Agriculture plays a vital role supporting human life on Earth but faces significant challenges because of population growth, plant pathogens, and climate change. Genetic engineering of crops promises to increase food yields, create drought- and pest-resistant crops, and improve nutrition in the developing world. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology examines the molecular bases of different plant characteristics and how they can be manipulated genetically using modern molecular biological techniques. The contributors review recent advances in our understanding of plant plasticity, circadian rhythms, stomatal development, inflorescence architecture, symbiotic phosphate acquisition, and specialized plant metabolism and discuss how this knowledge might be used to boost yields, improve tolerance to pathogens and environmental stress, and enhance nutritional content. Several chapters are devoted to the development of specific genetically modified plants (e.g., disease-resistant cassava and submergence-tolerant rice) and their agronomic and socioeconomic impacts. The generation of blight-resistant American chestnut trees--the first bioengineered plants developed with the goal of ecological restoration--is also described. This volume is therefore an essential read for all plant biologists, geneticists, and engineers interested in addressing agricultural as well as environmental challenges.

As the oldest and largest human intervention in nature, the science of agriculture is one of the most intensely studied practices. From manipulation of plant gene structure to the use of plants for bioenergy, biotechnology interventions in plant and agricultural science have been rapidly developing over the past ten years with immense forward leaps on an annual basis. This book begins by laying the foundations for plant biotechnology by outlining the biological aspects including gene structure and expression, and the basic procedures in plant biotechnology of genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. It then focuses on a discussion of the impacts of biotechnology on plant breeding technologies and germplasm sustainability. The role of biotechnology in the improvement of agricultural traits, production of industrial products and pharmaceuticals as well as biomaterials and biomass provide a historical perspective and a look to the future. Sections addressing intellectual property rights and sociological and food safety issues round out the holistic discussion of this important topic. Includes specific emphasis on the inter-relationships between basic plant biotechnologies and applied agricultural applications, and the way they contribute to each other Provides an updated review of the major plant biotechnology procedures and techniques, their impact on novel agricultural development and crop plant improvement Takes a broad view of the topic with discussions of practices in many countries

Molecular Aspects of Plant Beneficial Microbes in Agriculture explores their diverse interactions, including the pathogenic and symbiotic relationship which leads to either a decrease or increase in crop productivity. Focusing on these environmentally-friendly approaches, the book explores their potential in changing climatic conditions. It presents the exploration and regulation of beneficial microbes in offering sustainable and alternative solutions to the use of chemicals in agriculture. The beneficial microbes presented here are capable of contributing to nutrient balance, growth regulators, suppressing pathogens, orchestrating immune response and improving crop performance. The book also offers insights into the advancements in DNA technology and bioinformatic approaches which have provided in-depth knowledge about the molecular arsenal involved in mineral uptake, nitrogen fixation, growth promotion and biocontrol attributes.

"The book...is, in fact, a short text on the many practical problems...associated with translating the explosion in basic biotechnological research into the next Green Revolution," explains Economic Botany. The book is "a concise and accurate narrative, that also manages to be interesting and personal...a splendid little book." Biotechnology states, "Because of the clarity with which it is written, this thin volume makes a major contribution to improving public understanding of genetic engineering's potential for enlarging the world's food supply...and can be profitably read by practically anyone interested in application of molecular biology to improvement of productivity in agriculture."

As biological diversity continues to shrink at an alarming rate, the loss of plant species poses a threat seemingly less visible than the loss of animals but in many ways more critical. In this book, one of America's leading ethnobotanists warns about our loss of natural vegetation and plant diversity while providing insights into traditional Native agricultural practices in the Americas. Gary Paul Nabhan here reveals the rich diversity of plants found in tropical forests and their contribution to modern crops, then tells how this diversity is being lost to agriculture and lumbering. He then relates "local parables" of Native American agriculture—from wild rice in the Great Lakes region to wild gourds in Florida—that convey the urgency of this situation and demonstrate the need for saving the seeds of endangered plants. Nabhan stresses the need for maintaining a wide gene pool, not only for the survival of these species but also for the preservation of genetic strains that can help scientists breed more resilient varieties of other plants. Enduring Seeds is a book that no one concerned with our environment can afford to ignore. It clearly shows us that, as agribusiness increasingly limits the food on our table, a richer harvest can be had by preserving ancient ways. This edition features a new foreword by Miguel Altieri, one of today's leading spokesmen for sustainable agriculture and the preservation of indigenous farming methods.

Native Plant Agriculture (NPA) is the implementing of edible native plants and native animals as the basis of a primarily perennial agricultural system while mimicking native plant communities in format. To help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere our current cropland needs to shift from annuals to perennials; tree, shrub, and herbaceous crops. Native Plant Agriculture meets this environmental need through native plants to simultaneously address a second issue of biodiversity decline.Cropland is the most biologically dead zone outside of the concrete dominated landscapes of downtown areas of cities which footprint wise are a drop in the bucket in comparison. Without the cessation of this corn/soy based annual crop system, even if all other non-agricultural sectors ended fossil fuel emissions, we would still fail to meet the necessary emission reductions to prevent catastrophic climate change. Because of biodiversity decline, the "insect apocalypse", and climate change; it isn't a matter of if we should supplant the system, it is a matter of what we should supplant the system with. Restoring the evolutionary relationships of native plants and their associated fauna on cropland directly addresses ecosystem displacement/habitat loss, skyrocketing of greenhouse emissions, and the resulting climate destabilization and fauna population crashes and extinctions primarily caused by agriculture and invasive plants. Volume 1 features 35 different profiles on native plant crops and their associated fauna, design method for the different formats of NPA, highlights of the native fauna connections of NPA, an explanation of how land use efficiency holds the greatest potential for biodiversity recovery, food production increases, and climate change mitigation.

What needs to happen if we are going to feed almost 10 billion people by the year 2050 in a sustainable way? Written for first- and second-year university students, this interdisciplinary textbook addresses this challenging question, presenting biological, economic, and sociocultural issues at an introductory level. Presenting and integrating information from many disciplines, this book invites readers to consider the complexity of feeding humanity and increasing food production sustainably. Topics covered include: the development, physiology, and nutrition of plants human nutrition and food safety photosynthesis and energy transformations genetics, molecular biology, and genomics, including the techniques of genetic transformation (gene silencing, gene editing with CRISPR) used in modern crop breeding crop domestication and plant breeding soil ecosystems The applications of modern biotechnology to agriculture extend far beyond GMOs, and include crop improvements that rely on knowledge of the plant’s genomes and its analysis by bioinformatics. Challenging and controversial topics such as the safety of pesticides and GMOs, the increasing demand foranimal products and the stresses this puts on agricultural output, organic farming and foods, and patenting new crop varieties are dealt with in a balanced way, inviting teachers and students to consider all the implications of these serious questions.