Plant innate immunity is a collective term to describe a complex of interconnected mechanisms that plants use to withstand potential pathogens and herbivores. The last decade has seen a rapid advance in our understanding of the induction, signal transduction and expression of resistance responses to oomycetes, fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and insects. This volume aims at providing an overview of these processes and mechanisms.Edited by Jean-Claude Kader and Michel Delseny and supported by an international Editorial Board, Advances in Botanical Research publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciences. - Multidisciplinary reviews written from a broad range of scientific perspectives - For over 40 years, series has enjoyed a reputation for excellence - Contributors internationally recognized authorities in their respective fields

As in previous volumes, readers will find a multidisciplinary forum for communicating knowledge related to the botany, horticulture, and pharmacology of herbs, spices, and medicinal plants. While magical and mystical powers have been associated with these plants through the ages, continued investigations in such areas as production, nomenclature, uses, chemical constitution, and dynamics help elucidate the affiliated chemical and physical processes that contribute to their unique flavor, fragrance, pharmacological, and other bioactive properties. This collection of articles examines the potential of natural products as pesticides, the richness of the Chinese Pharmacopeia, the similarities of Eastern Asian and Eastern North American medicinal plants, the use of borage as a source of gamma linolenic acid, and the botanical nomenclature of medicinal plants.

Edited by Jean-Claude Kader and Michel Delseny and supported by an international Editorial Board, Advances in Botanical Research publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciences. Currently in its 50th volume, the series features a wide range of reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecology. This eclectic volume features six reviews on cutting-edge topics of interest to postgraduates and researchers alike. - Multidisciplinary reviews written from a broad range of scientific perspectives - For over 40 years, series has enjoyed a reputation for excellence - Contributors internationally recognized authorities in their respective fields

In view of changes in the global environment, it is important to determine and developing technologies to ameliorate metabolic limitations by biological processes most sensitive to abiotic stress factors warning crop productivity. It is reaffirmed that publishing the important Treatise Series has been undertaken with a view to identify the inadequacies under varied environments and to scientifically extend precise and meaningful research so that the significant outcomes including new technologies are judiciously applied for requisite productivity, profitability and sustainability of agriculture. Besides this, meticulous research in some of the very sensible and stirring areas of Plant Physiology-Plant Molecular Physiology are indispensably needed for holistic development of agriculture and crop production in different agro-climatic zones. Ardently, this is also to focus upon excellent new ideas ensuring the best science done across the full extent of modern plant biology, in general, and plant physiology, in particular. In Volume 14, with inventive applied research, attempts have been made to bring together much needed eighteen remarkable review articles distributed in three appropriate major sections of Nutriophysiology and Crop Productivity, Plant Responses to Changing Environment and Environmental Stresses and Technological Innovations in Agriculture written by thirty four praiseworthy contributors of eminence in unequivocal fields mainly from premier institutions of India and abroad. In reality, the Volume 14 of the Treatise Series is wealth for interdisciplinary exchange of information particularly in the field of nutriophysiology and abiotic stresses for planning meaningful research and related education programmes in these thrust areas. Apart from fulfilling the heightened need of this kind of select edition in different volumes for research teams and scientists engaged in various facets of research in Plant Physiology/Plant Sciences in traditional and agricultural universities, institutes and research laboratories throughout the world, it would be tremendously a productive reference book for acquiring advanced knowledge by post-graduate and Ph.D. scholars in response to the innovative courses in Plant Physiology, Plant Biochemistry, Plant Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Environ-mental Sciences, Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Botany.

The importance of haploids is well known to geneticists and plant breeders. The discovery of anther-derived haploid Datura plants in 1964 initiated great excitement in the plant breeding and genetics communities as it offered shortcuts in producing highly desirable homozygous plants. Unfortunately, the expected revolution was slow to materialise due to problems in extending methods to other species, including genotypic dependence, recalcitrance, slow development of tissue culture technologies and a lack of knowledge of the underlying processes. Recent years have witnessed great strides in the research and application of haploids in higher plants. After a lull in activities, drivers for the resurgence have been: (1) development of effective tissue culture protocols, (2) identification of genes c- trolling embryogenesis, and (3) large scale and wide spread commercial up-take in plant breeding and plant biotechnology arenas. The first major international symposium on “Haploids in Higher Plants” took place in Guelph, Canada in 1974. At that time there was much excitement about the potential benefits, but in his opening address Sir Ralph Riley offered the following words of caution: “I believe that it is quite likely that haploid research will contr- ute cultivars to agriculture in several crops in the future. However, the more extreme claims of the enthusiasts for haploid breeding must be treated with proper caution. Plant breeding is subject from time to time to sweeping claims from ent- siastic proponents of new procedures.

Plant biotechnology applies to three major areas of plants and their uses: (1) control of plant growth and development; (2) protection of plants against biotic and abiotic stresses; and (3) expansion of ways by which specialty foods, biochemicals, and pharmaceuticals are produced. The topic of recent advances in plant biotechnology is ripe for consideration because of the rapid developments in this ?eld that have revolutionized our concepts of sustainable food production, cost-effective alt- native energy strategies, environmental bioremediation, and production of pla- derived medicines through plant cell biotechnology. Many of the more traditional approaches to plant biotechnology are woefully out of date and even obsolete. Fresh approaches are therefore required. To this end, we have brought together a group of contributors who address the most recent advances in plant biotechnology and what they mean for human progress, and hopefully, a more sustainable future. Achievements today in plant biotechnology have already surpassed all previous expectations. These are based on promising accomplishments in the last several decades and the fact that plant biotechnology has emerged as an exciting area of research by creating unprecedented opportunities for the manipulation of biological systems. In connection with its recent advances, plant biotechnology now allows for the transfer of a greater variety of genetic information in a more precise, controlled manner. The potential for improving plant productivity and its proper use in agric- ture relies largely on newly developed DNA biotechnology and molecular markers.