Recent advances in plant cell and molecular biology have opened new avenues for the improvement of crop plants in the genus "Brassica" - oilseeds and vegetables of worldwide economic importance. This volume reviews advances in various areas of "Brassica" biotechnology. It covers the use of rapid-cycle brassicas, tissue culture and gene transfer, molecular genetics, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, and molecular farming. Contributors are world-leading international "Brassica" researchers. The volume is an invaluable reference for plant breeders, researchers and graduate students in the fields of plant biotechnology, agronomy, horticulture, genetics, and cell and molecular biology.
Brassica crop species and their allies (Raphanus, Sinapis, Eruca, etc.) are important sources of edible roots, stems, leaves, buds and inflorescences, as well as of edible or industrial oils, condiments and forage. Many well known names of plants or plant products, such as kale, cabbage, brocolli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohl-rabi, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rape, rutabaga, swede, colza or rapeseed, canola, mustard, rocket, etc. are directly associated to this botanical group.The scientific interest for this botanical group has run parallel to its economical importance, and research achievements in our days would have certainly appeared unimaginable only two decades ago. As the end of the millenium approaches, entirely new fields (transformation, somatic fusion, etc.) have been added to the classical ones. Thus, nobody can doubt the opportuneness of this book, which combines and presents both the basic and applied biological aspects of the Brassica species.
Wild crop relatives are now playing a significant part in the elucidation and improvement of the genomes of their cultivated counterparts. This work includes comprehensive examinations of the status, origin, distribution, morphology, cytology, genetic diversity and available genetic and genomic resources of numerous wild crop relatives, as well as of their evolution and phylogenetic relationship. Further topics include their role as model plants, genetic erosion and conservation efforts, and their domestication for the purposes of bioenergy, phytomedicines, nutraceuticals and phytoremediation. Wild Crop Relatives: Genomic and Breeding Resources comprises 10 volumes on Cereals, Millets and Grasses, Oilseeds, Legume Crops and Forages, Vegetables, Temperate Fruits, Tropical and Subtropical Fruits, Industrial Crops, Plantation and Ornamental Crops, and Forest Trees. It contains 125 chapters written by nearly 400 well-known authors from about 40 countries.
This is the first comprehensive reference compilation on the substance class of glucosinolates. This handbook introduces the reader to the sulfur-containing glucosinolates (S-glucosides), a class of secondary metabolites of almost all plants of the order Capparales, in particular in the family Brassicaceae (e.g. broccoli and other cabbages), derived from glucose and an amino acid. The book illustrates the natural variety of glucosinolate structures, mainly derived from the precursor amino acid. Chapters describe the resulting rich bioactivity of the glucosides, for example as anti-cancer agents, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, their potential phytotoxic effects, antimicrobial activity and their possible role in neurodegenerative diseases and human health. Different methods for the extraction, characterization, quantification and processing of the glucosinolates are introduced, and potential applications are discussed. The fate of glucosinolates during food processing is also briefly addressed. This handbook is written by leading experts and structured in different sections addressing the natural occurrence of glucosinolates, their (bio-)synthesis, bioactivity, food processing of glucosinolate-containing vegetables, health and disease-related aspects, biotechnology, and methods applied in glucosinolate-research. It is thus a rich reference source for every reader working in the field, from chemists and biotechnologists, to life scientists, pharmacists and medical scientists.
Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.
The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is the only book on foraging and edible weeds to focus on the thirteen weeds found all over the world, each of which represents a complete food source and extensive medical pharmacy and first-aid kit. More than just a field guide to wild edibles, it is a global plan for human survival. When Katrina Blair was eleven she had a life-changing experience where wild plants spoke to her, beckoning her to become a champion of their cause. Since then she has spent months on end taking walkabouts in the wild, eating nothing but what she forages, and has become a wild-foods advocate, community activist, gardener, and chef, teaching and presenting internationally about foraging and the healthful lifestyle it promotes. Katrina Blair’s philosophy in The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is sobering, realistic, and ultimately optimistic. If we can open our eyes to see the wisdom found in these weeds right under our noses, instead of trying to eradicate an “invasive,” we will achieve true food security. The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is about healing ourselves both in body and in spirit, in an age where technology, commodity agriculture, and processed foods dictate the terms of our intelligence. But if we can become familiar with these thirteen edible survival weeds found all over the world, we will never go hungry, and we will become closer to our own wild human instincts—all the while enjoying the freshest, wildest, and most nutritious food there is. For free! The thirteen plants found growing in every region across the world are: dandelion, mallow, purslane, plantain, thistle, amaranth, dock, mustard, grass, chickweed, clover, lambsquarter, and knotweed. These special plants contribute to the regeneration of the earth while supporting the survival of our human species; they grow everywhere where human civilization exists, from the hottest deserts to the Arctic Circle, following the path of human disturbance. Indeed, the more humans disturb the earth and put our food supply at risk, the more these thirteen plants proliferate. It’s a survival plan for the ages. Including over one hundred unique recipes, Katrina Blair’s book teaches us how to prepare these wild plants from root to seed in soups, salads, slaws, crackers, pestos, seed breads, and seed butters; cereals, green powders, sauerkrauts, smoothies, and milks; first-aid concoctions such as tinctures, teas, salves, and soothers; self-care/beauty products including shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste (and brush), face masks; and a lot more. Whether readers are based at home or traveling, this book aims to empower individuals to maintain a state of optimal health with minimal cost and effort.
Plant breeding during its evolution has been utilizing biodiversity for producing better crops. Nowadays everyone is concerned about saving the biodiversity. Intensive agricultural practices, climate change and Industrialization are having a straight impact on biodiversity. Use of single new improved varieties of crops for large areas is a big threat for crop biodiversity. Modern breeding approaches are also suggesting going back towards the land races and farmer’s varieties for gene hunting for resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. This book includes the description about biodiversity and crop improvement. It also addresses the utilization of plant genetic resources and crop wild relatives for crop improvement through application of traditional plant breeding techniques as well as molecular and genomic approaches. Through this multi authored book an effort has been made to assimilate the most topical results about biodiversity and crop improvement with contemporary plant breeding approaches. Eleven chapters written by leading scientists involved in crop Improvement research worldwide provide sufficient coverage of the major factors impacting utilization of biodiversity for crop improvement.
This book describes how the genome sequence contributes to our understanding of allopolyploidisation and the genome evolution, genetic diversity, complex trait regulation and knowledge-based breeding of this important crop. Numerous examples demonstrate how widespread homoeologous genome rearrangements and exchanges have moulded structural genome diversity following a severe polyploidy bottleneck. The allopolyploid crop species Brassica napus has the most highly duplicated plant genome to be assembled to date, with the largest number of annotated genes. Examples are provided for use of the genome sequence to identify and capture diversity for important agronomic traits, including seed quality and disease resistance. The increased potential for detailed gene discovery using high-density genetic mapping, quantitative genetics and transcriptomic analyses is described in the context of genome availability and illustrated with recent examples. Intimate knowledge of the highly-duplicated gene space, on the one hand, and the repeat landscape on the other, particularly in comparison to the two diploid progenitor genomes, provide a fundamental basis for new insights into the regulatory mechanisms that are coupled with selection for polyploid success and crop evolution.
The Brassica genus contains diverse and economically important species and crops, for example, Brassica oleracea including cauliflower to kohlrabi, B.rapa including pak choi to mizuna, and aquatic crucifers such as watercress. These provide humankind with huge diversities of foods, promoting health and well-being. This substantially expanded second edition reflects the significant advances in knowledge of plant breeding and crop production which have occurred since publication of the original book in 2006. Embracing new Brassicaceae research and concepts of sustainable and automated crop production. An invaluable resource for all those involved in Brassica production, this is essential reading for researchers and students in horticulture and plant science, growers, producers, consultants and industry advisors.
