The Alliums are some of the most ancient cultivated crops and include onions, garlic, leeks and other related plants. This book provides an up-to-date review of Allium science for postgraduates and researchers. It contains commissioned chapters on topics that have shown major advances particularly in the last ten years such as molecular biology, floriculture and biofertilizers.

This fully revised, expanded and updated edition of the successful text, Onions and Other Vegetable Alliums, relates the production and utilization of these familiar and important vegetable crops to the many aspects of plant science underpinning their production and storage technologies. Chapters cover species and crop types, plant structure, genetics and breeding, physiology of growth and development as well as pests and diseases, production agronomy, storage after harvest and the biochemistry of flavour, storage carbohydrates and colour and how this relates to nutritional and health benefits. From this wide perspective it is possible to see many examples where underlying scientific knowledge illuminates, explains and can improve agronomic practice. The reader will get an insight into how molecular methods are revolutionizing the study of taxonomy, genetics, pathology and physiology and how these methods are being applied in the breeding of improved crops.

Outlines the extensive history and use since the dawn of civilization of alliums, as well as the understanding of their botany and chemistry.

"Allium: Ecology, Distribution and Cultivation begins by examining how the cultivation of garlic (Allium sativum L.) has social and economic importance in various regions of Venezuela, particularly focusing on the research carried out on this species from 2003-2015. The authors provide reviews of their studies on Allium cepa, including: the morphometric analysis of root apex cells; methods of injection for the Allium-test; the blockade of onion root growth by methotrexate; the results of NMR spectroscopy for the analysis of metabolites in the meristem zone. Additionally, this compilation gathers the existing scientific evidence on the antimicrobial activity of Allium-derived compounds to establish whether it is possible that these molecules may be useful in the treatment of human infections. The authors also present the results of multi-year monitoring of the occurrence of pesticide residues in onion and garlic by liquid and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometryas well as their interpretation in terms of compliance with the maximum residue limits established by the European Union in the Directive EC/396/2005. Lastly, a comprehensive overview of tissue culture regeneration methods and their uses for the improvement of Allium species is presented and discussed"--

Sulfur forms and cycling processes in soil and their relationship to sulfur fertility / Jeff J. Schoenau and Sukhdev S. Malhi -- Sulfur nutrition of crops in the Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia / M.P.S. Khurana, U.S. Sandana and Bijay-Singh -- Soil sulfur cycling temperate agricultural systems / Jørgen Eriksen -- History of sulfur deficiency in crops / Silvia Haneklaus, Elke Bloem and Ewald Schnug -- Availability of sulfur to crops from soil and other sources / Warren A. Dick, David Kost and Liming Chen -- Sulfur and cysteine metabolism / Rainer Hoefgen and Holger Hesse -- Sulfur response based on crop, source, and landscape position / Dave Franzen and Cynthia A. Grant -- Sulfur management for soybean production / Kiyoko Hitsuda [and others] -- Sulfur in a fertilizer program for corn / George W. Rehm and John G. Clapp -- Sulfur nutrition and wheat quality / Hamid A. Naeem -- Sulfur and marketable yield of potato / Alexander D. Pavlista -- Sulfur, its role in onion production and related alliums / George E. Boyhan -- Sulfur and the production of rice in wetland and dryland ecosystems / Richard W. Bell -- Evaluation of the relative significance of sulfur and other essential mineral elements in oilseed rape, cereals, and sugar beet production / Ewald Schnug and Silvia Haneklaus -- Improving the sulfur-containing amino acids of soybean to enhance its nutritional value in animal feed / Hari B. Krishnan -- Methionine metabolism in plants / Rachel Amir and Yael Hacham -- Plant sulfur compounds and human health / Joseph M. Jez and Naomi K. Fukagawa -- A future crop biotechnology view of sulfur and selenium / Muhammad Sayyar Khan and Rüdiger Hell.

The use of Allium sativum (garlic) for medicinal purposes has origin in antiquity and is still included in the traditional medicine of many cultures. Oral tradition and recorded history show that garlic is one of the earliest examples of plants used extensively since the existence of man. Historically, there has been great interest in the role and potential benefits of garlic in the management of diseases and maintenance of health. This book provides research on the chemical constituents, medicinal uses and health benefits of Allium sativum. The first chapter provides a historical perspective and folkloric applications of garlic in ancient cultures, the supposed role and benefits perceived/claimed to have played in health and disease and the substantive validation made so far by modern science. The next chapter provides a comparative review of Allium sativum extract and bioactive constituents. Chapter three reviews recent progresses in facilitating the in situ generated allicin methodology and its possible medicinal applications. Chapter four evaluates the antimicrobial activity, in vitro, of fresh Allium sativum Liliaceae against Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The last chapter's main objective is the development of a preliminary mechanical system for the culture of garlic.

This is an authoritative book that acts as a guide to understanding maize kernel development. Written by a team of experts, it covers topics spanning pre- and post-fertilization events, embryo and endosperm development, grain filling and maturation, and factors influencing crop yield. It explores the significance of maize and other cereal grains, existing hypotheses and research, and important gaps in our knowledge and how we might fill them. This is a valuable resource for researchers of maize and other cereals, and anyone working on basic or applied science in the fields of seed development, plant genetics, and crop physiology.