The Potato Crop


Book Description

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book provides a fresh, updated and science-based perspective on the current status and prospects of the diverse array of topics related to the potato, and was written by distinguished scientists with hands-on global experience in research aspects related to potato. The potato is the third most important global food crop in terms of consumption. Being the only vegetatively propagated species among the world’s main five staple crops creates both issues and opportunities for the potato: on the one hand, this constrains the speed of its geographic expansion and its options for international commercialization and distribution when compared with commodity crops such as maize, wheat or rice. On the other, it provides an effective insulation against speculation and unforeseen spikes in commodity prices, since the potato does not represent a good traded on global markets. These two factors highlight the underappreciated and underrated role of the potato as a dependable nutrition security crop, one that can mitigate turmoil in world food supply and demand and political instability in some developing countries. Increasingly, the global role of the potato has expanded from a profitable crop in developing countries to a crop providing income and nutrition security in developing ones. This book will appeal to academics and students of crop sciences, but also policy makers and other stakeholders involved in the potato and its contribution to humankind’s food security.




Integration of Insect-Resistant Genetically Modified Crops within IPM Programs


Book Description

Insect pests remain one of the main constraints to food and fiber production worldwide despite farmers deploying a range of techniques to protect their crops. Modern pest control is guided by the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) with pest resistant germplasm being an important part of the foundation. Since 1996, when the first genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant maize variety was commercialized in the USA, the area planted to insect-resistant GM varieties has grown dramatically, representing the fastest adoption rate of any agricultural technology in human history. The goal of our book is to provide an overview on the role insect-resistant GM plants play in different crop systems worldwide. We hope that the book will contribute to a more rational debate about the role GM crops can play in IPM for food and fiber production.




Insect-Plant Biology


Book Description

"Half of all insect species are dependent on living plant tissues, consuming about 10% of plant annual production in natural habitats and an even greater percentage in agricultural systems, despite sophisticated control measures. Plants are generally remarkably well-protected against insect attack, with the result that most insects are highly specialized feeders. The mechanisms underlying plant resistance to invading herbivores on the one side, and insect food specialization on the other, are the main subjects of this book. For insects these include food-plant selection and the complex sensory processes involved, with their implications for learning and nutritional physiology, as well as the endocrinological aspects of life cycle synchronization with host plant phenology. In the case of plants exposed to insect herbivores, they include the activation of defence systems in order to minimize damage, as well as the emission of chemical signals that may attract natural enemies of the invading herbivores and may be exploited by neighbouring plants that mount defences as well." "Insect-Plant Biology discusses the operation of these mechanisms at the molecular and organismal levels, in the context of both ecological interactions and evolutionary relationships. In doing so, it uncovers the highly intricate antagonistic and mutualistic interactions that have evolved between plants and insects. The book concludes with a chapter on the application of our knowledge of insect-plant interactions to agricultural production." "This multidisciplinary approach will appeal to students in agricultural entomology, plant sciences, ecology, and indeed anyone interested in the principles underlying the relationships between the two largest groups of organisms on earth: plants and insects."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved




Advances in Potato Chemistry and Technology


Book Description

Developments in potato chemistry, including identification and use of the functional components of potatoes, genetic improvements and modifications that increase their suitability for food and non-food applications, the use of starch chemistry in non-food industry and methods of sensory and objective measurement have led to new and important uses for this crop. Advances in Potato Chemistry and Technology presents the most current information available in one convenient resource.The expert coverage includes details on findings related to potato composition, new methods of quality determination of potato tubers, genetic and agronomic improvements, use of specific potato cultivars and their starches, flours for specific food and non-food applications, and quality measurement methods for potato products. - Covers potato chemistry in detail, providing key understanding of the role of chemical compositions on emerging uses for specific food and non-food applications - Presents coverage of developing areas, related to potato production and processing including genetic modification of potatoes, laboratory and industry scale sophistication, and modern quality measurement techniques to help producers identify appropriate varieties based on anticipated use - Explores novel application uses of potatoes and potato by-products to help producers identify potential areas for development of potato variety and structure




Insect Pests of Potato


Book Description

This fully revised and updated second edition of Insect Pests of Potato now includes an opening section with a basic overview of agronomic and economic issues as they relate to potato production. It also features a new section that reviews potato production, as well as problems caused by insect pests and solutions to these problems, in all major potato-growing regions of the world. Further, a new section discusses theoretical foundations of potato pest management and includes chapters on ecological theory, evolutionary theory, and a case study on their applications to elucidate differences between Eastern and Western populations of Colorado potato beetle in North America. There is also a new chapter on the foundations of integrated pest management and their applications in controlling insect pests. The sections on the biology of main pests and on control methods now feature the latest information, including emphasis on recent advances in molecular biology and genomics. Information on the use of dsRNA technology for pest control is also included, as are new chapters on potato ladybirds and on hemipterous pests other than aphids and psyllids. This second edition provides improved integration and logical connections among chapters and expanded geographic scope of coverage making it the ideal reference on the topic. - Fully revised and updated with new sections on potato-growing regions and theoretical foundations of potato pest management using ecological theory, evolutionary theory and relevant case study insights - Contains improved integration and logical connections among chapters, expanded geographic scope of coverage, and scientific advances - Emphasizes recent advances in molecular biology and genomics, including the use of dsRNA technology for pest control




Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae: Secondary Metabolites


Book Description

This comprehensive and interdisciplinary handbook provides a bird’s-eye view of two centuries of research on secondary metabolites of the two large Solanales families, Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae. In this book they’re arranged according to their biosynthetic principles, while the occurrence and chemical structures of almost all known individual secondary metabolites are covered, which are found in hundreds of wild as well as cultivated solanaceous and convolvulaceous species.




Biocontrol Potential and its Exploitation in Sustainable Agriculture


Book Description

Plant based biotechnology has come to represent a means of mitigating the problems of global food security in the twenty-first century. Products and processes in agriculture are increasingly becoming linked to science and cutting edge technology, to enable the engineering of what are in effect, designer plants. One of the most successful , non-chemical approaches to pest management and disease control is biological control, which seeks a solution in terms of using living organisms to regulate the incidence of pests and pathogens, providing a natural control' while still maintaining the biological balance with the ecosystem. This volume, (the first of two), addresses the different types of biocontrol for different pests, namely, crop diseases, weeds and nematodes, and details the biology of both the pest and its enemies, which is vital for efficient use of biological control. The book has numerous contributors who are authorities in their fields, and would be an asset to those who have interest in sustainable agriculture and crop productivity.




Potato Biology and Biotechnology


Book Description

In the past 15-20 years major discoveries have been concluded on potato biology and biotechnology. Important new tools have been developed in the area of molecular genetics, and our understanding of potato physiology has been revolutionized due to amenability of the potato to genetic transformation. This technology has impacted our understanding of the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interaction and has also opened new opportunities for the use of the potato in a variety of non-food biotechnological purposes. This book covers the potato world market as it expands further into the new millennium. Authors stress the overriding need for stable yields to eliminate human hunger and poverty, while considering solutions to enhance global production and distribution. It comprehensively describes genetics and genetic resources, plant growth and development, response to the environment, tuber quality, pests and diseases, biotechnology and crop management. Potato Biology is the most valuable reference available for all professionals involved in the potato industry, plant biologists and agronomists. - Offers an understanding of the social, economic and market factors that influence production and distribution - Discusses developments and useful traits in transgenic biology and genetic engineering - The first reference entirely devoted to understanding new advances in potato biology and biotechnology