Contents: Section I.

This volume presents detailed descriptions and analyses of the underlying features, issues and suppositions associated with seed and seedling laboratory bioassays presented in a previous volume. It is, however, broader in scope and substance in that the information provided is relevant to all water-soluble compounds released to soil by putative allelopathic living plants and their litter and residues. It is ultimately an attempt to update and expand the practical guidelines for designing laboratory bioassays that have previously been provided in the literature with the hope that the designs of future seed and seedling laboratory bioassays will become more relevant to field systems. Standard references have been included to provide background and additional details. This volume has been written specifically for researchers and their graduate students who are interested in studying plant-plant allelopathic interactions.

Changing environmental condition and global population demands understanding the plant responses to hostile environment. Significant progress has been made over the past few decades through amalgamation of molecular breeding with non-conventional breeding. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms to stress tolerance has received considerable scientific scrutiny because of the uniqueness of such processes to plant biology, and also its importance in the campaign "Freedom From Hunger". The main intention of this publication is to provide a state-of-the-art and up-to-date knowledge of recent developments in understanding of plant responses to major abiotic stresses, limitations and the current status of crop improvement. A better insight will help in taking a multidisciplinary approach to address the issues affecting plant development and performance under adverse conditions. I trust this book will act as a platform to excel in the field of stress biology.

As a spectroscopic method, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has seen spectacular growth, both as a technique and in its applications. Today's applications of NMR span a wide range of scientific disciplines, from physics to biology to medicine. Each volume of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance comprises a combination of annual and biennial reports which together provide comprehensive coverage of the literature on this topic. This Specialist Periodical Report reflects the growing volume of published work involving NMR techniques and applications, in particular NMR of natural macromolecules, which is covered in two reports: NMR of Proteins and Nucleic Acids and NMR of Carbohydrates, Lipids and Membranes. In his foreword to the first volume, the then editor, Professor Robin Harris announced that the series would be a discussion on the phenomena of NMR and that articles will be critical surveys of the literature. This has certainly remained the case throughout the series, and in line with its predecessors, Volume 40 aims to provide a comprehensive coverage of the relevant NMR literature. For the current volume this relates to publications appearing between June 2009 and May 2010 (the nominal period of coverage in volume 1 was July 1970 to June 1971). Compared to the previous volume there are some new members of the reporting team. Theoretical Aspects of Spin-Spin Couplings are covered by J. Jazwinski, while E. Swiezewska and J.W3⁄4jcik provide an account of NMR of Carbohydrates, Lipids and Membranes.

This handbook comprises huge data amounts considering the areas of world-wide Ethnopharmacology, Pharmacognosy together with modern identification tools within Phytochemistry. In recent years, modern drug design has its return back to nature, rather applying guidance achieved from herb remedies valid during centuries. The handbook established on information of 100 medicinal plants from all parts of the globe, encloses now over 4700 chemical components, their structural formulas and so far, over 500 identification spectra (EI-MS 85%, NMR 15%). It facilitates the rapid survey on medicinal plants as well as search for remedies, where the possibility exists in searching at Portuguese and Russian besides English. Why have I chosen those languages? Because geographically you will be understood on almost of the entire globe! From Western Europe to Hawaii using English, from Minsk to Vladivostok at Russian and because of many Portuguese colonies throughout the world with that language. The names of 100 specimens are provided in Portuguese, English, French, German, Russian, Swedish, Finnish and Hungarian out of Latin (scientific name). Included is a chapter that deals on preparations made for household remedies as well as procedures for industrial upscale for medicine production. The main idea is to provide a structure-based knowledge of synergisms between physiological activities of plant compounds originating from 2nd metabolic pathways and their approved beneficial curing power of “common” diseases (flue, cough, nausea, insomnia) until severe complications like virus diseases, pandemics, cancer and alike.

Seed dormancy and germination are critical processes for the development of plants. Seed dormancy allows seeds to overcome harsh periods of seedling establishment, and is also important for plant agriculture and crop yield. Several processes are involved in the induction of dormancy and in the shift from the dormant to the germinating state, and hormones and regulatory genetic networks are among the critical factors driving these complex processes. Germination can be prevented by different factors leading to seed dormancy, which is highly dependent on environmental cues. During and after germination, early seedling growth is sustained by catabolism of stored reserves (proteins, lipids, or starch) accumulated during seed maturation, supporting cell morphogenesis, chloroplast development, and root growth until photo-auxotrophic growth can be resumed.

This handbook series includes several naturally occurring chemicals that exhibit biological activity. These chemicals are derived from plants, insects, and several microorganisms. Volume II of this series is devoted to methods for isolation and identification for pest control technology.Methods for isolation and characterization are very important for gaining knowledge on how to discover these chemicals when present in such minute amounts (ppm to ppb levels) in nature. Several chemical and biological methods have been developed for isolation, characterization, and analysis of natural pesticides and are included in Volume II.