Chemicals inhibiting the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids form a new and promising class of herbicides. This volume discusses in an authoritative way recent developments in this field and covers important aspects of these potent herbicides (synthesis, structure-activity, mode of action, selectivity, weed resistance, metabolism).
This publication is based on the plant processes and reaction sites for which reliable knowledge on both their physiology and biochem-istry and the mode of herbicidal action is available. Targets of the agrochemical research, such as enzymes of biosynthetic pathways or herbicide-binding peptides in the photosynthetic membrane, are highlighted. Detailed knowledge about the target sites will allow bio-chemical model systems to evaluate the biological activity of newly synthesized compounds before their conventional screening in the greenhouse. Quantitative structure/activity relationships should be performed more reliably with simple biological species or enzymol-ogy assays, to aid in the rational design of pesticides. This text is highly valuable for plant physiologists, pathologists, and chemists in the agrochemical industry and universities.
Developments in the understanding of herbicide activity and toxicology have expanded tremendously in the past fifteen years. Research on the mechanism of action of most major classes of herbicide chemistry has provided scientists with excellent insight into enzyme targets. More recently, developments in molecular biology have provided information about herbicide action at the genetic level. Less well understood are the toxicological aspects of herbicide activity that culminate in plant injury or death. Toxicology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Herbicide Activity is a review of the recent literature on most of the major classes of herbicide chemistry in commercial use. The chapters include information about different aspects of herbicide activity related to photosynthesis, inhibition of amino acid biosynthesis, disruption of cell division and microtubule assembly, activity of phytohormone (auxin) mimics, inhibition of fatty acid biosynthesis and some developments in the understanding of herbicide resistance.
This book reflects the growing interest in the pathways of the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids. With contributions from various subdisciplines, it represents an extensive state-of-the-art report. Numerous aspects of the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids are covered, such as control of gene expression, the interaction among metabolic pathways under physiological conditions and unusual circumstances, and the stereochemical and mechanistic aspects of enzymes involved. It also considers possible applications to biotechnological problems and the development of novel herbicides. Special Feature: An extensive general bibliography to help the reader find further important information on the subject.
First attempts to isolate plant genes were for those genes that are abun dantly expressed in a particular plant organ at a specific stage of devel opment. However, many important gene products are produced in a very minute quantity and in specialized cell types. Such genes can now be isolated using a variety of approaches, some of which are described in this volume. The rapid progress during the last decade in regeneration of a number of crop plants and the availability of molecular tools to introduce foreign genes in plants is allowing the engineering of specific traits of agri cultural importance. These genes must, however, be regulated in a spatial and temporal manner in order to have desired effects on plant devel opment and productivity. The habitat of plants necessitate adaptive responses with respect to the environmental changes. Starting from germination of the seed, the plant begins to sense environmental cues such as moisture, light, temperature and the presence of pathogens, and begins to respond to them. Little is known about various signal transduction pathways that lead to biochemical and morphogenetic responses, in particular, transition from vegetative to reproductive phase. With the availability of tools to generate specific mutations via transposon tagging, identification and isolation of genes affecting these processes may be facilitated. Transfer of these genes into heterologous environments will allow understanding of the complex processes that control plant development.
Environmental Fate and Safety Management of Agrochemicals discusses residue analysis, environmental fate and safety management, environmental risk assessment, metabolism, resistance and management, and advances in formulation and application technology from the academic, government, and industry perspective. Meaningful ecological and environmental risk assessment of pest control agents is possible only when accurate and credible metabolic and environmental fate data is available. The advent of affordable and sensitive liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has greatly increased our ability to detect environmentally relevant metabolites and degradation products following the application of these materials. Furthermore, ecological risk assessment and monitoring of pesticide resistance in field populations has become more feasible and cost effective by employing hig-hroughout molecular diagnostic techniques on the genetic leve3l and LC/MS techniques on the proteomic and meabolomic levels. Efficient formulations and application technologies have greatly reduced the amount of materials that are required to achieve effective pest control and hence reduce their ecological and environmental impacts. Controlled release, stabilization and dispersion technologies have provided the pest manager with new tools that allow them to use necessary pest control options in "best management strategies."
Chemical pest control is in use in practically every country in the world since agrochemicals play a decisive role in ensuring food supply and protection against damage by pests, insects and pathogenic fungi. Particularly in the half century since World War II, food production has risen dramatically in most parts of the world. In the last 20 years, the yield of major crops has roughly doubled in Western agriculture and there is still the potential for further achievements, particularly in the developing countries. The world's cereal and rice production, now more than 2 billion tons/year, has to increase by 2. 4% annually to cope with the rising food demand caused mainly by the growing population and improvement of living standards in most of the developing countries. Such a demand for food has to be achieved by higher yields from the restricted arable land already in use. Global farm land resources are about 1. 4 billion ha, of which 1. 2 billion ha is cultivated with major crops. Experts agree that a future substantial addition of new produc tive areas is unlikely. Those with a high yield potential are already in use; new fields with a lower output may possibly be obtained by cultivation of arid or cold areas. More recently, new areas of large-scale farmland have been devel oped in tropical regions of Latin America, primarily in Argentina and Brazil, at the cost of the destruction of tropical rain forest.
Over the past 50 years, triazines have made a great impact on agriculture and world hunger by assisting in the development of new farming methods, providing greater farming and land use capabilities, and increasing crop yields. Triazines are registered in over 80 countries and save billions of dollars a year. The Triazine Herbicides is the one book that presents a comprehensive view of the total science and agriculture of these chemicals. With emphasis on how the chemicals are studied and developed, reviewed, and used at the agricultural level this book provides valuable insight into the benefits of triazine herbicides for sustainable agriculture. - Presents previously unpublished information on the discovery, development and marketing of herbicides - Includes a vital section on the origin, use, economics and fate of triazine herbicides - Covers benefits of triazines in corn and sorghum, sugarcane, citrus, fruit and nut crops - Establishes best management practice and environmental benefits of use in conservation tillage
Volume 324 of Methods in Enzymology supplements Volume 166. It includes genetic information (cloning, gene expression) and information on human genetic diseases not available when Volume 166 was published.
