As the world’s population rises to an expected ten billion in the next few generations, the challenges of feeding humanity and maintaining an ecological balance will dramatically increase. Today we rely on just four crops for 80 percent of all consumed calories: wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans. Indeed, reliance on these four crops may also mean we are one global plant disease outbreak away from major famine. In this revolutionary and controversial book, Jonathan Gressel argues that alternative plant crops lack the genetic diversity necessary for wider domestication and that even the Big Four have reached a “genetic glass ceiling”: no matter how much they are bred, there is simply not enough genetic diversity available to significantly improve their agricultural value. Gressel points the way through the glass ceiling by advocating transgenics—a technique where genes from one species are transferred to another. He maintains that with simple safeguards the technique is a safe solution to the genetic glass ceiling conundrum. Analyzing alternative crops—including palm oil, papaya, buckwheat, tef, and sorghum—Gressel demonstrates how gene manipulation could enhance their potential for widespread domestication and reduce our dependency on the Big Four. He also describes a number of ecological benefits that could be derived with the aid of transgenics. A compelling synthesis of ideas from agronomy, medicine, breeding, physiology, population genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology, Genetic Glass Ceilings presents transgenics as an inevitable and desperately necessary approach to securing and diversifying the world's food supply.
Weeds are rarely considered a priority despite the fact that all active farmers know that the majority of their variable costs and time are devoted to eradicating them. Even most crop losses due to pests can be traced directly back to weeds, which harbor the pests as secondary hosts. In the Molecular Biology of Weed Control, Jonathan Gressel focuses attention upon the tools of molecular biology that can be used effectively in the science of weed control. Always keeping his perspective congruent with that of the working farmer, Gressel explains how weed biologists and ecologists are beginning to use recently developed tools to control intransigent weed species in modern as well as less developed areas of the world. With his usual candor, Gressel evaluates past efforts, while also exploring future prospects for replacing chemical herbicides with genetic engineering, to improve a crop's ability to compete against its feral cousins for light, nutrients, and water. Like much of Gressel's work, this book should be mandatory reading for all agriculturists and plant scientists, so that they employ and encourage what is truly effective and efficient in meeting one of this century's most critical challenges: maximizing agricultural productivity.
Molecular Biology of Weed Control assesses the impact of the new tools of molecular biology on the science of weed control as well as the ways in which the science of weed control has helped and influenced molecular biology. Accentuating the utility of molecular biology to contribute to the control of intransigent weed species both in the developing and developed world, the book also looks to the future and describes how molecular biology can be used to diminish the use of chemical herbicides, and enhance crop competitiveness for light, nutrients and water. This volume is essential reading for all weed scientists, environmental students, researchers, and regulators.
As the world’s population rises to an expected ten billion in the next few generations, the challenges of feeding humanity and maintaining an ecological balance will dramatically increase. Today we rely on just four crops for 80 percent of all consumed calories: wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans. Indeed, reliance on these four crops may also mean we are one global plant disease outbreak away from major famine. In this revolutionary and controversial book, Jonathan Gressel argues that alternative plant crops lack the genetic diversity necessary for wider domestication and that even the Big Four have reached a “genetic glass ceiling”: no matter how much they are bred, there is simply not enough genetic diversity available to significantly improve their agricultural value. Gressel points the way through the glass ceiling by advocating transgenics—a technique where genes from one species are transferred to another. He maintains that with simple safeguards the technique is a safe solution to the genetic glass ceiling conundrum. Analyzing alternative crops—including palm oil, papaya, buckwheat, tef, and sorghum—Gressel demonstrates how gene manipulation could enhance their potential for widespread domestication and reduce our dependency on the Big Four. He also describes a number of ecological benefits that could be derived with the aid of transgenics. A compelling synthesis of ideas from agronomy, medicine, breeding, physiology, population genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology, Genetic Glass Ceilings presents transgenics as an inevitable and desperately necessary approach to securing and diversifying the world's food supply.
Witchweeds (Striga species) decimate agriculture in much of Africa and parts of Asia, attacking the major cereal grains and legumes, and halving the already very low yields of subsistence farmers. Several years of research have provided promising technologies, based on the fundamental biology of the parasite?host associations, for dealing with this scourge. However, there is an apparent realization that these technologies will fail because highly successful weeds such as Striga evolve resistance to all types of controls unless proven methods are integrated with each other for a more sustainable solution.Integration is often an anathema to basic scientists who typically deal with single variables and solutions. However, key leaders in the development of the new knowledge-based control strategies, already in the field and under development, recently joined forces to develop strategies and projects in order to integrate the technologies in a symposium in Ethiopia in November 2006. The encouraging results are described in this peer-reviewed book, authored by leaders in the field who have been supplying the basic biology, genetics, biochemistry, and molecular information that have offered insights and generated technologies in how to deal with Striga.
This volume provides a synthesis of recent work on evolutionary aspects of metal tolerance in plants. It presents contributions from scientists with a wide diversity of expertise. It covers the evolution of heavy metal tolerance in groups of plants, fungi, and protists. The book discusses the physiological, genetic and molecular aspects of metal tolerances. It deals with the evolution of populations in metal-contaminated environments. Several chapters include tolerance in animals in order to place the rest of the book on plants in proper perspective. This publication is an exciting addition for scientists with both applied and basic interest in metal toxicity and tolerance. It is of importance to those in vegetation ecology, land reclamation, agronomy, physiology, population ecology, ecological genetics, evolutionary biology and molecular biology.
As the irreversible effects of glaucoma can lead to blindness, there is high demand for early diagnosis and an ongoing need for practitioners to adopt new and evolving medical and surgical treatment options to improve patient outcomes. Glaucoma, Second Edition is the most comprehensive resource in the field delivering expert guidance for the most timely and effective diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma – aimed at specialists, fellows and general ophthalmologists. More than 300 contributors from six continents provide a truly global perspective and explore new approaches in this user friendly reference which has been updated with enhanced images, more spotlights, new videos, and more. Consult this title on your favorite e-reader, conduct rapid searches, and adjust font sizes for optimal readability. Get all the accuracy, expertise, and dependability you could ask for from leading specialists across six continents, for expert guidance and a fresh understanding of the subject. Develop a thorough, clinically relevant understanding of all aspects of adult and pediatric glaucoma and the latest diagnostic imaging techniques including ultrasound biomicroscopy and optical coherence tomography. Broaden your surgical repertoire with the latest surgical techniques - such as trabeculectomy, gonio-surgery, combined surgeries, and implant procedures. Glean all essential, up-to-date, need-to-know information about stem cell research, gene transfer, and implants. Find answers fast thanks to a well-organized, user-friendly full-color layout. Stay at the forefront of your field with 10 brand new chapters on trending topics including: new surgical approaches such as trabectome and canoplasty; glaucoma implications in cataract and ocular surface disease; and, updates in the costs-effectiveness of medical management. Avoid pitfalls and achieve the best outcomes thanks to more than 40 brand new spotlight commentaries from key leaders providing added insight, tips and pearls of wisdom across varying hot topics and advances in the field. Refine and improve your surgical skills by watching over 50 video clips depicting the latest techniques and procedures including: new trabeculectomy methods, needling, implants, valve complications, and more. Prevent and plan for complications in advance by examining over 1,600 illustrations, photos and graphics (1,250 in color) capturing essential diagnostics techniques, imaging methods and surgical approaches. Grasp each procedure and review key steps quickly with chapter summary boxes that provide at-a-glance quick comprehension of the key take away points.
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