Plant parasitic nematodes are costly burdens of crop production, causing an estimated US$80 - 118 billion per year in damage to crops. They are associated with nearly every important agricultural crop, and are a significant constraint on global food security. Regulations on the use of chemical pesticides have resulted in growing interest in alternative methods of nematode control. Future changes in climate, cropping systems, food habits, as well as social and environmental factors also affect the options for nematode control. Taking a systematic crop by crop approach, this book: Outlines the economic importance of specific plant parasitic nematode problems on the major food and industrial crops. Presents the state-of-the-art management strategies that have been developed to reduce specific nematode impacts, and outlines their limitations. Contains case studies to illustrate impact in the field. Aims to anticipate future changes in nematode disease pressure that might develop as a result of climate change, and new cropping systems.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction and review of state-of-the-art biotechnological tools in enhancement of bioactive compounds in medicinal and aromatic plants. Plant bioactive compounds are plant-based natural products that display a variety of pharmacological applications. These bioactive compounds are important as medicines, pigments, flavorings and drugs because most of the pharmaceutical industries are highly dependent on medicinal plants and their extraction. The book introduces a systematic overview of state-of-the-art biotechnological techniques such as Omics, Crisper /Cas9 and RNAi to enhance the plant bioactive contents as well as enlists various in vitro techniques, hairy root culture and transgenic technology to enhance plant bioactive contents using plant tissue culture approaches. The book also provides an overview of the role of induced mutation, biotic and abiotic stress to increase the bioactive contents in plants and discusses the significant role of endophytes to enhance the contents of plant bioactive compound. The book also opens discussions related to standard operating procedures using hydroponics system of cultivation for significant enhancement of bioactive compound(s) and much more. This book serves as an excellent reference book for the researchers working in the field of plant secondary metabolites and pharmaceutical industries at global level.

An eight-year-old orphan is living off the streets and through the kindness of strangers. His home is a shack in the slums of Kinshasa. Harbouring deep feelings, and wants of a better life. He plans his escape which he must accomplish against all the odds. Soon he gets the opportunity, a charming stranger presents an opportunity to him. He makes his escape but does not get what was promised. For he has now found his way, not in a family home, but a coltan mine. The kind stranger was a child trafficker who would lure his victims with outrageous promises of a better life. Over the years to come, the orphan despite being so young, would work as hard as any adult. This served however, to make him stronger. He would learn about life, and about what is tearing his country apart. Into the Abyss tells the story of an orphan, born in the slums of Kinshasa, who escapes only to find himself trapped in a coltan mine. But where this life would take him, would be anyone’s guess. Set in The Congo, this is a book about conflict, poverty, dreams, hope, and generosity.

Disease resistance is one of the major factors that can be improved to sustain yield potential in cultivated crops. This book looks at disease resistance in wheat, concentrating on all the economically important diseases their economic impact and geographical spread, breeding for resistance, pathogen variability, resistance mechanisms and recent advances made on resistance genes. Newer strategies for identifying resistance genes and identify resistance mechanisms are discussed, including cloning, gene transfer and the use of genetically modified plants. "

Information on both extent and pattern of variability as well as interrelationship, among characters is very essential in any crop improvement. This work showed that there were significant differences among the genotypes for all characters except leaf- let index which was non significant, indicating the existence of adequate genetic variability. In conclusion, future breeding efforts should aim at exploiting the genetic variability available in the test genotypes for improvement of tuber yield. The present work considered, however, only a limited number of characters owing to the limitation of resources and facilities. Therefore, it is the subject of future investigations to evaluate the extent and pattern of genetic variation by considering other additional characters of crucial importance in selection of superior genotypes. Potential genetic resources for such characters as resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses when considered along with the results of the present study could vastly improve the elucidation of association of characters and improve selection efficiency.