Biotechnology of Neglected and Underutilized Crops


Book Description

This important reference is the first comprehensive resource worldwide that reflects research achievements in neglected and underutilized crop biotechnology, documenting research events during the last three decades, current status, and future outlook. This book has 16 chapters divided into 4 sections. Section 1 has three chapters dealing with Chenopodium as a potential food source, thin cell layer technology in micropropagation of Jatropha, and Panax vietnamensis. Section 2 deals with molecular biology and physiology of Haberlea rhodopensis, cell trait prediction in vitro and in vivo of legumes, and application of TILLING in orphan crops. Section 3 has five chapters on biotechnology of neglected oil crops, Quinoa, Erucia sativa, Stylosanthes, and Miscanthus. And Section 4 contains five chapters mainly on genetic transformation of Safflower, Jatropha, Bael, and Taro. This section also includes a chapter on genetic engineering of Mangroves.




Neglected and Underutilized Crops - Towards Nutritional Security and Sustainability


Book Description

This book covers important topics on various neglected and underutilised crops (vegetables, cereals, fruit crops). It gives an overview of the potential, availability of genetic and genomic resources, and the future prospects of these food crops. The book presents different chapters on the importance of underutilised crops with respect to sustainable agriculture and describes the approaches that must be followed for improving the yield and production of these crops. It covers a wide range of food crops such as millet, buckwheat, underutilised spices, underutilised vegetables and underutilised fruit crops. It also provides insights on what smart foods are? And, whether these neglected crops qualify as smart foods? This up-to-date and informative book is meant for food scientists, geneticists, breeders and biotechnologists. It is of interest to students, researchers and course instructors in these fields.







Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Breeding, Biotechnology and Molecular Tools


Book Description

The basic concept of this book is to examine the use of innovative methods augmenting traditional plant breeding towards the development of new crop varieties under different environmental conditions to achieve sustainable food production. This book consists of two volumes: Volume 1 subtitled Breeding, Biotechnology and Molecular Tools and Volume 2 subtitled Agronomic, Abiotic and Biotic Stress Traits. This is Volume 1 which consists of 21 chapters covering domestication and germplasm utilization, conventional breeding techniques and the role of biotechnology. In addition to various biotechnological applications in plant breeding, it includes functional genomics, mutations and methods of detection, and molecular markers. In vitro techniques and their applications in plant breeding are discussed with an emphasis on embryo rescue, somatic cell hybridization and somaclonal variation. Other chapters cover haploid breeding, transgenics, cryogenics and bioinformatics.




FUTURE SMART FOOD


Book Description

This publication demonstrates the benefits of neglected and underutilized species, including amaranth, sorghum and cowpea, and their potential contribution to achieving Zero Hunger in South and Southeast Asia.




Recent Advances in Grain Crops Research


Book Description

Cultivation of grain crops has been rightly recognized as one of the main drivers in shaping human civilizations. Considering their key role in fulfilling a major portion of the global food needs, grain crops are the most widely grown crops around the world. Unfortunately, like many other agronomic crops, grain crops are quite vulnerable to climate change and this has posed multifaceted threats to agricultural sustainability. To add to the menace, the deteriorating quantity and quality of both land and water as primary factors of production are further aggravating the scenario. Confronting such challenges demands innovative adaptation strategies through intensification of grain crop production that can ensure grain self-sufficiency worldwide.




Legume Crops


Book Description

Legumes are flowering plants found in most of the archeological records of plants. Legumes are efficiently used as food crops for humans and animals, pulps for paper and timber manufacturing, sources for fuel and oil production, ornamental plants, and cover crops such as cereals and other staple foods. Additionally, they can be utilized for other purposes, including the production of massive amounts of organic nitrogen. This book reviews the fundamental advances related to the characterization and breeding of legume crops for improved food security. Moreover, it sheds new light on the current research trends and future research directions related to legume crop studies. This book will provoke interest for various readers, researchers, and scientists, who may find this information useful for the advancement of legume productivity.




Food Security and Safety


Book Description

This book focuses on food security and safety issues in Africa, a continent presently challenged with malnutrition and food insecurity. The continuous increase in the human population of Africa will lead to higher food demands, and climate change has already affected food production in most parts of Africa, resulting in drought, reduced crop yields, and loss of livestock and income. For Africa to be food-secure, safe and nutritious food has to be available, well-distributed, and sufficient to meet people’s food requirements. Contributors to Food Security and Safety: African Perspectives offer solutions to the lack of adequate safe and nutritious food in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as highlight the positive efforts being made to address this lack through a holistic approach. The book discusses the various methods used to enhance food security, such as food fortification, fermentation, genetic modification, and plant breeding for improved yield and resistance to diseases. Authors emphasize the importance of hygiene and food safety in food preparation and preservation, and address how the constraints of climate change could be overcome using smart crops. As a comprehensive reference text, Food Security and Safety: African Perspectives seeks to address challenges specific to the African continent while enhancing the global knowledge base around food security, food safety, and food production in an era of rapid climate change.




The Second Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture


Book Description

Plant genetic resources provide a basis for food security, livelihood support and economic development as a major component of biodiversity. The Second Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture demonstrates the central role plant genetic diversity continues to play in shaping agriculture growth in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges. It is based on information gathered from Country Reports, regional syntheses, thematic studie s and scientific literature, documenting the major achievements made in this sector during the past decade and identifying the critical gaps and needs that should urgently be addressed. The Report provides the decision-makers with a technical basis for updating the Global Plan of Action on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. It also aims to attract the attention of the global community to set priorities for the effective management of plant genet ic resources for the future. Purchase a print copy.




Sustainable Agriculture Reviews


Book Description

Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for humans and their children. Sustainable agriculture is a discipline that addresses current issues such as climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, poor-nation starvation, rich-nation obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control and biodiversity depletion. Novel, environmentally-friendly solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from sciences as diverse as agronomy, soil science, molecular biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, economy and social sciences. Indeed, sustainable agriculture decipher mechanisms of processes that occur from the molecular level to the farming system to the global level at time scales ranging from seconds to centuries. For that, scientists use the system approach that involves studying components and interactions of a whole system to address scientific, economic and social issues. In that respect, sustainable agriculture is not a classical, narrow science. Instead of solving problems using the classical painkiller approach that treats only negative impacts, sustainable agriculture treats problem sources. Because most actual society issues are now intertwined, global and fast-developing, sustainable agriculture will bring solutions to build a safer world.