Maize (Zea mays L.) commonly called corn, field corn, or Indian corn belongs to the Poaceae (Gramineae) family. It grows almost anywhere, although approximately 50% of the world's maize is produced in the USA. It is one of the 3 major grain crops world-wide and extremely important for human and animal consumption (15 to 56% of total daily dietary caloric intake), food processing and other commercial activities in many developed and developing countries. This book aims to provide an up-to-date knowledge of recent developments in maize cultivation; the improvement of maize nutritional values to be used in food preparation and human consumption; and maize health benefits provided by the use of alternative maize varieties. The authors expect this book will provide a compendium of valuable knowledge for anyone interested in agricultural, environmental and food sciences.

Legumes are an essential food crop and a relevant source of plant-based proteins for humans around the globe, and particularly in developing countries. Grain legumes are highly nutritious and have excellent nutraceutical properties; these are affordable foods contributing to household food safety and, as a result, offer great hope and opportunity for achieving future global feed and food security. There is no doubt that facing an increasing world population over the next 50 years, the implementation of future research strategies and programs on legume productivity by harnessing scientific expertise and emerging molecular tools is of great importance to develop high-yielding legume varieties with enhanced multiple beneficial qualities and to tackle human diseases, using both traditional breeding and biotechnology methods. Grain legumes enhance the sustainability of cropping systems by increasing soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. They are adapted to diverse climates, thus providing solutions to climate change. Improved varieties having heat and drought tolerance are able to overcome abiotic stresses, offering even more hope for crop stability in vulnerable regions as well as against pests and diseases that cause significant production losses, making them a central component of sustainable intensification efforts on millions of small and poor farms. This book provides an innovative contribution for people working with legumes in different fields such as agriculture, crop improvement, health promoting aspects, pest and disease fighting, and the overall scientific community, giving them an updated and global vision about the importance of legumes for the worlds greatest challenge in global feed and food future under a sustainable agriculture. The book includes the following topics: Legume germplasm; Increasing legume production to improve food security, nutrition food safe, environmental benefits and economy; Legumes and climate change; Pests and disease management; Nutritional improvement of legumes; Legumes health benefits; Legumes allergy research.