Tropical root and tuber crops form an important group of food crops for millions of people (about one-fifth of the world population), especially those living in the tropical and sub-tropical zones. Tuber crops are the third important food crops after cereals and grain legumes. The carbohydrates synthesized in the leaves and stored in the form of starch in the underground roots and tubers, which are not only for food, but also a raw material for several industries. Among the many tuber crops available, only a few have been domesticated and widely cultivated for edible and industrial purposes. This book addresses the principal issues connected with selected tuber and root crops, their origin, global distribution, cultivation details, and their global commercial potential, vis-à-vis the end products made out of them (value addition). Among the crops, sweet potato, cassava, yams, colocasia, west Indian arrowroot, asparagus, safed musli, Indian Bread root and gloria superba will be discussed. From various projections, it is evident that by the year 2050 the world population will face a serious food shortage, if current trends in cereals consumption is taken intoaccount. That is why root and tuber crops assume great importance. Contrary to the high-fertility soils, which are a requirement for principal cereals like rice and wheat, root and tuber crops can grow quite well in poor soils, under varying climatic conditions. 

This book discusses leafy spices or herbs known as "aromatic herbs", which, apart from being used in culinary art for flavoring of foods and beverages, are also known to possess antiseptic, anti-oxidant and other medicinal properties, in addition to many nutraceutical and cosmetic properties. Of the numerous herbs twelve of the commercially important herbs are imported into 4 major European markets, namely, France, Germany, United Kingdom and The Netherlands to the tune of 12000 to 13000 tonnes per annum. This book discusses these leafy herbs and their tremendous commercial potential in international trade. The book offers a comprehensive insight into commercial herbs, with an objective of enhancing their yield, and provides a platform for further research into the global trade potential.

This book critically examines the environmental hazards posed by global warming with regard to future food security, which will depend on a combination of stresses, both biotic and abiotic, imposed by climate change; variability of weather within a growing season; and the development of cultivars that are more sensitive to different ambient conditions. Furthermore, the ability to develop effective adaptive strategies which allow these cultivars to express their genetic potential under changing climate conditions will be essential. In turn, the book investigates those plant species which are very closely related to field crops and have the potential to contribute beneficial traits for crop improvement, e.g. resistance to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses, enriching the gene pool, and ultimately leading to enhanced plant yield, known as "Crop Wild Relatives" (CWRs). CWRs hold tremendous potential to sustain and enhance global food security, contributing to human well-being. Accordingly, their development, characterization and conservation in crop breeding programs have assumed great practical importance. Professor Kodoth Prabhakaran Nair is an internationally acclaimed agricultural scientist, with over three decades of experience in Europe, Africa and Asia, holding some of the most prestigious academic positions, including the National Chair of the Science Foundation, The Royal Society, Belgium. A Senior Fellow of the world renowned Alexander von Humboldt Research Foundation of The Federal Republic of Germany, he is best known, globally, for having developed a revolutionary soil management technique, known as "The Nutrient Buffer Power Concept", which, while questioning the scientific fallacies of the highly soil extractive farming, euphemistically known as the "green revolution", has opened up an alternative path for sensible and scientific soil management

This book discusses leafy spices or herbs known as “aromatic herbs�, which, apart from being used in culinary art for flavoring of foods and beverages, are also known to possess antiseptic, anti-oxidant and other medicinal properties, in addition to many nutraceutical and cosmetic properties. Of the numerous herbs twelve of the commercially important herbs are imported into 4 major European markets, namely, France, Germany, United Kingdom and The Netherlands to the tune of 12000 to 13000 tonnes per annum. This book discusses these leafy herbs and their tremendous commercial potential in international trade. The book offers a comprehensive insight into  commercial herbs, with an objective of enhancing their yield, and provides a platform for further research into the global trade potential.

This book paints a wide canvas of the immense global economic potential of ten most important cash generating crops spread over Asia, Africa and Latin America, namely, Arecanut, Cashew Nut, Coconut, Cinchona, Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Oil Palm, Rubber and Wattle. It provides a cross-sectoral, multi-scale assessment of the status of these crops, from seed to dining table, an invaluable treatise on the subject. Structured to be an invaluable tool for the inquisitive researcher, an ardent student, and, an insightful policy maker.

Global farming is at a crucial juncture in its evolution. Over 9000 years ago, humanity shifted from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to stationary agriculture, sparking the “Agricultural Revolution� and putting soil at the forefront of agricultural focus. However, contemporary farming practices have seen an extreme shift in focus from the original revolution, that is, from tending plants to highly chemical-centric and extractive farming methods known as the “green revolution�. In this process, soil has paid a heavy environmental price, with a substantial amount of land becoming unsuitable for agriculture over the past century. The 1992–93 World Resources Report by the United Nations issued alarming conclusions, revealing that nearly 10 million hectares of the world’s best farmlands have been destroyed by human activity, including the green revolution. Additionally, over 1.2 billion hectares of land worldwide have suffered serious damage and can only be restored at a great cost. This loss of soil capability can result in significant food shortages in the next two to three decades. One significant impact of this issue is that as usual, people in the disadvantaged nations will bear the brunt of the consequences. Approximately two-thirds of the seriously eroded land is located in Asia and Africa, with around 25% of the cropped land in Central America being moderately to severely damaged. The percentage of affected land in North America is relatively low, at only 4.4%. Soil degradation is the primary cause for the dramatic decline in food production in 80 developing countries during the past decade, with nearly 40% of global farming conducted on small parcels of land measuring 1 hectare or less. This situation is characterized by ignorance and poverty. In India alone, more than 120.40 million hectares of the total 328.73 million hectares of geographical area have suffered from degraded soils due to the green revolution. The State of Punjab, known as the “cradle of Indian green revolution� is a clear example of this environmental hazard, specifically in relation to soil resources. Thousands of hectares in this region cannot sustain plant growth without significant investment in soil reclamation, resulting in a substantial drain of national resources. All of this, proves beyond a shadow of doubt, the critical role that soil plays in human sustenance.

This book will address the importance of the soil management concept, vis-à-vis chemical fertilizer use on soil. Historically, soil testing has been used to quantify bio availability of plant nutrients to field grown crops. However, contemporary soil tests are based on philosophies and procedures developed several decades ago without significant changes in their general approach. For a soil test to be accurate, one needs to clearly understand the physico-chemico-physiologic processes at the soil-plant root interface, and, an understanding of soils and plant root systems as polycationic systems is essential. It is this knowledge that leads to sound prescriptive soil management practices inasmuch as nutrient bioavailability vis-à-vis chemical fertilizers application is concerned, because, of all the factors that govern sustainability of crop production, the nutrient factor is the most important, yet, it is also the least resilient to effective management. The author’s research spanning over three decades in Europe, Africa and Asia, establishes the fact that precise quantification of the nutrient’s “buffer power� holds the key to a clear understanding of the plant bioavailability of some of the most important plant nutrients in crop production, such as, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. “The Nutrient Buffer Power Concept� attempts to clearly explain the bio availability of the three plant nutrients named above on the basis of the diffusion model, as that is the process by which these three important principal plant nutrients are absorbed from the soil by the plant root. Possibly, other plant nutrients which are taken up by the plant roots by the same diffusive model, would also conform to the principles of the concept. A thorough knowledge of thermodynamic principles on the part of the researcher is an absolute pre requisite for this.   The book chronicles more than three decades of the professional journey of the author in Europe, Africa and Asia, understanding soil for human sustenance, and developing the revolutionary soil management concept, now globally known as, "The Nutrient Buffer Power Concept" , which has brought the author a string of international recognitions, including the nomination for the "Alternative Nobel Prize" (The Right Livelihood Award),of Sweden, and succour to millions to poor and marginal farmers across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Spices can be classified as major spices, like Black pepper, Cardamom, Turmeric, Ginger etc, and minor spices and condiments, and tree spices. This book will discuss exclusively minor spices and condiments. Spices constitute a very important group of agricultural products, which, since antiquity, have been considered indispensable in the culinary art of flavoring foods. The history of spices is very much entwined with the history of mankind. And, some spice crops like Black pepper predominates in the family of spices. In fact, colloquially, it is called "King"of spices and, another, Cardamom, is called the "Queen"of spices. There is worthwhile amount of published work, on these in addition to Turmeric and Ginger. Both ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and ISI (Indian Standards Institution) (now BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)) experts concluded, after considerable deliberations, that there is no clear-cut division between "spices" and "condiments", and, as such, they have been clubbed together. The term "Spices and Condiments" applies to such natural plant or vegetable products or mixtures, thereof, used in whole or ground form, mainly for imparting flavor, aroma and piquancy to foods and also for seasoning of foods and beverages like soups etc. A detailed survey of published literature proves that there are a number of minor spices, which have tremendous commercial potential, globally. And, an authentic book on these will not only serve as an important guide to the academic community, but, also provide a fillip to industry involved in value addition.

This book critically examines the environmental hazards posed by global warming with regard to future food security, which will depend on a combination of stresses, both biotic and abiotic, imposed by climate change; variability of weather within a growing season; and the development of cultivars that are more sensitive to different ambient conditions. Furthermore, the ability to develop effective adaptive strategies which allow these cultivars to express their genetic potential under changing climate conditions will be essential. In turn, the book investigates those plant species which are very closely related to field crops and have the potential to contribute beneficial traits for crop improvement, e.g. resistance to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses, enriching the gene pool, and ultimately leading to enhanced plant yield, known as "Crop Wild Relatives" (CWRs). CWRs hold tremendous potential to sustain and enhance global food security, contributing to human well-being. Accordingly, their development, characterization and conservation in crop breeding programs have assumed great practical importance. Professor Kodoth Prabhakaran Nair is an internationally acclaimed agricultural scientist, with over three decades of experience in Europe, Africa and Asia, holding some of the most prestigious academic positions, including the National Chair of the Science Foundation, The Royal Society, Belgium. A Senior Fellow of the world renowned Alexander von Humboldt Research Foundation of The Federal Republic of Germany, he is best known, globally, for having developed a revolutionary soil management technique, known as "The Nutrient Buffer Power Concept", which, while questioning the scientific fallacies of the highly soil extractive farming, euphemistically known as the "green revolution", has opened up an alternative path for sensible and scientific soil management