Plants Genes And Crop Biotechnology

This book integrates many fields to help students understand the complexity of the basic science that underlies crop and food production.

The study of plant genetics helps in understanding the structure and functions of genes in plants. These studies are used in crop biotechnology to modify plants and crops. Crop biotechnology uses the techniques of tissue culture, molecular markers and genetic engineering to produce desired traits in crops. The modification of crops aims to improve characteristics like disease resistance, flavor, size, color, etc. This book explores all the important aspects of plant genetics and crop biotechnology. It attempts to understand the multiple branches that fall under these disciplines and how such concepts have practical applications. Researchers, experts and students in these fields will be assisted by this book.

What needs to happen if we are going to feed almost 10 billion people by the year 2050 in a sustainable way? Written for first- and second-year university students, this interdisciplinary textbook addresses this challenging question, presenting biological, economic, and sociocultural issues at an introductory level. Presenting and integrating information from many disciplines, this book invites readers to consider the complexity of feeding humanity and increasing food production sustainably. Topics covered include: the development, physiology, and nutrition of plants human nutrition and food safety photosynthesis and energy transformations genetics, molecular biology, and genomics, including the techniques of genetic transformation (gene silencing, gene editing with CRISPR) used in modern crop breeding crop domestication and plant breeding soil ecosystems The applications of modern biotechnology to agriculture extend far beyond GMOs, and include crop improvements that rely on knowledge of the plant’s genomes and its analysis by bioinformatics. Challenging and controversial topics such as the safety of pesticides and GMOs, the increasing demand foranimal products and the stresses this puts on agricultural output, organic farming and foods, and patenting new crop varieties are dealt with in a balanced way, inviting teachers and students to consider all the implications of these serious questions.

Human Population Growth: Lessons from Demography; Agricultural R&D, Productivity and Global Food Prospects; Development, Productivity and Sustainability of Crop Production Food Security: Why Do Hunger and Malnutrition Persist in a World of Plenty?; Developing Food Production Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa; The Molecular Basis of Genetic Modification and Improvement of Crops; Plants in Human Nutrition and Animal Feed The Genetic Basis of Growth and Development; Seeds: Biology, Technology and Role in Agriculture; Converting Solar Energy into Crop Production; Plant Nutrition and Crop Improvement in Adverse Soil Conditions; Life Together in the Underground; Ten Thousand Years of Crop Evolution; From Classical Plant Breeding to Modern Crop Improvement; Crop Diseases and Strategies for Their Control; Strategies for Controlling Insect, Mite and Nematode Pests; Weeds and Weed Control Strategies; Toward a Greener Agriculture; Plants as Chemical and Pharmaceutical Factories; Urban Myths and Real Concerns about Genetically Modified (GM) Crops; Pioneer Hi-Bred International.

Plant molecular biology came to the fore in the early 1980s and there has been tremendous growth in the subject since then. The study of plant genes and genomes, coupled with the development of techniques for the incorporation of novel or modified genes into plants, eventually led to the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the mid-1990s. This was seen as the start of a biotechnological revolution in plant breeding. However, plant biotechnology became one of the hottest debates of the age and, in Europe at least, has been mired in controversy and over-regulation. Nevertheless, recent years have seen further technological innovation in the development of a range of techniques that enable scientists to make specific changes to target genes. Through a detailed history and development of the science and techniques that underpin crop biotechnology, this title is concise, comprehensive and readable. As well as new sections on genome editing, this edition includes expanded sections on current GM crops and future developments in plant biotechnology, and updated sections on techniques, legislation and the GM crop debate. The previous edition of this book, titled Genetically Modified Crops, 2nd Edition, was published in November 2011. Contents: DNA, Genes, Genomes and Plant BreedingThe Techniques of Plant Genetic Modification and Genome EditingThe Use of Genetically Modified (GM) and Genome-edited Crops in AgricultureLegislation Covering Genetically Modified (GM) Crops and FoodsIssues that Have Arisen in the GM Crop and Food Debate Readership: It is accessible to a general readership with a scientific background but also provides useful information for the specialist, particularly those interested in the production of genetically modified (GM) and genome edited crops, the use of GM and genome edited crops in commercial agriculture. Keywords: Agriculture;Agricultural Sciences;Biology;Biotechnology;Botany;Crop Science;Environment;Food;Genes;Genetics; Genetic Engineering;Genetic Modification;Genetic Manipulation;GM Crops;Plant Breeding;PlantsReview: Key Features: Written by an acknowledged expert in the fieldNow includes genome edited as well as GM cropsGreatly expanded sections on current GM and genome edited crops and future developments in plant biotechnologyUpdated sections on legislation and the GM crop debateA concise reference with all the important facts in one placeA readable treatise of an issue with implications for science in society that go well beyond plant breeding and crop science

Plant molecular biology came to the fore in the early 1980s and there has been tremendous growth in the subject since then. The study of plant genes and genomes and the development of techniques for the incorporation of novel or modified genes into plants eventually led to the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the mid-1990s. This was seen as the start of a biotechnological revolution in plant breeding. However, plant biotechnology has become one of the hottest debates of the age and, in Europe at least, one of the greatest challenges that plant scientists have ever faced. This book covers the history and development of the science and techniques that underpin plant biotechnology. It describes the GM crops that are or have been grown commercially around the world, including failures as well as successes, and the new varieties that are being developed. The safety record of GM crops is reviewed together with the legislation that has been adopted to cover their use. The book also deals with the concerns of consumers, the GM crop debate and the prospects for the technology. In the second edition, sections on current GM crops and future developments in plant biotechnology have been greatly expanded, while those on techniques, legislation and the GM crop debate have also been updated. The book is a concise, comprehensive and readable study that is accessible to a general readership with a scientific background but also provides useful information for the specialist.

This encyclopedia provides an introduction to plant biology and crop science. It presents an integrated view of crop biology, leading to a broad appreciation of plant biology and biotechnology in agriculture, as well as the basic biological underpinnings of crop biology and biotechnology.

Plant Biotechnology presents a balanced, objective exploration of the technology behind genetic manipulation, and its application to the growth and cultivation of plants. The book describes the techniques underpinning genetic manipulation and makes extensive use of case studies to illustrate how this influential tool is used in practice.