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Plant molecular biology has produced an ever-increasing flood of data about genes and genomes. Evolutionary biology and systematics provides the context for synthesizing this information. This book brings together contributions from evolutionary biologists, systematists, developmental geneticists, biochemists, and others working on diverse aspects of plant biology whose work touches to varying degrees on plant molecular evolution. The book is organized in three parts, the first of which introduces broad topics in evolutionary biology and summarizes advances in plant molecular phylogenetics, with emphasis on model plant systems. The second segment presents a series of case studies of gene family evolution, while the third gives overviews of the evolution of important plant processes such as disease resistance, nodulation, hybridization, transposable elements and genome evolution, and polyploidy.

This book is a first attempt to link well-known plant resistance phenomena with emerging concepts in molecular biology. Resistance phenomena such as the local lesion response, induced resistance, "green islands" and resistance in various crop plants are linked with new information on gene-silencing mechanisms, gene silencing suppressors, movement proteins and plasmodesmatal gating, downstream signalling components, and more.

Handbook of Maize: Its Biology centers on the past, present and future of maize as a model for plant science research and crop improvement. The book includes brief, focused chapters from the foremost maize experts and features a succinct collection of informative images representing the maize germplasm collection.

Many fungi and bacteria that associate with plants are potentially harmful and can cause disease, while others enter into mutually beneficial sym bioses. Co-evolution of plants with pathogenic and symbiotic microbes has lead to refined mechanisms of reciprocal recognition, defense and counter defense. Genes in both partners determine and regulate these mechanisms. A detailed understanding of these genes provides basic biological insights as well as a starting point for developing novel methods of crop protection against pathogens. This volume deals with defense-related genes of plants and their regulation as well as with the genes of microbes involved in their interaction with plants. Our discussion begins at the level of populations and addresses the complex interaction of plant and microbial genes in multigenic disease resistance and its significance for crop protection as compared to mono genic resistance (Chap. 1). Although monogenic disease resistance may have its problems in the practice of crop protection, it is appealing to the experimentalist: in the so-called gene-for-gene systems, single genes in the plant and in the pathogen specify the compatibility or incompatibility of an interaction providing an ideal experimental system for studying events at the molecular level (Chaps. 2 and 4). Good progress has been made in identifying viral, bacterial, and fungal genes important in virulence and host range (Chaps. 3-6). An important aspect of plant-microbe interactions is the exchange of chemical signals. Microbes can respond to chemical signals of plant origin.

The main theme of the book is sustainable disease management in a European context. Some of the questions addressed are: How does society benefit from plant pathology research? How can new molecular approaches solve relevant problems in disease management? What other fields can we exploit in plant pathology research? What challenges are associated with free trade across the new borders? How can we contribute to solving problems of developing countries? How does plant pathology contribute to food quality and safety? How does globalization/internationalization affect teaching and extension in plant pathology?

Induced resistance offers the prospect of broad spectrum, long-lasting and potentially environmentally-benign disease and pest control in plants. Induced Resistance for Plant Defense 2e provides a comprehensive account of the subject, encompassing the underlying science and methodology, as well as research on application of the phenomenon in practice. The second edition of this important book includes updated coverage of cellular aspects of induced resistance, including signalling and defenses, costs and trade-offs associated with the expression of induced resistance, research aimed at integrating induced resistance into crop protection practice, and induced resistance from a commercial perspective. Current thinking on how beneficial microbes induce resistance in plants has been included in the second edition. The 14 chapters in this book have been written by internationally-respected researchers and edited by three editors with considerable experience of working on induced resistance. Like its predecessor, the second edition of Induced Resistance for Plant Defense will be of great interest to plant pathologists, plant cell and molecular biologists, agricultural scientists, crop protection specialists, and personnel in the agrochemical industry. All libraries in universities and research establishments where biological, agricultural, horticultural and forest sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this book on their shelves.