Phenotyping for Plant Breeding


Book Description

Plant phenotyping is the thorough assessment of plant traits such as growth, development, adaptation, yield, quality, tolerance, resistance, architecture, and the basic measurement of individual quantitative parameters that form the basis for understanding of traits. Genetic approaches to understand plant growth and development have always benefitted from phenotyping techniques that are simple, rapid and measurable in units. The forward genetics approach is all about understanding the trait inheritance using the phenotypic data and in most cases it is the mutant phenotypes that formed the basis for understanding of gene functions. With rapid advancement of genotyping techniques, high throughput genotyping has become a reality at costs people never imagined to be that low, but the phenotypic methods did not receive same attention. However, without quality phenotyping data the genotyping data cannot be effectively put to use in plant improvement. Therefore efforts are underway to develop high-throughput phenotyping methods in plants to keep pace with revolutionary advancement in genotyping techniques to enhance the efficiency of crop improvement programs. Keeping this in mind, we described in this book the best phenomic tools available for trait improvement in some of the world’s most important crop plants.




Climate Change and Food Security with Emphasis on Wheat


Book Description

Climate Change and Food Security with Emphasis on Wheat is the first book to present the full scope of research in wheat improvement, revealing the correlations to global issues including climate change and global warming which contribute to food security issues. Wheat plays a key role in the health of the global economy. As the world population continuously increases, economies modernize, and incomes rise, wheat production will have to increase dramatically to secure it as a reliable and sustainable food source. Since covering more land area with wheat crops is not a sustainable option, future wheat crops must have consistently higher yields and be able to resist and/or tolerate biotic and abiotic stresses that result from climate change. Addressing the biophysical and socioeconomic constraints of producing high-yielding, disease-resistant, and good quality wheat, this book will aid in research efforts to increase and stabilize wheat production worldwide. Written by an international team of experts, Climate Change and Food Security with Emphasis on Wheat is an excellent resource for academics, researchers, and students interested in wheat and grain research, especially as it is relevant to food security. - Covers a wide range of disciplines, including plant breeding, genetics, agronomy, physiology, pathology, quantitative genetics and genomics, biotechnology and gene editing - Explores the effect of climate change on biotic stresses (stripe rust, stem rust, leaf rust, Karnal bunt, spot blotch) on wheat production and utilization of biotechnology - Focuses on whole genome sequencing and next-generation sequencing technologies to improve wheat quality and address the issue of malnutrition in developing world




Durum Wheat


Book Description

Genetics and Breeding of Durum Wheat in Europe and the United States. Protein and Enzyme Composition. Carbohydrates. Durum Lipids. Vitamins and Minerals. Milling. Manufacture of Pasta Products. Evaluation of Durum Wheat. Some Specific Aspects of Durum Wheat and Pasta Cooking Quality.







Millions Fed


Book Description

Humanity has made enormous progress in the past 50 years toward eliminating hunger and malnutrition. Some five billion people--more than 80 percent of the world's population--have enough food to live healthy, productive lives. Agricultural development has contributed significantly to these gains, while also fostering economic growth and poverty reduction in some of the world's poorest countries.







The Last Harvest


Book Description

"This book is an outstanding successor to Silent Spring-it's a gripping yet even-handed account of what happens when good science meets bad public policy. The result ends up on your dinner plate, for better or worse".-San Francisco Examiner. "[Raeburn] recounts in fascinating detail how science and government have tried to protect our endowment of germ plasm through seed banks, breeding programs, botanical gardens and biosphere reserves".-New York Times. "A well-reasoned, timely call for American agriculture to recognize that putting eggs in a single basket can lead to disaster".-Kirkus. "Science journalism at its best: a lively, well-informed account of scientists at work that reveals how the vaunted productivity of American crops, achieved at the expense of their natural genetic diversity, conceals a devastating vulnerability to pollution and pestilence".-Barry Commoner. Paul Raeburn, science editor of the Associated Press, gives us an eye-opening account of how the genetic manipulation of American crops threatens our food supply-and what we must do to try to avert this disaster. This Bison Books edition carries a new preface by the author.