The sequencing of genomes has been completed for an increasing number of crop species, and researchers have now succeeded in isolating and characterising many important QTLs/genes. High expectations from genomics, however, are waving back toward the recognition that crop physiology is also important for realistic improvement of crop productivity. Complex processes and networks along various hierarchical levels of crop growth and development can be thoroughly understood with the help of their mathematical description – modelling. The further practical application of these understandings also requires quantitative predictions. In order to better support design, engineering and breeding for new crops and cultivars for improving agricultural production under global warming and climate change, there is an increasing call for an interdisciplinary research approach, which combines modern genetics and genomics, traditional physiology and biochemistry, and advanced bioinformatics and modelling. Such an interdisciplinary approach has been practised in various research groups for many years. However, it does not seem to be fully covered in the format of book publications. We want to initiate a book project on crop systems biology - narrowing the gaps between genotypes and phenotypes and the gaps between crop modelling and genetics/genomics, for publication in 2013/2014. The book will be meant for those scientists and graduate students from fundamental plant biology and applied crop science who are interested in bridging the gap between these two fields. We have invited a group of scientists (who have very good track records in publishing excellent papers in this field or in a closely related area) to contribute chapters to this new book, and they have agreed to do so.​

New directions in plant systems research are presented and discussed in this book. The book offers new insights in physiology and genetics of crop adaptation for wheat and maize, along with innovative approaches in architectural and physiology-based modelling of crop functioning. An outlook and dialogue on future directions in plant system research challenges readers with contrasting opinions on the way forward.

Learn the fundamentals as well as in-depth details of agricultural cropping systems from around the globe! Cropping Systems: Trends and Advances is a comprehensive review of past and present research efforts in North America and other parts of the world. It brings together biological, economic, sociological, and technical aspects of cropping systems in a single source to provide a reference unlike any other on the subject that is available today. This valuable book also points to future directions that cropping systems research needs to take in order to increase sustainable agriculture and feed the growing world population. Charts, tables, and illustrations make the information easy to access and understand. An ideal textbook for graduate and undergraduate courses in agronomy as well as a comprehensive reference for professionals involved in cropping systems research, Cropping Systems: Trends and Advances is a book you’ll refer to again and again. Topics covered in this well-referenced and thoughtfully indexed book include: emerging trends in cropping systems research designing resource-efficient cropping systems soil quality and fertility tillage root dynamics water quality concerns nitrogen use efficiency precision agriculture agricultural biotechnology weed biology and management integrated pest management the important role that cover crops can play key indicators for assessing nitrogen use efficiency in cereal-based agroecosystems the implications of elevated carbon dioxide-induced changes in agroecosystem productivity and a great deal more!

This second edition volume expands on the previous edition with an update on the latest techniques used to study plant systems biology on three specific scales: the molecular level, the tissue level, and the whole plant. Chapters cover topics such as gene regulatory network inference and dynamic modeling using ordinary differential equations or Boolean formalisms; protocols for at-will induction of plant aerial or root organs, or quantification of tissue mechanical properties; mathematical modeling of plant tissue using SimuPlant or VirtualLeaf; and simulating crop root systems using OpenSimRoot or R-SWMS. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols or software tutorials, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Plants Systems Biology: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a valuable resource for plant biologists looking for different approaches to finding solutions to their questions and generating new ideas, as well as for students who desire to discover the field of plant systems biology.

Global crop production must substantially increase to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. This is constrained by the availability of nutrients, water, and land. There is also an urgent need to reduce the negative environmental impacts of crop production. Collectively, these issues represent one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Sustainable cropping systems based on ecological principles are the core of integrated approaches to solve this critical challenge. This special issue provides an international basis for revealing the underlying mechanisms of sustainable cropping systems to drive agronomic innovations. It includes review and original research articles that report novel scientific findings on improvement in cropping systems related to crop yields and their resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, resource use efficiency, environmental impact, sustainability, and ecosystem services.

The book is about the seed development in the model and crop plants. Seed development is a key step of the plant life cycle that determines the nutrient value of seeds – the life for human civilization, growth, and development. The nutrient value of seeds is mainly due to storage reserve products such as carbohydrates, lipids (triacylglycerols), and proteins. The book primarily focuses on application of the 21st century high-throughput technologies transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and systems biology in near complete understanding of the various processes involved in seed development in different crop plants. The book reveals how such technologies have revolutionized our understanding of the multilayer processes and regulations involved therein by generating large-scale datasets. Accumulated datasets provide basic knowledge to develop integrated strategies to eventually improve the nutritional value of plant seed and crop yield, a critical goal in food security issues around the globe.