Product Description
This textbook is intended for introductory courses in agriculture, plant biology, and economic botany. It is about plants, genes, food and people, and about the changing relationship between them. The purpose is to show how agriculture is changing throughout the world, and to discuss the role that genes and genetic engineering are playing in this change. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

sad
the person claimed he shipped the book, but then he turned around a week later and just gave me my money back.claimed the book was damaged in shipping preparation so he could no longer send it.then he was selling the same book later that week for more money.not the greatest experience with him...guess we all run into some duds every once in awhile!

school book
regular textbook, general info. IF you want more specific info, you shouldn't buy this book.

Makes a Few Bold Admissions
This book contains twenty chapters plus a comprehensive index.Each chapter is written by a distinguished individual in his or her field.Each chapter consists of general opening remarks, detailed information about the subject of each chapter, a chapter summary at the end of each chapter, discussion questions and a list of references for further reading.The lead authors have created a text that would serve double duty as either an adequate text for an introductory lower division course on agronomy/plant sciences, or as a supplemental text for an upper division plant biology course which looks at the social and ethical dimensions of biotechnology and genetically modified organisms.

All the contributors share the belief that agricultural biotechnology in its current manifestation is merely an extension of biology in the natural world, and is but one consequence of Watson & Crick's monumental discovery. Chrispeels and Sadava, the two contributors responsible for compiling the text, boldly state that the biggest beneficiaries of the new GM technology will be those living in the developing countries, and as such reflects the standard party line of the pro-ag-biotech groups and organizations.

All inherent biases aside, the book is highly notable because of several bold admissions made throughout the text.First, the authors readily admit that agricultural biotechnology has no defensible place or justification in a world currently awash in plentiful food, but at the same time, they do believe that biotechnology will play an important role in tomorrow's world agriculture.Second, the also readily concede that distribution of food, and not its production, is the main culprit for hunger, but other issues do play an important role.Related to this is their admission that the ability to pay for food matters more than the supply of food itself; if people can pay for it, they will get it (here their words on the subject echo many of the thoughts put forth by Amartya Sen, and before him, Susan George).Third, they admit that most scientists working in the field of population and demography in the late 1960s and early 1970s made flat out wrong predictions about the infamous 'population bomb', and that predictions made today many not come to pass tomorrow- they are just guesses about the future.Here they appear to be backing away from the incendiary rhetoric of environmental luminaries such as Paul Ehrlich and Lester Brown.Fourth, and quite possibly the boldest admission of the text, was their concession that agricultural biotechnology has been oversold.Apparently, they saw fit to stop short of saying that ag-biotech has been and continues to be hyped into the stratosphere, but their very admission alone is satisfactory, as they later lay most of the blame for today's hysteria and urban myths surrounding ag-biotech and GM technologies upon the overselling of the technologies, where it justifiably belongs.

Indeed, the authors' concern for the overselling of the promise and potential of biotechnology is readily apparent in the final chapter of the book, where they address the myths and realities of agricultural biotechnology.However, even the authors can not resist the temptation to sell the reader on the potential benefits of an agricultural biotechnology, and the book includes chapters on integrated pest management incorporating the scientific advances of ag-biotech (Chapter 16), weed control strategies using biotechnology (Chapter 17), GM technology as a tool for promoting green agriculture (Chapter 18), and the use of plants as biological factories (Chapter 19).

Generally speaking, Chapters 1 through 5 lay down the rationale for incorporation of ag-biotech in food production, and chapters 6 through 15 explain the how to, the ins and outs of the technology and how genetic modification of crops is achieved.Also, chapters 6 through 15 cover all the standard topics one would find in a regular course on agronomy, crop science and plant biology, from plant cell and molecular biology, plant growth and development, seeds and seed technology, the ins and outs of photosynthesis and the physical, biological and environmental factors associated with it, soils and root zone systems, nitrogen cycling, to the historical basis for crop breeding (with some paleo-anthropological perspectives) and the gradual leap from breeding via classical techniques to modern, biotech based methods.Chapter 15 also looks at crop disease and its management from a molecular genetic standpoint, and strikes me as a means to include students in plant pathology.

Additionally, the authors paid considerable attention to the problems and challenges of agriculture in Third World countries, in an attempt to demonstrate the veracity of their belief that GM technology can do much to assist the inhabitants there.However, in the process, they belatedly demonstrate that these technologies have been developed to address symptoms of more complex and fundamental problems having an economic, environmental and/or socio-historical basis.Yet, the authors must be credited for admitting that the real need in developing countries is for more research support to address their specific physical and environmental conditions, and for demonstrating that in every single instance where consumer incomes rise and the socio-economic status of women advances, there is an inevitable decrease in birth rates, hunger and malnutrition.

Thus, the contributors freely admit that their research and scientific activities chase phantom problems and non-problems.They also admit, albeit obliquely, that ag-biotech in its current manifestation does not address the needs or the fundamental problems faced in the developing or the developed world.In fact, on the one hand, researchers have occupied themselves with testing the limits of GM technology, seeing what they can do, and exploring different directions, while on the other hand, government institutions and corporations have directed their efforts at technological developments for which they have proprietary control, and increasingly, total control over distribution and other supporting activities.Alas, the authors have chosen, perhaps unwisely, to offer any comments on this state of affairs, and what it may mean for everyone.

In sum, this book makes quite a few bold admissions, some directly, but most indirectly, and as such, is a necessary read for those interested in the topics of ag-biotech, genetic modification technologies, food production and safety, and crop science in general.It is definitely a good and comprehensive book, containing a level of honesty highly uncommon among textbooks on the subject(albeit couched among questionable pitches about potential benefits of ag-biotech), and its sources for further reading are indispensable.I highly recommend the text to anyone looking to place this contentious scientific topic within a social and ethical context.







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Product Description
Plants have long been genetically modified through crossbreeding and other basic agricultural techniques to make crops more resilient, nutritious, and profitable. In recent decades, however, advances in genetic engineering--including the ability to blend genetic material from animals with that of plants--have allowed farmers to grow crops that resist insect pests, weeds, viruses, and drought; provide increased iron or beta carotene; deliver vaccines and antibodies; reduce common allergens and pollutants; and augment marketable qualities such as delayed ripening. The complicated scientific, environmental, legal, cultural, and ethical issues surrounding these crops are being hotly debated all over the world. In Seeds for the Future, an internationally respected molecular geneticist and food researcher, Jennifer A. Thomson, describes how these crops are developed, distributed, and regulated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

GMO Industry DYSINFORMATION funded by Rockefeller Foundation
Take the clues provided in the Editorial Reviews and from the book's back cover, which misleadingly attempt to equate selective plant breeding with Monsanto Magick.This book is likely available through your local public library, as it was through mine.Although the list of topics covered is impressive, the content does not include any information at all which suggest that there just MIGHT be problems on the horizon.Most conspicuous by its absence is any Topic heading related to human health hazards or experimental investigation related to same.

The Author's Acknowledgment states she "might not have written it if I hadn't received a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation... " ... Read more

Product Description

This comprehensive volume provides the scientific basis for assessing the likelihood of gene flow between twenty important crops and their wild relatives. The crops discussed include both major staples and minor crops that are nonetheless critical to food security, including barley, corn, cotton, cowpea, wheat, pearl millet, and rice.

Each chapter is devoted to one of the crops and details crop-specific information as well as relevant factors for assessing the probability of gene flow. The crop-specific reviews provide insights into the possible ecological implications of gene escape. For each crop, a full-color world map shows the modeled distributions of crops and wild relatives. These maps offer readers, at a glance, a means of evaluating areas of possible gene flow. The authors classify the areas of overlap into three "gene-flow categories" with respect to the possibility of genetic exchange.

The systematic, unbiased findings provided here will promote well-informed decision making and the conservation of wild relatives of crops. This book is particularly relevant to agriculture in developing countries, where most crop biodiversity is found and where current knowledge on biodiversity conservation is limited.

Given the ecological concerns associated with genetically modified crops, this reference is an essential tool for everyone working to feed a growing world population while preserving crop biodiversity.

Product Description
In today's world, we are witnessing simultaneous breakthroughs in reproductive technologies, genomics, and molecular biology. Advances in molecular genetic technology and understanding of the bovine genome have led to the development of tools that can be used to enhance profitability on cow-calf enterprises. Factors Affecting Calf Crop: Biotechnology of Reproduction provides a detailed compilation of current and forthcoming technology for managing reproduction in cattle. The book discusses topics such as: approved techniques for controlling the estrous cycle in cattle; managing follicular growth with progesterone, estrogens, and prostaglandins; freezing, thawing, and transfer of cattle embryos; application of embryo transfer to the beef cattle industry; embryo transfer in topically adapted cattle; new factors affecting bull fertility; embryo collection and utilization technology, in vitro fertilization, somatic cell cloning, and genetic technologies; uses of real-time ultrasound; and sexed semen. Over 25 leading animal scientists have combined their expertise to produce the first single-source reference that covers successful reproductive techniques that will, most likely, be the wave of the future. Expansive in scope, the book addresses current biotechnologies as they impact the production of beef cattle. Written at a level to appeal to the researcher, commercial producer, or student, Factors Affecting Calf Crop: Biotechnology of Reproduction presents you with a wealth of technologies applicable to animal agriculture. ... Read more

Product Description
Plant Biotechnology: Current and Future Uses of Genetically Modified Crops covers in detail the development, use and regulation of GM crops. Split into three sections, Part 1 introduces GM crops and describes the GM crops that are used commercially. Part 2 looks at new developments and methodologies in areas including potential applications of GM crops for the production of vaccines, enhanced nutritional value of GM food, and engineering resistance to fungal pathogens. Part 3 concludes by considering the key issues of safety and legislation, including allergenicity, environmental impacts, risk assessment and labelling.

Key features:

• Covers the topic in depth and addresses key subject areas
• Takes a broad view of the current situation in different countries
• Examines the commercial application of plant biotechnology in the USA and China
• Covers two major areas of public concern: allergenicity and gene flow
• Covers new developments in plant research, safety and legislation aspects

This book is essential reading for postgraduates and researchers in plant biotechnology and related sciences in Departments of Plant Science, Biotechnology, Bioscience, Environmental Science, Food Biosciences and Chemistry. It is also of interest for professionals working in the plant biotechnology industry or government professionals working in environmental policy. ... Read more

Product Description

Genetic engineering is a powerful tool for crop improvement. The status of crop biotechnology before 2001 was reviewed in Transgenic Crops I-III, but recent advances in plant cell and molecular biology have prompted the need for new volumes. Following Transgenic Crops IV (2007) on cereals, vegetables, root crops, herbs, and spices, and Transgenic Crops V (2007) on fruits, trees, and beverage crops, this volume, Transgenic Crops VI, contains the following sections: Oils and Fibers, Medicinal Crops, Ornamental Crops, Forages and Grains, Regulatory and Intellectual Property of Genetically Manipulated Plants. It is an invaluable reference for plant breeders, researchers and graduate students in the fields of plant biotechnology, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, genetics, and both plant cell and molecular biology.

Product Description
Genetically engineered crops offer the potential for producing higher crop yields, crops that make less of an impact on the ecosystem, and crops that provide foods of higher quality and nutritional value. This book examines the use of biotechnology in crop plants. It covers both input and output traits in crop plants, applications aimed toward pharmaceutical and medical applications, and emerging technologies in genomics. Review chapters discussing biotechnology in the crop arena, consumer attitudes toward genetically engineered plants, and the status of genetically modified crops in the US are also planned. ... Read more

Product Description
The main theme of this monograph is the improvement of oil crops by means of modern genetic and biotechnological techniques. The intended changes are aiming at a greater range of end uses for the consumer: food and non-food uses (such as plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, detergents). It provides information about the questions concerning the release of genetically engineered oil crops and their use in human foodstuffs. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume comprises 31 chapters on biotechnology of various vegetables, fruits, grasses and forage crops and deals with the importance, distribution, conventional propagation, micropropagation, review of the tissue culture work and recent advances in the in-vitro technology. These biotechnological approaches have far-reaching implications for the mass propagation, induction of genetic variability, and the early release of improved cultivars. ... Read more

Product Description
Focusing on the most important sorghum and millet diseases, this book is the result of an international conference on diseases of sorghum and millet from different growing regions of the world. New research approaches to improve disease management strategies are included. This text serves as a model for other programmes interested in applying modern science to traditional agriculture. It demonstrates how to form partnerships between basic researchers in sophisticated laboratories and applied scientists working in the field in developing countries. Several chapters on administrative aspects of facilitating interdisciplinary approaches to these issues are also included. ... Read more

Product Description

This volume presents the current knowledge of plant biotechnology as an important tool for crop improvement. It covers cereals, vegetables, root crops, herbs and spices. This volume is an invaluable reference for plant breeders, researchers and graduate students in the fields of plant biotechnology, agronomy, horticulture, genetics and both plant cell and molecular biology.

Product Description
This volume presents a broad survey of contemporary research in basic plant science, genetic engineering, and the application of these fields to increased wood and crop production as raw materials for food, feed, and chemicals. The coverage includes methods and procedures in tissue culture, genetics and physiological studies of morphogenesis, genetic engineering of plants, germplasm maintenance by cryopreservation, plantmicrobial interactions, industrial and commercial applications. Studies on artificial seeds from somatic embryos and the bioconversion of lignin and cellulosic materials for food, feed, and chemicals will be of special interest to the reader. Researchers in all fields of plant science and plant molecular biology will find the wealth of basic and practical information contained in this volume especially useful for their work. ... Read more

Product Description
Never Highlight a Book Again! Cram101 Textbook Outlines give the student all of the highlights, notes, and practice-tests for their textbook. Only Cram101 is Textbook Specific, not generic. ... Read more