This publication presents the proceedings of a regional technical meeting held in Budapest, Hungary from 6 to 10 March 2001. The meeting was organized and implemented by the Agricultural Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvasar, Hungary, in close collaboration with FAO's Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service. In line with the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action, the meeting recognized that one of the major challenges facing most countries in the region is the need to invest significant resources in strengthening their capacity to increase the availability of good quality seed of a wider range of plant varieties. This will contribute to the maximization of both agrobiodiversity and productivity, in order to achieve national food security while reducing environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources."

The projected increase in world population levels and the subsequent rise in food demand represents a huge challenge for agricultural production systems worldwide. This publication examines the opportunities and challenges raised by the use of plant genetic resources and highlights the contribution that data from multi-environment yield trials can provide for the definition of adaptation strategies and yield stability targets in plant breeding programmes. It contains a case study about a durum wheat crop programme in Algeria, and also includes a CD-ROM with data from IRRISTAT, a programme developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Triticale, the first successful human-made cereal grain, was produced in 1875 by crossing wheat with rye. This publication contains updated information on various aspects of triticale production, uses and marketing strategies worldwide; and it includes 13 country reports on the crop's production and research status.

Drawing on literature reviews from ongoing unpublished research, research reports and symposia carried out on various aspects of the importance, ecology, biology and control of weedy rices, this publication also highlights global economic and environmental problems created by weedy rices, including red rice types.

This document, published in two volumes, contains the summaries of the residue data considered and the recommendations made at the 2004 Joint Meeting of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Residues in Food and the WHO Core Assessment Group.

The annual Joint Meeting of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Residues in Food and the Environment and the WHO Core Assessment Group on Pesticide Residues was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 18 to 27 September 2007. The Meeting was held in pursuance of recommendations made by previous meetings and accepted by the governing bodies of FAO and WHO that studies should be undertaken jointly by experts to evaluate possible hazards to humans arising from the occurrence of pesticide residues in foods. This report contains information on ADIs, ARfDs, maximum residue levels, and general principles for the evaluation of pesticides. The recommendations of the Joint Meeting, including further research and information, are proposed for use by Member governments of the respective agencies and other interested parties.

The annual Joint Meeting of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Residues in Food and the Environment and WHO Core Assessment Group on Pesticide Residues was held in Geneva, Switzerland from 20 to 29 September 2005. The Panel reviewed pesticide use patterns (good agricultural practice), data on the chemistry and composition of the pesticides and methods of analysis for pesticide residues. The WHO Core Assessment Group reviewed toxicological and related data, and estimated acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) for humans. This report contains information on ADIs, maximum residue levels and general principles for the evaluation of pesticides.