abiotic factors that make the earth vulnerable to these stresses. The chapter authors look at all types of bioresources on earth and their management at times of stress/crisis, focusing on the need for documentation, validation, and recovery of ethnic indigenous knowledge and practices that could have great impact in stress management. The book looks at topics in nature and changing climate management, adaptation, and mitigation, such as the effects of climate change on agriculture and horticulture, on timber harvesting, and on forest resources. Also specifically discussed are crop resources management, seed crops, tree seedlings, soil management, and conservation practices. The volume also includes chapters on animal resources management.

This new volume emphasizes the drastic quantitative and qualitative transformation of our surrounding environment and looks at bioresource management and the tools needed to manageenvironmental stresses. This unique compilation and interpretation of concrete scientific ventures undertaken by environmental specialists at the global level explores research dedicated to the management of natural resources by controlling biotic and abiotic factors that make the earth vulnerable to these stresses. The chapter authors look at all types of bioresources on earth and their management at times of stress/crisis, focusing on the need for documentation, validation, and recovery of ethnic indigenous knowledge and practices that could have great impact in stress management. The book looks at topics in nature and changing climate management, adaptation, and mitigation, such as the effects of climate change on agriculture and horticulture, on timber harvesting, and on forest resources. Also specifically discussed are crop resources management, seed crops, tree seedlings, soil management, and conservation practices. The volume also includes chapters on animal resources management.

The aim of the study was to measure differences in nutritive content, over four seasons, of native grasses such as Aristida purpurea Nutt. var. longiseta (Steud.) Vasey, Bouteloua curtipendula (Gould et Kapadia), Bouteloua hirsuta Lag., Bouteloua trifida (Thurber), Chloris verticillata Nutt., Digitaria insularis (L.), Panicum halli (Vasey.), Setaria grisebachii (Fourn.), Setaria macrostachya (H.B.K), Tridens eragrostoides, Tridens muticus (Torr.) Wash., and cultivated Cenchrus ciliaris (L.) and Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C. E. Hubb. that are used as forages for grazing ruminants. Cenchrus ciliaris was included as reference grass of good nutritional quality. Higher chemical content and EDDM and EDCP occurred during the wet seasons (summer and autumn). Because of their good nutritional quality, grasses such as Panicum hallii, Setaria grisebachii, Setaria macrostachya and Tridens eragrostoides can be considered good forages for ruminants.

Calcium, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn contents were determined, seasonally, during two consecutive years in leaves of native browse plants such as Castela texana T. & G. Rose (Rutaceae), Celtis pallida Torr. (Ulmaceae), Forestiera angustifolia Torr. (Oleaceae), Lantana macropoda Torr. (Verbenaceae) and Zanthoxylum fagara (L.) Sarg (Rutaceae) growing in rangelands at northeastern Mexico. All minerals, in all species, were significantly different among years, sites and seasons and interactions were also significant. In general, plants in Linares county site, that had the highest rainfall had higher mineral content followed by Los Ramones and China counties; Moreover, during summer all plants had higher mineral content followed by autumn, winter and spring. Regardless of spatio-temporal differences, all plant species had suitable levels of Ca, Mg, K, Cu, Fe and Mn to satisfy range domestic and wild ruminant requirements. Nonetheless, P, Na and Zn showed marginal inadequacies in some seasons throughout the year.