Beyond Mendel S Garden

Discusses the potential benefits of, and constraints to the application of biotechnology in agriculture in developing countries, and the various policy issues confronting national agricultural research systems and the international development community.

Experiments which in previous years were made with ornamental plants have already afforded evidence that the hybrids, as a rule, are not exactly intermediate between the parental species. With some of the more striking characters, those, for instance, which relate to the form and size of the leaves, the pubescence of the several parts, etc., the intermediate, indeed, is nearly always to be seen; in other cases, however, one of the two parental characters is so preponderant that it is difficult, or quite impossible, to detect the other in the hybrid. from 4. The Forms of the Hybrid One of the most influential and important scientific works ever written, the 1865 paper Experiments in Plant Hybridisation was all but ignored in its day, and its author, Austrian priest and scientist GREGOR JOHANN MENDEL (18221884), died before seeing the dramatic long-term impact of his work, which was rediscovered at the turn of the 20th century and is now considered foundational to modern genetics. A simple, eloquent description of his 18561863 study of the inheritance of traits in pea plantsMendel analyzed 29,000 of themthis is essential reading for biology students and readers of science history. Cosimo presents this compact edition from the 1909 translation by British geneticist WILLIAM BATESON (18611926).

This acclaimed biography of 19th century scientist Gregor Mendel is “a fascinating tale of the strange twists and ironies of scientific progress” (Publishers Weekly). A National Book Critics Circle Award finalist In The Monk in the Garden, award-winning author Robin Marantz Henig vividly chronicles the birth of genetics, a field that continues to challenge the way we think about life itself. Tending to his pea plants in a monastery garden, the Moravian monk Gregor Mendel discovered the foundational principles of genetic inheritance. But Mendel’s work was ignored during his lifetime, even though it answered the most pressing questions raised by Charles Darwin's revolutionary book, On the Origin of Species. Thirty-five years after his death, Mendel’s work was saved from obscurity when three scientists from three different countries nearly simultaneously dusted off his groundbreaking paper and finally recognized its profound significance. From the perplexing silence that greeted his discovery to his ultimate canonization as the father of genetics, Henig presents a tale filled with intrigue, jealousy, and a healthy dose of bad timing. Though little is known about Mendel’s life, she "has done a remarkable job of fleshing out the myth with what few facts there are" (Washington Post Book World).

Recent advances in gene technology, plant transformation, and the growing knowledge of DNA sequences of plants as well as of their most important parasites and symbionts offer many interesting prospects for the breeding of new crop varieties. This was not only recognized by the major seed companies, but also by the governments of developing countries and by worldwide foundations supporting their agriculture. The know-how gained by the seed companies on crops important for the agricultural industry in developed countries could easily be provided for free to the international and national organizations dedicated to development of crops important in the third world. Results obtained worldwide become easily available to everybody through the scientific literature. Likewise, agricultural research in, e.g., the USA or Europe profits from the natural plant gene pool available in the third world. All this definitely provides for the possibility of fast change, new prosperity and security of food supply in the whole world, if properly applied. The fast development also asks for ethical and sociopolitical considerations, whereby not doing the right can be as much a mistake as doing the wrong.

Probing the profitable new science of creating--and altering--life forms "Extraordinarily well documented . . . remarkably clear. This is the most comprehensive coverage of these issues to date. It will be required reading for some time." -- Lawrence Busch, Michigan State University "Krimsky and Wrubel not only describe the components of agricultural biotechnology, they address and analyze controversies involving the risks and benefits of new technologies. Coverage of technical to social components of agricultural biotechnology is unusually complete and thorough. Their even-handed and comprehensive approach to these topics is rare and extremely valuable." -- Richard Weinzierl, University of Illinois Modern agriculture is being transformed by the genetic alteration of seeds, animals, and microorganisms, a process that has produced such products as flavor saver tomatoes and crops resistant to specific insects or herbicides. Agricultural Biotechnology and the Environment is the first comprehensive overview of the ongoing transformation of agriculture, exploring the impact of genetic engineering from scientific, social, ethical, and ecological perspectives. Sheldon Krimsky and Roger Wrubel detail the impact the new generation of products is expected to have on agricultural practice and the environment and assess the degree to which current trends in biotechnology match earlier expectations. They also analyze the social and political response to innovations resulting from genetic technology. Closely examined in each of three areas--transgenic plants, genetically engineered microorganisms, and transgenic animals--are technical and scientific problems, social controversies, and anticipated environmental impacts. An objective, detailed look at a subject of interest to a broad spectrum of readers, Agricultural Biotechnology and the Environment will be of interest to researchers in the new biotechnology fields as well as to educated general readers and policymakers. A volume in the series The Environment and the Human Condition

Need for biotechnology research in Africa; Enhancing the genetic base; Cell and tissue culture; Controlled gene manipulation; Using molecular markers; Other selected applications of biotechnology; Policy issues.