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This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on bacterial diseases affecting pigs.

The first chapter summarises recent research on the causes and epidemiology of major bacteria, viruses and parasites found in pig production, focussing on those with a particular impact on safety and global production, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella typhimurium and African swine fever virus.

The second chapter discusses classical phenotypic characteristics and more advanced molecular techniques to identify and classify bacterial pathogens affecting swine health and performance. The chapter explores the different modes of transmission, as well as the commonly used measures for prevention and control, including vaccinations.

The third chapter reviews the development of dysbiosis and post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets and the consequent economic losses these diseases cause for the global pig industry. The chapter considers the role of animal nutrition and dietary strategies to optimise gut function as a means of preventing dysbiosis and PWD.

The final chapter assesses methods of improving gut function in pigs to optimise health and prevent pathogen colonization. The chapter discusses research on genes associated with pathogen resistance and porcine immune response and reviews the role of dietary and nutritional strategies in preventing intestinal pathogen colonisation.

This specially curated collection features six reviews of current and key research on genetic modification of crops.

The first chapter reviews key challenges facing banana production, primarily the risk of species decimation by diseases such as Fusarium wilt, and considers how genetic modification may be a solution to this.

The second chapter discusses the development and establishment of ‘Golden Rice’ - a biofortified variety designed as a health intervention to help alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency.

The third chapter details recent advances in the genetic modification of important agronomic traits of soybean crops, such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. The fourth chapter addresses progress in and prospects for transgenic interventions in the improvement of grain legumes, concentrating on chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and more.

The fifth chapter reviews recent research efforts in the production of genetically modified (GM) oil palm plants and looks towards establishing stable lines of commercially viable GM varieties.

The final chapter describes recent progress relating to transgenic modification of cassava and how future research can strengthen food security and commercialization of the crop.

Agriculture is facing unprecedented scrutiny for its social and environmental impacts. Many of the key choices it must make are fundamentally about ethics.

Key issues in agricultural ethics explores key ethical debates surrounding agriculture and agri-food supply chains. These include issues such as animal welfare, use of labour, the effects of new technologies and the overall impact of agriculture on the environment. It considers the ways these ethical dilemmas may be better understood and potentially resolved.

Edited by a leading researcher in the field, Key issues in agricultural ethics will be a standard reference for researchers in agriculture and environmental science, government and other private sector agencies responsible for monitoring good agricultural practice, as well as researchers involved in the social sciences with a focus on ethics.

“The volume stands out for its principal focus on photosynthetic improvement yet supports this focus by providing essential basic background that allows readers to understand and appreciate the most promising strategies for enhancing photosynthetic productivity in C3 crops…The chapters in Understanding and improving crop photosynthesis follow well the Burleigh Dodds model of providing a rich assortment of references, particularly recent references representing the state of the art for each subject. The chapters also close by highlighting key reviews and websites where readers can seek additional updates and information. These additional resources bridge the gap between the advanced topics discussed in each chapter and general introductions...The book will be appreciated by a wide range of scholars, from advanced undergraduates to established experts looking to keep abreast of developments in the field.” (Book Review Published in Annals of Botany – Professor Rowan F. Sage, University of Toronto, Canada)

It is widely recognised that photosynthesis in many important crops is well below its theoretical potential. With crop yields and stability under threat from the impact of climate change, there is now an urgent need to synthesise existing research on best practices for improving C3 photosynthesis in crops to optimise sustainable crop production and yields.

Understanding and improving crop photosynthesis reviews the wealth of current research that addresses this challenge. The book explores our understanding of the general components of C3 photosynthesis, including its biochemistry, as well as the recent advances in techniques for improving photosynthesis, focussing primarily on light harvesting and optimising chloroplast function/light conversion.

Through providing its readers with a comprehensive exploration of crop photosynthesis, the book showcases how farmers can utilise their understanding of the science behind this key process to optimise their yields and achieve successful crop production.

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on sustainable forest management.

The first chapter discusses the varying definitions of sustainable forest management (SFM) in tropical landscapes, as well as the trade-offs associated with SFM. The chapter also reviews the spatial scales of assessing SFM and explores expanding the scope of SFM from individual strands to forested landscapes.

The second chapter provides a comprehensive review of the current research undertaken in sustainable forestry. It considers the concept and evolution of sustainable forestry and the challenges which arise as a result of implementing SFM practices.

The third chapter reviews the role and impact of forest certification schemes in the achievement of SFM. The chapter summarises the wealth of research available on the development of forest certification and how individual elements can be optimised to further improve the model.

The fourth chapter discusses the recent history and implementation challenges of SFM across the Congo Basin, including logging concessions, land zones and the processes and institutions required to implement effective SFM policies.

The final chapter analyses the potential trade-offs between ecosystem services and biodiversity in the southern Patagonian forests. The chapter explores the implementation of SFM as a strategy to mitigate these trade-offs at a landscape level.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on biodiversity management practices in agriculture.

The first chapter reviews biodiversity management practices and benefits in Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems. After looking at the importance of soil microorganisms, the chapter looks at how CA systems contribute to soil biological activity, particularly the way cover crops and rotations, with a no-till regime, can enrich soil and the multitude or organisms living in it.

The second chapter synthesizes and reviews the published information on grass hedges and their soil benefits, to better understand the potential of grass hedges for managing water erosion as well as improving soil health in agricultural lands.

The third chapter reviews research on ways of modifying the agricultural landscape to reverse the decline in a range of fauna and flora. The chapter also reviews the characteristics and types of field margins, as well as their role in agroecosystems. The chapter concludes with a discussion on managing field margins to promote insect biodiversity and rare arable plant populations.

The final chapter considers the impact of agricultural intensification on agricultural landscapes, farming systems and biodiversity. The chapter highlights how hedgerows can contribute to the multifunctionality of agroecosystems in intensively-managed agricultural landscapes, focussing on improved pest regulation and enhanced pollination services.

This specially curated collection features four reviews of current and key research on supporting cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa.

The first chapter reviews how research and development can support smallholder wheat farmers through improving access to resources and services. The chapter considers current obstacles faced by smallholder farmers, including biophysical limitations such as climatic issues, as well as socio-economic limitations such as land availability.

The second chapter assesses the importance of increasing the adoption rate of improved maize technologies within smallholder farming households across Africa. The chapter discusses the economic and institutional barriers inhibiting adoption, as well as farmer attitudes to innovation.

The third chapter describes the effect of poor soil fertility, drought and weeds on maize yields in West Africa. The chapter considers strategies for mitigating these constraints, including nutrient management using fertilizers, weed management and resistant varieties of maize.

The final chapter discusses phosphorus scarcity in areas of West Africa and details the need to improve sorghum breeding to enhance the crop’s tolerance to low-phosphorus soil conditions.

Recent years have seen a rise in the number of consumers wishing to know more about the journey their food takes from farm to fork. Consumer expectations of the sensory and nutritional qualities of food products have increased as a result. Poultry producers and processors must balance these quality parameters with other requirements such as yield and animal welfare.

Improving poultry meat quality addresses the wealth of recent research on the genetic and environmental factors affecting the development of quality traits in poultry meat and their potential implications for breeding, husbandry and postharvest processing. This collection also reviews recent advances in understanding colour, texture and flavour development in poultry meat.

A particular focus is coverage of key poultry myopathies associated with modern broiler production such as white striping, wooden breast and pale soft exudative meat. The book considers their causes, impacts on meat quality and how these defects can be prevented or overcome.

"The result is a refreshing balance between readability and practicality, underpinned by true science and the appliance of science… as a comprehensive resource on the breadth of information available with the combination of general principles, up-to-date advice, coupled with an excellent provision of further reading and resources for every chapter, makes this an essential addition to any poultry library!" (Dr Stephen A. Lister, review in Avian Pathology)

Diseases remain a significant burden to poultry production and its future, with outbreaks of disease resulting in catastrophic financial losses to the sector. Whilst it is widely recognised that vaccines have a major role in inducing protection, they can only be considered as part of the solution to this rapidly growing problem.

Optimising poultry flock health instead reviews ways of optimising preventative measures to reduce the risk of disease in flocks. The book reviews the wealth of recent research on the mechanisms of transmission for infectious diseases and how this understanding can be used to improve poultry flock health.

By showing how poultry flock health can be optimised at different stages of production, the book showcases the extent of preventative measures available to farmers and producers, as well as how these measures can be implemented effectively to protect their flocks against disease.

This collection features three peer-reviewed literature reviews on pre- and probiotics in poultry production.

The first chapter summarises the safety and efficacy of individual monocultures for prophylactic and/or therapeutic efficacy against Salmonella infections in poultry under both laboratory and field conditions. The chapter also considers the development of novel, cost-effective, feed-stable, direct-fed microbials with potential for widespread utilisation and improved production, delivery and clinical efficacy for animal use.

The second chapter discusses the establishment of prebiotics as a series of feed compounds that serve as specific substrates for gastrointestinal tract (GIT) bacteria. The chapter reviews the impact of prebiotics on bird health, GIT function, and prevention of foodborne pathogen GIT colonization. Particular attention is drawn on the impact of prebiotics on the avian intestinal microbiome, cecal microbiome and the avian upper GIT.

The final chapter considers current concerns surrounding the application of probiotics in poultry production, primarily due to mixed experiences of their effectiveness and lack of knowledge regarding the scientific basis for their modes of action. In contrast, prebiotics have been readily accepted by the sector. This chapter summarises recent research on the effects of both types of treatment, their possible modes of action, as well as the strengths and limitations of their use.

This collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on dietary supplements in dairy cattle nutrition.

The first chapter addresses the manipulation of rumen fermentation to maximise the efficiency of feed utilisation and increase ruminant productivity. It considers a wide variety of approaches, including the use of dietary buffers.

The second chapter reviews the use of probiotics as supplements for ruminants to promote digestive efficiency and productivity. The chapter summarises the benefits and modes of action of probiotics, as well as their role in optimising feed efficiency and reducing methane production.

The third chapter considers the beneficial roles of plant secondary compounds in sustainable ruminant nutrition. It describes the effects and composition of the three major groups of plant secondary compounds: essential oils, tannins and saponins.

The fourth chapter discusses the growing need for alternative feed sources as a result of increasing demand for meat and dairy products. The chapter reviews the nutritional composition of seaweed and introduces it as a potential novel protein supplement in animal feeds.

The final chapter evaluates the role of macroalgae as a potential anti-methanogenic ruminant feed resource and reviews its impact on animal production and performance.

“The editors of this excellent book, Dr Julia Buitink and Dr Olivier Leprince, are two world-renowned seed scientists. They have brought together a fantastic team of experts for the ten book chapters with topics covering the broad and diverse field of seed science, providing the latest technological advances and bridging the fundamental and applied research relevant for supporting a more sustainable crop production. In summary, this is a highly attractive and comprehensive book into advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production, written by world experts. It is a valuable source of information for advanced-level university students, academic and industrial researchers, and other professionals across a wide range of plant science disciplines and beyond in seed sector agencies. The attractive format of the chapters with many excellent colour figures and extensive lists of relevant literature are beneficial for university-level teaching and industrial workshops. This illuminating book addresses the key challenges facing seed science and deserves high recommendation.” (Book Review by Professor Gerhard Leubner, Royal Holloway University of London, UK – Published in Seed Science Research)

With the continued effects of climate change threatening the security of the global food system, there is a greater emphasis on ensuring successful crop establishment as a means of optimising agricultural production.

Advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production considers how an improved understanding of seed quality, germination and seedling emergence can address this challenge. The book reviews the development of new techniques to ensure seed quality control, including seed phenotyping, as well as the role of genetic and environmental factors in determining seed longevity.

In its comprehensive exploration of seed science and technology, the book highlights how an informed understanding of seed biology can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change on seed quality and consequently crop production.

This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on infertility and other reproductive disorders in dairy cattle.

The first chapter discusses the physiology of the main impediments to fertility and management issues that need to be addressed to ensure good fertility of dairy cows. The chapter focusses on parturition and uterine health, the importance of the post-partum environment and the role of oestrus, as well as methods of establishing pregnancy and the effect of heat stress on cows’ fertility.

The second chapter considers recent developments in automated monitoring of livestock fertility and pregnancy, focussing on its implementation in dairy cattle production. The chapter explores the physiological basics of the reproductive cycle in dairy cattle and the use of artificial intelligence to monitor and report changes in animal behaviour.

The third chapter reviews progress in understanding the role of genetics in addressing the decline in fertility rates in dairy cattle. The chapter discusses strategies to improve the reproductive performance of dairy cattle, including the use of different breeds, measures of fertility and genomic data.

The final chapter reviews best practices to detect reproductive problems and limitations in dairy cattle. The chapter identifies key areas which are known to limit performance and provides strategies which can be implemented to optimise reproductive performance and maximise animal health.

The first chapter reviews evidence of the human health impact of wheat flour fortification and how it is measured and studied.

The chapter explores the benefits to wheat flour fortification, citing the process’s ability to address widespread health problems caused by nutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency and anaemia.

The second chapter examines the biofortification of maize with Provitamin A carotenoids and its potential in improving micronutrient intake for the population of food insecure people. The chapter refers to the Zambia maize biofortification programme as a case study to demonstrate this.

The third chapter similarly considers the rising threat of micronutrient malnutrition, but highlights the integral role biofortified legume crops have in offsetting this. The chapter reviews the genetic variability of iron and zinc content in many legume crops, and shows how this is being used to guide breeding efforts through both transgenic approaches and agronomic management.

The final chapter assesses the problem of vitamin A deficiency in countries where cassava is considered a key crop and consumed as a main food source. The chapter reviews the HarvestPlus breeding programme for increasing the nutrient density of cassava, as well as strategies that can be implemented to promote the use of pro-vitamin A varieties by farmers and consumers.

This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on improving water management in crop cultivation.

The first chapter focuses on site-specific variable rate irrigation systems utilised across agriculture and examines site-specific data acquisition and mining approaches, such as soil mapping and zone delineation.

The second chapter considers the main deficit irrigation strategies used in agriculture to improve crop water productivity. It also explores the status of site-specific irrigation management and its role in minimizing agricultural water use.

The third chapter reviews progress in winter wheat water management and water-use efficiency (WUE), drawing on long-term field experiments in the U.S. southern Great Plains. It discusses the key relationships between yield, evapotranspiration, WUE and best management practices.

The fourth chapter considers the key techniques for improving rice water productivity through enhanced irrigation practices aiming to reduce irrigation water use in rice cultivation, such as the Alternate Wetting and Drying technique.

The final chapter examines the main irrigation methods used in dryland sorghum production. It also reviews the relationship between soil properties and irrigation management.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on soil erosion in agriculture.

The first chapter identifies different types of soil degradation, focussing primarily on soil erosion by water. The chapter explores the impact of soil erosion processes on soil properties that relate directly to crop growth, including soil depth, water-holding capacity, carbon content and nutrient reserves.

The second chapter reviews advances in techniques used to assess and measure soil erodibility by water, such as computer aided tomography. The chapter considers the role of static and dynamic soil properties in the erosion process, as well as the challenges that have developed as a result of climate change.

The third chapter assesses the impact of heavy metal contamination on soil and its consequent role in the degradation of soil health. The chapter describes the sources, impacts, indicators and remediation of heavy metal contamination, as well as the development of improved soil management practices, including effective pollution control strategies.

The final chapter discusses the implementation of integrated strategies under Conservation Agriculture (CA) farming systems to restore soil productivity in degraded agricultural lands in tropical and subtropical regions in Brazil. The chapter additionally considers the adoption of CA as a tool to prevent and reverse instances of soil degradation.

It has been estimated that around 15% of global agricultural production costs on-farm are energy-related. With heightened concerns around the sustainability of crop and livestock production, the agricultural sector must develop and invest in alternative methods of farming that recoup the same results but have a reduced environmental impact.

Energy-smart farming: Efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability reviews recent research undertaken on the ways of reducing the costs and environmental impact of on-farm energy use. The collection explores advances in improving energy efficiency on farms, renewable energy technologies such as agrivoltaics, biomass combustion, gasification and pyrolysis, as well as how more sustainable energy use can be delivered in practice in livestock production systems.

Edited by a leading expert in the field, Energy-smart farming: Efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in renewable energy deployment and policies, environmental scientists, government and other agencies tackling the challenge of climate change, as well as farmers and representatives from food manufacturers and suppliers dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on improving piglet welfare.

The first chapter reviews the main welfare challenges faced during farrowing and lactation, including the occurrence of painful husbandry procedures, such as tooth resection, tail docking and castration. The chapter also highlights various mitigation strategies that can be implemented to optimise the welfare of both sows and piglets in the farrowing environment.

The second chapter addresses some of the main welfare concerns that can arise during the weaning and nursery stage as a result of separation between piglet and sow and exposure to a new environment. The chapter also summarises the most important fields of environmental, nutritional and social stress and how these experiences can be mitigated with the correct strategies.

The third chapter considers the demand for improved welfare and animal handling systems from governments, non-governmental organisations and consumers. The chapter reviews recent advancements in technology that have the potential to improve animal wellbeing, profitability and performance during the weaning period.

The final chapter discusses the main etiological agents acting in the period of transition from weaning, the risk factors for their introduction and diffusion within the farm and the main measures available for their control.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on tropical agroforestry.

The first chapter addresses the challenges associated with incorporating agroforestry into agroecological intensification and sustainable landscapes. The chapter also considers the challenge of developing policies in support of agroforestry, and the challenge of developing agroforestry at scale.

The second chapter reviews to what extent agroforests are able to meet the objectives of sustainable forest management, focusing on biodiversity conservation, supply of forest products and carbon capture. The chapter also highlights the potential limits of system intensification in delivering ecosystem goods and services.

The third chapter presents an overview of the ecosystem services that can be delivered by tropical agroforestry systems. The chapter presents practical approaches for trade-off analysis between ecosystem services and plant biodiversity for better design (or redesign) and how management of agroforestry systems can be optimised.

The final chapter summarises the importance of cocoa-based agroforestry systems to global agricultural landscapes. The chapter reviews the different cocoa system technologies (e.g. cocoa-timber systems) and presents a four-step guide for analysing the shade canopy of shaded cocoa systems to ensure a diverse, resilient agroforestry system is in place.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on drought-resistant crops.

The first chapter assesses the genes involved in drought and heat tolerance, as well as the physiological traits related to increased tolerance to abiotic stress in wheat. It reviews advances in our understanding of the molecular markers associated with these physiological traits, and the roles of key genes in determining a wheat plant’s response to heat and drought stress.

The second chapter discusses mechanisms of drought resistance in rice. It reviews ways of assessing drought tolerance performance, identifying genes promoting drought tolerance through quantitative trait loci (QLT) analysis, as well as breeding for drought tolerance.

The third chapter highlights the genetic diversity and quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with the traits contributing to drought and heat tolerance in soybean. It also reviews genomic resources that can facilitate a better understanding of phenotype-genotype associations and formulate genomic-assisted breeding strategies.

The final chapter addresses the polygenic nature of tolerance to drought and to heat in grain legumes. It reviews advances in understanding plant adaptation to stress, the assembly of molecular and phenotyping tools to support breeding and the development of tolerance through traditional and molecular breeding techniques.

This collection features three peer-reviewed literature reviews on feather-pecking in poultry.

The first chapter describes the three main forms of injurious pecking (IP) in poultry: tissue pecking (TP), aggressive pecking (AP) and feather-pecking (FP). It discusses the origin of severe FP, the most severe form of IP. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the risk factors and current management strategies used to reduce IP in poultry production.

The second chapter assesses the use of beak trimming of laying hens as an effective preventative strategy for injurious pecking (IP). It considers the welfare costs and benefits of the two different methods: hot blade (HB) and infrared (IR). The chapter concludes with a section on alternative strategies that could reduce the need for beak trimming.

The final chapter reviews the different types of featherpecking and considers the origins of this behaviour. The chapter offers a detailed discussion on the management techniques available for the prevention of feather-pecking, during both rearing and the laying period.

This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews of septoria tritici blotch in cereals.

The first chapter reviews the various methods for managing septoria tritici blotch (STB), from the the use of fungicides to marker-assisted breeding for increased resistance to STB. It also surveys research on the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions in STB.

The second chapter reviews current research on the main fungal diseases affecting barley, focussing on biotrophic foliar diseases, such as stem rust and powdery mildew, as well as necrotrophic diseases, such as septoria tritici blotch and fusarium head blight. The chapter also discusses the implications for achieving sustainable resistance to the pathogens responsible for these diseases.

The third chapter addresses advances in understanding the epidemiology of septoria tritici blotch in the major cereal crops. The chapter also reviews the taxonomy and life cycle of Zymoseptoria tritici - the cause of septoria tritici blotch, as well as the economic impact of the pathogen.

The final chapter reviews recent research on genetic resistance loci and breeding strategies based on both conventional and biotechnology-based breeding approaches to achieve durable resistance to septoria tritici blotch infection, whilst simultaneously minimising the risk of grain yield losses.

“As Editor, Alexander Hristov has gathered together some scientifically excellent contributions from a very select group of eminent animal nutrition experts to create an up to date, readable and comprehensive account of dairy cow nutrition. So, where there have been ‘Advances’ I am confident they will have been covered. Talking to colleagues, enthusiasm was expressed for the quality of the research covered, and I have little doubt that this book will find a place on many bookshelves.” (Professor C. Knight Institute of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark)

Global demand for milk and other dairy products continues to grow. As a result of this increased consumer demand, the sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have risen dramatically. It is therefore crucial that the livestock sector reacts to these developments and considers areas for improvement that could reduce the sector’s contribution to climate change.

Advances in sustainable dairy cattle nutrition provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on recent advances in understanding and improving dairy cattle nutrition to reduce the carbon footprint of the dairy sector. This collection explores the role of nutritional requirements in optimising gut function and overall animal health, as well as its influence on milk yield and quality. Chapters also review the use of dietary supplements, such as plant extracts and direct-fed microbials (DFM) to optimise dairy cattle nutrition.