Most crop plants grow in environments that are suboptimal, which prevents the plants from attaining their full genetic potential for growth and reproduction. Stress due to abiotic and biotic agents has a significant effect on world food production. Annually, an estimated 15% of global yields are lost, but this figure belies far greater losses for specific food systems and the people whose existence is dependent upon them, particularly in developing countries. Current efforts to mitigate these losses are worryingly over-reliant on the use of sophisticated and costly chemicals /measures with substantial economic and environmental costs, or on the development of efficient and smart crop varieties, which can take decades. What we need is a broad range of safe, robust and equitable solutions for food producers. One under-investigated approach is that of utilizing the crop plant’s innate immune system to resist stress. More specifically, the innate immune system can be sensitized or ‘primed’ to respond more quickly and strongly to protect the plant against stresses. However, a strategy of employing priming in combination with reduced pesticide use can enhance protection, and help to meet commitments to reducing chemical inputs in agriculture. This book discusses in detail different segments of priming in addressing stress factors and traits to increase competitiveness against all odds. Adopting a holistic and systematic approach, it addresses priming to counter climate-change related adverse effects coupled with pest and pathogen related stress on the productivity of crops utilizing natural resources to reap sustainable environmental, economic and social benefits for potential productivity of crops, maintaining synergy between soil, water and plants in ways that mimic nature.

The demand for plant foods in all global markets has been increasing along with awareness of greenhouse gases generated from animal farming, expanded sentiments against animal slaughtering and common perception of the health benefits of plant food products. Accordingly, more attention has been placed on green processing of plant foods for the optimization of their nutritional and health benefits. Sprouted vegetable products have been studied and reported in many scientific investigations to qualitatively improve the phytochemistry, enhance the nutritional profile and improve the biological functionality potentials of such vegetables beyond their initial natural states. Vegetable sprouts have been reported to possess aspects that make them serviceable for the management of metabolic syndrome disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other health issues related to cellular oxidation of body cells, and antimicrobial bioactive components have been isolated from vegetable sprouts. Advances in Plant Sprouts: Phytochemistry and Biofunctionalities provides a singular source on recent advances in studies about the dietetic and nutraceutical potencies of vegetable sprouts and increases awareness on the possibility of processing plant foods to make them more nutritionally beneficial. Green production is another important aspect of this text since plant foods processed by sprouting are free of agrochemicals, consume less energy and utilize less manpower, making them easy to produce and environmentally friendly as well. Consumption and production of sprouted vegetables has been increasing in recent years, and this text covers the production and nutritional aspects of all the major sprout groups.

Minerals—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Minerals. The editors have built Minerals—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Minerals in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Minerals—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

The recent researches performed in seed science have transformed agricultural practices and have affected agricultural production as well. This book is meant for students who are looking for an elaborate reference text on seed science. It delves into significant topics, such as seed development, seed structure, germination, etc. With state-of-the-art inputs by acclaimed experts of this field, this book targets students and professionals alike.

For nearly a century, scientific advances have fueled progress in U.S. agriculture to enable American producers to deliver safe and abundant food domestically and provide a trade surplus in bulk and high-value agricultural commodities and foods. Today, the U.S. food and agricultural enterprise faces formidable challenges that will test its long-term sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience. On its current path, future productivity in the U.S. agricultural system is likely to come with trade-offs. The success of agriculture is tied to natural systems, and these systems are showing signs of stress, even more so with the change in climate. More than a third of the food produced is unconsumed, an unacceptable loss of food and nutrients at a time of heightened global food demand. Increased food animal production to meet greater demand will generate more greenhouse gas emissions and excess animal waste. The U.S. food supply is generally secure, but is not immune to the costly and deadly shocks of continuing outbreaks of food-borne illness or to the constant threat of pests and pathogens to crops, livestock, and poultry. U.S. farmers and producers are at the front lines and will need more tools to manage the pressures they face. Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030 identifies innovative, emerging scientific advances for making the U.S. food and agricultural system more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. This report explores the availability of relatively new scientific developments across all disciplines that could accelerate progress toward these goals. It identifies the most promising scientific breakthroughs that could have the greatest positive impact on food and agriculture, and that are possible to achieve in the next decade (by 2030).