Herbicides are part of modern agricultural production systems and therefore contribute significantly to the economy of agricultural products. At the same time, herbicides are potent and specific inhibitors of plant metabolism and may therefore be used as valuable tools in basic plant physiological research. A well-known example is the photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicide diuron, known to plant physiologists as DCMU, which has become one of the essentials in modern photosynthesis research. Similarly, knowledge in other areas of plant metabolism may be advanced by the use of herbicides as specific inhibitors. This book describes the effects of herbicides on the metabolism of higher plants from the viewpoint of the plant physiologist. The material of this book is therefore, as far as possible, divided into areas of metabolism. This book intends (1) to present the reader with current knowledge and views in the area of herbicide modes of action and (2) to promote the future use of herbicides as metabolic inhibitors in plant physiological research to the advantage of both, the pesticide and the plant sciences. I wish to express my thanks to my colleagues and friends Prof. N. Amrhein, Prof. E. Elstner, Dr. L. Eue, Dr. J. Konze, Dr. K. Liirssen, Dr. W.Oettmeier, Dr. H. Quader, Dr. R. R. Schmidt, Dr. R. H. Shimabukuro, Dr. J. Stetter, Prof.

This book highlights the latest findings on fundamental aspects of composting, the interaction of various microorganisms, and the underlying mechanisms. In addition to addressing modern tools and techniques used for composting research, it provides an overview of potential composting applications in both agriculture and environmental reclamation. Composting is the process of organic waste decomposition, mediated by microorganisms. The end-product is called ‘compost’ and can be used as a supplement to improve soil fertility. As the municipal waste generated in most developing countries contains a substantial amount of organic matter suitable for composting, this technology offers a win-win opportunity for stakeholders in terms of disposing of organic waste and providing organic fertilizers for agriculture. In addition, using compost reduces the dependency on harmful chemical fertilizers, and represents a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.

The actinomycetes are a group of bacteria well known as producers of antibiotics. With the advent of molecular biology they have become important to biotechnologists in the search for new antibiotics, vitamins, enzyme inhibitors, etc. They also play an important role in the biodegradation of wastes, and their wide (natural) distribution in soil, composts, water and elsewhere in the environment makes them important to the agricultural and waste industries. This research book presents a broad view of the current interest in actinomycetes, ranging from isolation/screening of actinomycetes, discovery of new antibiotics, a substantial contribution on genetic manipulation to actinomycetes in agriculture, forestry, and the threat of actinomycetes as pollutants in the environment.The chapters, which have been written by experts, are intended to provide a balanced view of the opportunities and problems in an expanding field of interest.

Insects as a group occupy a middle ground in the biosphere between bacteria and viruses at one extreme, amphibians and mammals at the other. The size and general nature of insects present special problems to the student of entomology. For example, many commercially available instruments are geared to measure in grams, while the forces commonly encountered in studying insects are in the milligram range. Therefore, techniques developed in the study of insects or in those fields concerned with the control of insect pests are often unique. Methods for measuring things are common to all sciences. Advances sometimes depend more on how something was done than on what was measured; indeed a given field often progresses from one technique to another as new methods are discovered, developed, and modified. Just as often, some of these techniques find their way into the classroom when the problems involved have been suffi ciently ironed out to permit students to master the manipulations in a few lab oratory periods. Many specialized techniques are confined to one specific research laboratory. Although methods may be considered commonplace where they are used, in another context even the simplest procedures may save considerable time. It is the purpose of this series (1) to report new developments in methodology, (2) to reveal sources of groups who have dealt with and solved particular entomo logical problems, and (3) to describe experiments which may be applicable for use in biology laboratory co~rses.