Plant Life

An updated guide to plant pathogens and their management The impact of plant disease is far-reaching. Its effects are felt not only in the spheres of agriculture and horticulture, but also in human health and wellbeing. The challenges of population growth, climate change and global food security all increase the need to protect crops from disease and reduce the losses caused by plant pathogens. This requires ongoing research and novel solutions, making the detailed analysis offered by Plant Pathology and Plant Pathogens more relevant than ever. Striking a balance between laboratory- and field-based aspects of its subject, this revised fourth edition of the text places plant disease in a wide biological context. Its contents cover causal agents and diagnosis, host–pathogen interactions, and disease management, including breeding for resistance, chemical, biological and integrated control. New to this edition are updated sections on molecular epidemiology, biosecurity, pathogenomics, and the biotechnological advances that are helping scientists make great strides in the fight against plant disease. Authored by a leading authority on plant pathology Offers new coverage of recent advances in molecular genetics and genomics, biotechnology, and plant breeding Places emphasis on interaction biology and biological concepts, such as immunity and comparisons with animal systems Includes access to a supplementary website featuring slides of all figures in the book Plant Pathology and Plant Pathogens is an ideal textbook for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in biology, botany, agricultural sciences, applied microbiology, plant-microbe interactions, and related subjects. It will also be a practical and enlightening resource for professionals in agricultural institutions, along with crop consultants seeking additional training or information.

This book, Plant Breeding, has it bases in an earlier text entitled An Introduction to Plant Breeding by Jack Brown and Peter Caligari, first published in 2008. The challenges facing today’s plant breeders have never been more overwhelming, yet the prospects to contribute significantly to global food security and farmers’ quality of life have never been more exciting and fulfilling. Despite this there has been a worrying decline in public funding for plant breeding-related research and support for international centers of germplasm development and crop improvement. In part, this has resulted in a serious reduction in the number of young people interested in devoting their professional careers to plant breeding as well as the number of universities offering plant breeding courses or conducting relevant research in plant breeding. The authors’ aim in writing this book is to provide an integrated and updated view of the current scientific progress related to diverse plant breeding disciplines, within the context of applied breeding programs. This excellent new book will encourage a new generation of students to pursue careers related to plant breeding and will assist a wider audience of agricultural students, agronomists, policy makers and those with an interest in agriculture in gaining insight about the issues affecting plant breeding and its key role in improving the quality of life of people and in securing sufficient food, at the quality required and at an affordable price. With comprehensive coverage including questions designed for students, and an accompanying website containing additional material to help in the study of the subject, Plant Breeding is an ideal text for all those studying plant and crop sciences, and a convenient reference source for professionals working in the area. All libraries within universities and research establishments where biological and agricultural sciences are studied and taught should have multiple copies of this book.

Molecular Plant Immunity provides an integrated look at both well-established and emerging concepts in plant disease resistance providing the most current information on this important vitally important topic within plant biology. Understanding the molecular basis of the plant immune system has implications on the development of new varieties of sustainable crops, understanding the challenges plant life will face in changing environments, as well as providing a window into immune function that could have translational appeal to human medicine. Molecular Plant Immunity opens with chapters reviewing how the first line of plant immune response is activated followed by chapters looking at the molecular mechanisms that allow fungi, bacteria, and oomycetes to circumvent those defenses. Plant resistance proteins, which provide the second line of plant immune defense, are then covered followed by chapters on the role of hormones in immunity and the mechanisms that modulate specific interaction between plants and viruses. The final chapters look at model plant-pathogen systems to review interaction between plants and fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. Written by a leading team of international experts, Molecular Plant Immunity will provide a needed resource to diverse research community investigated plant immunity.

Demonstrates how advances in plant chemical biology can translate to field applications With contributions from a team of leading researchers and pioneers in the field, this book explains how chemical biology is used as a tool to enhance our understanding of plant biology. Readers are introduced to a variety of chemical biology studies that have provided novel insights into plant physiology and plant cellular processes. Moreover, they will discover that chemical biology not only leads to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of plant biology, but also the development of practical applications. For example, the authors discuss small molecules that can be used to identify targets of herbicides and develop new herbicides and plant growth regulators. The book begins with a historical perspective on plant chemical biology. Next, the authors introduce the chemical biology toolbox needed to perform successful studies, with chapters covering: Sources of small molecules Identification of new chemical tools by high-throughput screening (HTS) Use of chemical biology to study plant physiology Use of chemical biology to study plant cellular processes Target identification Translation of plant chemical biology from the lab to the field Based on the latest findings and extensively referenced, the book explores available compound collections, principles of assay design, and the use of new research tools for the development of new applications. Plant Chemical Biology is recommended for students and professionals in all facets of plant biology, including molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, agriculture, horticulture, and agronomy. All readers will discover new approaches that can lead to the development of a healthier and more plentiful global food supply.

The increase in global population, urbanization and industrialization is resulting in the conversion of cultivated land into wasteland. Providing food from these limited resources to an ever-increasing population is one of the biggest challenges that present agriculturalists and plant scientists are facing. Environmental stresses make this situation even graver. Plants on which mankind is directly or indirectly dependent exhibit various mechanisms for their survival. Adaptability of the plants to changing environment is a matter of concern for plant biologists trying to reach the goal of food security. Despite the induction of several tolerance mechanisms, sensitive plants often fail to withstand these environmental extremes. Using new technological approaches has become essential and imperative. Plant-Environment Interaction: Responses and Approaches to Mitigate Stress throws light on the changing environment and the sustainability of plants under these conditions. It contains the most up-to-date research and comprehensive detailed discussions in plant physiology, climate change, agronomy and forestry, sometimes from a molecular point of view, to convey in-depth understanding of the effects of environmental stress in plants, their responses to the environment, how to mitigate the negative effects and improve yield under stress. This edited volume is written by expert plant biologists from around the world, providing invaluable knowledge to graduate and undergraduate students in plant biochemistry, food chemistry, plant physiology, molecular biology, plant biotechnology, and environmental sciences. This book updates scientists and researchers with the very latest information and sustainable methods used for stress tolerance, which will also be of considerable interest to plant based companies and institutions concerned with the campaign of food security.

“Process Plant Equipment Book is another great publication from Wiley as a reference book for final year students as well as those who will work or are working in chemical production plants and refinery…” -Associate Prof. Dr. Ramli Mat, Deputy Dean (Academic), Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia “…give[s] readers access to both fundamental information on process plant equipment and to practical ideas, best practices and experiences of highly successful engineers from around the world… The book is illustrated throughout with numerous black & white photos and diagrams and also contains case studies demonstrating how actual process plants have implemented the tools and techniques discussed in the book. An extensive list of references enables readers to explore each individual topic in greater depth…” –Stainless Steel World and Valve World, November 2012 Discover how to optimize process plant equipment, from selection to operation to troubleshooting From energy to pharmaceuticals to food, the world depends on processing plants to manufacture the products that enable people to survive and flourish. With this book as their guide, readers have the information and practical guidelines needed to select, operate, maintain, control, and troubleshoot process plant equipment so that it is efficient, cost-effective, and reliable throughout its lifetime. Following the authors' careful explanations and instructions, readers will find that they are better able to reduce downtime and unscheduled shutdowns, streamline operations, and maximize the service life of processing equipment. Process Plant Equipment: Operation, Control, and Reliability is divided into three sections: Section One: Process Equipment Operations covers such key equipment as valves, pumps, cooling towers, conveyors, and storage tanks Section Two: Process Plant Reliability sets forth a variety of tested and proven tools and methods to assess and ensure the reliability and mechanical integrity of process equipment, including failure analysis, Fitness-for-Service assessment, engineering economics for chemical processes, and process component function and performance criteria Section Three: Process Measurement, Control, and Modeling examines flow meters, process control, and process modeling and simulation Throughout the book, numerous photos and diagrams illustrate the operation and control of key process equipment. There are also case studies demonstrating how actual process plants have implemented the tools and techniques discussed in the book. At the end of each chapter, an extensive list of references enables readers to explore each individual topic in greater depth. In summary, this text offers students, process engineers, and plant managers the expertise and technical support needed to streamline and optimize the operation of process plant equipment, from its initial selection to operations to troubleshooting.

Intended for undergraduate and graduate courses in plant development, this book explains how the cells of a plant acquire and maintain their specific fates. Plant development is a continuous process occurring throughout the life cycle, with similar regulatory mechanisms acting at different stages and in different parts of the plant. Rather than focussing on the life cycle, the book is structured around these underlying mechanisms, using case studies to provide students with a framework to understand the many factors, both environmental and endogenous, that combine to regulate development and generate the enormous diversity of plant forms. New approach to the study of plant development and a refreshing look at this fast-moving area. Authors focus their discussion on the basic mechanisms which underpin plant development, tackling the fundamental question of how a single cell becomes a complex flowering plant from a cellular perspective. An up-to-date, modern text in plant development for advanced level undergraduates and postgraduates in plant science. Thought-provoking treatment of a difficult subject, the text will satisfy the needs of advanced level undergraduates and postgraduates in plant science. Experimental case studies throughout. The artwork from the book is available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/leyser

Professional landscapers and all those involved in creating green spaces have long been in need of a book that is a guide to plant specification, but also makes sense of plants and their cultivation. Plant User Handbook is for practitioners who are professionally engaged in the use of plants in public, commercial and institutional landscapes. Planting schemes are undertaken on the basis of a binding contract – generally between the client (who owns or leases the landscape) and the implementer (the landscape contractor), with the designer acting both as specifier and contract administrator. Within this contractual relationship, planting schemes must be implemented to an agreed timetable. To manage this procedure efficiently, landscape designers and managers need quick access to the factual and scientific background for practical planting design and its implementation through specification writing and contracts. The book covers over 20 well defined topics, and is written by leading experts in the industry. It is arranged into five sections: Preliminaries to plant use and the landscape Managing plant growth on landscape sites Establishment and management of trees Establishment and management of smaller woody plants Establishment and management of herbaceous plants Carefully illustrated with diagrams, black and white photographs and colour plates, this handbook provides a unique resource for professionals wanting to improve their specification skills, as well as to explore creative approaches to design and practical implementation.

Drawing from a lifetime of teaching botany, Dr. Nels Lersten presents the study of the structures and processes involved in the reproduction of plants in his text Flowering Plant Embryology. This richly illustrated reference text, with more than 350 figures and illustrations, presents general angiosperm embryology as it applies to economically important plants. The unique focus on economically important species increases the relevance of this book to today’s students and researchers in the plant sciences. Lersten emphasizes the plant species that affect human livelihood, including weeds and other cultivated plants that are used for commercial products. Selected from the thousands of economically important plants, the examples chosen for illustration and discussion are familiar, especially to students from North America, Northern Europe, and Japan. Although the emphasis of this book is economically important plants, the information within applies to almost all flowering plants. Extremely readable and well-written, this book is neither dense nor academic in tone. Lersten treats topics with a uniformity of style and organization that enhances comprehension. Terms are well-defined and the derivation of each is explained to further facilitate student learning. The book presents research results, hypotheses, and speculations about why things are as they are, with supporting facts and specific examples that provide a firm foundation for students’ understanding of embryological diversity among economic plants.

This book describes the fascinating wealth of activities as they occur in the design, construction and commissioning of a chemical plant – a jigsaw puzzle of the work of chemical engineers, chemists, constructors, architects, electrical engineers, process automation engineers, economists and legal staff. The author first takes the reader through the conceptual phase, in which the economic relevance and environmental impact need to be considered and supplemented by accurate estimates of capital requirements and profitability. This phase ends with the choice of an appropriate engineering firm and the conclusion of the contract, after which the reader is guided through all aspects of the implementation phase from the engineering of the chemical plant to commissioning, equipment and material procurement, the erection phase and the successful test run, after which the new facility is handed over to its owner. The book also illustrates many potential sources of errors by means of examples from practice, and how, aside professional skills, teamwork and communication are also absolutely essential to keep such a complex project on track.