Science

With increasing temperatures and an escalation in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, agricultural productivity remains at risk of being compromised. With the food security of millions threatened, there remains a need to develop alternative, sustainable production models which can thrive in the face of climate change.

Advances in plant factories: New technologies in indoor vertical farming reviews the wealth of research on optimising plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) as one potential solution to achieving a more sustainable agriculture. The book addresses developments in process monitoring, optimising energy use, as well as adjusting lighting conditions to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of a range of horticultural crops.

"This book provides an informative global perspective on soilless culture systems (SCS) around the world…the book promises to bring together the current best practice in SCS horticulture to create an important industry reference for all participants." ISHS - Chronica Horticulturae

Soilless cultivation techniques (including hydroponic systems) have attracted growing attention as a way of growing horticultural crops more efficiently without taking up more land. These controlled environment systems are also less vulnerable to climate change and are particularly suited to urban farming as part of the shift to more localised, circular food systems.

Advances in horticultural soilless culture provides a comprehensive assessment of recent research in this important area, paying close attention to the advances in optimising substrates for soilless cultivation, as well as the developments in solid and liquid-medium container systems, fertigation systems, modelling and process control. The collection includes case studies on horticultural crops such as tomatoes, strawberries and ornamentals.

With its distinguished editor and international range of expert authors, Advances in horticultural soilless culture will be a standard reference for university and other researchers involved in horticultural science, hydroponics and soilless cultivation. It will also be a valuable resource for government and other agencies supporting vertical and urban farming systems, as well as companies involved in this sector.

It has been suggested that agriculture may account for up to 24% of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) contributing to climate change. At the same time climate change is threatening to disrupt agricultural production. This collection reviews key research addressing this challenge.

Climate change is the biggest challenge agriculture faces. Part 1 of this collection reviews current research on the impacts of climate change on agriculture, such as the effects of increased temperatures, as well as the ways these impacts can be modelled. Part 2 assesses what we know about the contribution of agriculture to climate change, including the impacts of both crop and livestock production as well as land use. Part 3 surveys mitigation strategies to achieve a more ‘climate-smart’ agriculture such as the role of integrated crop-livestock and agroforestry systems.

Ornamental plants are plants grown for decorative purposes. They include cut flowers, bulbs, potted plants, shrubs and trees for gardening and landscape design. Like other crops, ornamentals face challenges such as biotic and abiotic stresses as well as the need to develop more sustainable, ‘climate-smart’ methods of cultivation. This collection reviews the rich range of research addressing these challenges.

Part 1 discusses advances in understanding plant physiology, genetic diversity and breeding techniques. Chapters cover recent research on how plants respond to abiotic stress, ways of exploiting genetic diversity to improve target traits, advances in both conventional and marker-assisted breeding techniques, as well as their use to produce abiotic stress-resistant varieties. Part 2 surveys advances in cultivation techniques in such areas as nutrition, irrigation, protected cultivation and integrated disease management.

"In conclusion, this extremely comprehensive, accurate and useful volume of reviews in the Burleigh Dodds series is recommended as an important reference for professionals and students alike."
ISHS - Chronica Horticulturae

This collection reviews advances in understanding and managing key diseases and insect pests of tree fruit.

Part 1 summarises current research on what causes key fungal diseases (apple scab, powdery mildew, apple canker and brown rot) as well as viral diseases (apple mosaic virus and plum pox). Building on this foundation, Part 2 discusses integrated fruit disease management techniques such as improved surveillance, breeding disease-resistant varieties, improved fungicide application as well as the use of biocontrol agents.

The second half of the book focuses on the ecology of major insect pests (aphids, tortricid moths, mites and spotted wing drosophila). The final part of the book reviews ways of improving integrated pest management (IPM) techniques for tree fruit, from monitoring and forecasting to agronomic practices to methods of biological control and optimisation of insecticide use.

With its distinguished editors and expert team of chapter authors, this will be a standard reference on understanding and managing key diseases and insect pests of tree fruit.

"For anyone who wants information on the insect pests of rice, this book provides an enormous amount of information about the root and stem feeders, stem borers, gall midges, leafhoppers, planthoppers, foliage feeders and panicle feeders, together with colour illustrations and line drawings, supported by an extensive list of references to each chapter. For each insect, information is given on their distribution, host plants, their biology/ecology and plant damage they cause."
Outlooks on Pest Management

The rice plant is an ideal host for many insect species. All of the plant parts are vulnerable to insect-feeding from the time of sowing till harvest. There are over 800 insect species damaging rice in one way or another, although the majority of them do very little damage. In tropical Asia only about 20 species are of major importance. In Africa, 15 species of insects are considered major rice pests and in the Americas about 20 species are considered major pests.

To develop effective pest management strategies, it is essential to properly identify and understand the biology and ecology of insect pests and the arthropods that help regulate their populations. This book effectively utilizes the unique knowledge and expertise of leading rice entomologists from Africa, Asia and the Americas to provide the first global coverage of rice insect pests. The discussion of each pest includes geographical distribution, plant hosts other than rice, description and biology, plant damage and ecology.

This collection reviews current advances in the breeding and cultivation of key tropical and subtropical fruits.

Chapters summarise key advances across the value chain for citrus fruit cultivation, including citrus genetics, nutrition and other aspects of cultivation, the use of precision agriculture and developments in integrated pest management (IPM). Two case studies on limes and mandarins highlight the range of improvements in cultivation.

The book also summarises recent developments in breeding and cultivation techniques for a range of soft tropical fruits, including banana, lychee, papaya and pomegranate. The final part of the book covers developments in breeding and cultivation techniques for a range of stone and other tropical fruit, including avocado, coconut, guava, jackfruit, mangos and olives.

"…provides a good overview of the status of genetic improvement of banana, highlighting both the challenges and potential of ensuring successful cultivation…making this volume a comprehensive foundation of knowledge on which future banana improvement strategies can be built." (Book Review Published in Chronica Horticulturae – Dr Karin Hannweg, ARC-ISTC, South Africa)

Despite bananas being the world’s most exported and valuable fruit, banana production faces a number of challenges, primarily the extremely narrow genetic base currently available for commercial cultivation which increases the rate of vulnerability to diseases and other stresses. The sector faces increasing pressure to improve existing varieties, as well as to develop new varieties which retain key yield and quality characteristics and improved resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses.

Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement offers an authoritative discussion on the progress of identifying and broadening the genetic base for Musa species. This collection reviews the current conventional and molecular breeding techniques for breeding new varieties of banana, as well as providing coverage on improving traits in Cavendish.

With its distinguished editors and international range of expert authors, Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, government and other agencies supporting banana cultivation, as well as commercial banana growers and retailers. This title is accompanied by a companion volume: Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1: Cultivation techniques.

“The book is broken down into three distinct parts and encompasses a total of 20 chapters which come complete with extensive references. The editor – Dr Michael Fidanza – needs little introduction to global turfgrass managers…he has drawn together more than 60 contributing authors, representing a ‘who’s who’ of the turfgrass scientific and academic community.” (Book Review Published in Australian Turfgrass Management Journal – Brett Robinson, Australian Sports Turf Managers Association, Australia)

Turfgrass is required to meet a challenging range of aesthetic, functional and environmental requirements, whilst also adapting to the threat of abiotic and biotic stresses which are being accentuated by climate change. The turfgrass industry is also facing increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact and advance more sustainable maintenance practices that utilise and/or optimise fewer agronomic-related resources.

Achieving sustainable turfgrass management summarises the wealth of recent research that addresses these challenges, whilst also identifying potential mitigation strategies to reduce the sector’s contribution to climate change, such as reduced fertilizer use and water conservation. This collection also highlights developments in breeding for improved cultivars of turfgrass with enhanced abiotic and biotic stress responses, as well as climate resilience.

In its extensive exploration of turfgrass physiology, breeding and cultivation, the book showcases how the turfgrass industry can adopt more sustainable management practices and reduce its environmental impact.

"From the beginning of this book to the end, it has been Professor Hochmuth’s intent to address and educate with a complete synopsis of what he calls ‘…the wealth of research addressing the challenges’ in sustainable growth of vegetables… I believe he has succeeded."
(Plant Science Bulletin - Botanical Society of America)

Sustainability involves meeting current needs without compromising the ability to meet future requirements. Like other crops, vegetable cultivation faces a number of challenges in ensuring sustainable production. These challenges include the need to improve yields and quality to meet rising demand and higher consumer expectations, the need to reduce the ongoing threats from pathogens and pests. Focussing on temperate cultivation, Achieving sustainable cultivation of vegetables summarises the wealth of research addressing these challenges, from breeding improved varieties to better techniques for cultivation and crop protection.

Part 1 reviews advances in physiology and breeding. Parts 2-3 summarise advances in cultivation and pest management. The final part includes case studies on the breeding and cultivation of key vegetables such as carrot, lettuce and cabbage.

With its distinguished editor and range of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for horticultural scientists in universities, government and other research centres involved in supporting vegetable cultivation, as well as companies supporting the vegetable sector.

“This very timely book provides a comprehensive exploration of the current status of pollinators in farming and the strategies to promote pollination by insects other than honeybees. The editors, Peter Kevan and Susan Willis Chan, have assembled contributions from a large number of experts in the area of crop pollination, bee ecology and pathology…this book presents a state-of-the-art account of an essential topic and will remain a very useful resource for years to come. The Burleigh Dodds series in agricultural science aims to provide researchers with advice for sustainable food production. This volume does more than that: it will be a go-to reference not only for researchers but also for farmers and agronomists, policymakers and NGOs interested in learning about advances in techniques and protocols in promoting a crucial ecosystem service.” (Dr Katja Hogendoorn, The University of Adelaide, Australia)

It has been reported that up to 95% of all flowering plants require the services of other organisms to move pollen from male to female flower parts during the pollination process. These organisms, including bees, are collectively known as pollinators. However, in light of the growing evidence of global declines in pollinator species, the management, ecology and conservation of wild and managed pollinators is a subject of growing importance and research activity.

Promoting pollination and pollinators in farming reviews the wealth of research on our current understanding of existing pollination processes and their importance to our global ecosystems. The book considers how pollinators interact with plants, as well as the major threats to pollinator species, including climate change, diseases and pesticide exposure.

Through its comprehensive exploration of the current status of pollinators in farming, the book provides its readers with the knowledge required to promote pollination by protecting the world’s pollinators species and the ecosystem services they deliver using techniques such as habitat conservation.

“Burleigh Dodds has recently published the third volume of a three-volume series on Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas, one of over 160 titles in the Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science. The third volume is separated into several parts and within each part, several chapters outline the most important pests and diseases affecting banana cultivation throughout the value chain from pre-plant to postharvest. The book is an invaluable tool for students, scientists and technical production managers alike.” (Book Review Published in Chronica Horticulturae – Dr Karin Hennweg, ARC-ITSC, South Africa)

Bananas are a key food source for millions, whilst their production supports the livelihood of farmers across the globe. However, recent research has identified the vulnerability of particular banana varieties to major pests and diseases. With the banana industry under threat of extinction, more research is required into understanding the biology of the pests and diseases that pose this threat so that more effective management strategies can be developed and the risk of future outbreaks reduced.

Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 3: Diseases and pests provides a comprehensive review of the major pests and diseases affecting global banana production including Tropical Race 4, black Sigatoka and banana streak virus. The book explores existing methods for pest/disease diagnosis and identification, current management strategies used to control and/or prevent outbreaks, as well as the development of disease-resistant cultivars and integrated pest and disease management programmes.

Increasing consumer demand for low-input cultivation and minimal processing has significantly increased the risk of microbiological contamination of fresh produce. This both presents a health risk to consumers and undermines trust in the food supply chain from farm to fork.

Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce reviews our current understanding of key pathogenic risks to fresh produce such as Salmonella, Listeria and E.coli. The book addresses recent advances in improving safety along the value chain, from advances in detection to improving consumer handling of fresh produce.

By providing a comprehensive insight into the pathogenic risks facing the fresh produce sector, the book details how key stakeholders across the agri-food supply chain can reduce the risk of pathogen contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.

Edited by an internationally-renowned expert in the field and featuring contributions from a team of expert authors, Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce will be a standard reference for researchers in food safety, agricultural engineers specialising in fresh produce storage, retail and other companies involved in the fresh produce supply chain, as well as government and commercial agencies responsible for safety and quality monitoring of agri-food supply chains.

There is a need to develop next-generation bioenergy systems that exhibit net carbon capture. This collection reviews advances in producing next-generation biofuels from plant materials. These address climate change by fixing carbon in co-products.

Part 1 discusses key technologies to achieve this goal such as biomass gasification, fast pyrolysis and torrefaction. Chapters review advances in technology, applications and commercial development. Part 2 assesses advances in production of biofuels from crops such as jatropha, oilseeds (such as canola and rapeseed), Miscanthus, switchgrass and willow, as well as the sustainable use of seaweed for biofuel.

With its international range of expert authors, Achieving carbon-negative bioenergy systems from plant materials will be a standard reference for researchers in agricultural and environmental science focussing on plant-based biofuel technologies, as well as government and other agencies supporting this sector.

As populations in many developed countries age and the burden of chronic disease increases, there remains a need to establish effective preventative measures. Fruit and vegetables are a natural source of vitamins and minerals which can contribute to good health.

Understanding and optimising the nutraceutical properties of fruit and vegetables reviews the associated health benefits of key horticultural crops, including apples, broccoli and cranberries. The book provides authoritative discussions on the nutraceutical properties of the major phytochemical compounds, including antioxidants and flavonoids, and how these properties can be optimised to prevent the onset of chronic diseases.

By providing a comprehensive insight into the human health benefits of fruit and vegetables, the book highlights the emergence of a more sustainable, alternative method to preventing the onset of disease with less reliance on overburdened healthcare systems.

Avocado is one of the world’s most economically important subtropical/tropical fruit crops, ranking fourth in export value behind bananas, grapes and apples. In the past 20 years, global avocado production has increased dramatically, with production now occurring in over 70 countries as a result of increased consumer demand.

This growth in production and consumer demand has been attributed to the fruit’s remarkable sensory, nutritional and nutraceutical properties. However, continued growth of the sector depends on optimising these properties, as well as improving the sustainability of pre-harvest cultivation and post-processing operations in the face of several challenges, including climate change.

Built on a lifetime’s experience from one of the world’s leading experts in the field, Sustainable production and postharvest handling of avocado considers how the avocado value chain can be optimised to achieve this growth. The book includes seven chapters which each offer a detailed insight into different elements of avocado production, covering topics such as nutritional compounds and health benefits, cultivars, growing techniques, pest and disease management, as well as post-harvest physiology and treatment and handling.

Written by a world-renowned expert, Sustainable production and postharvest handling of avocado will be a standard reference for commercial avocado growers, producers, processors and retailers, university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, as well as government and other private sector agencies supporting the sustainable production of avocados.

“The book is a ‘must have’, for it considers many complex and intertwined aspects from the consumer to genetics, to pre- and postharvest management, that impact and determine eating quality. This positions the book well for those young researchers starting a career on these topics.” (Book Review Published in Chronica Horticulturae – Professor Luca Corelli Grappadelli, University of Bologna, Italy and Chair ISHS Division Temperate Tree Fruits)

Apples are one of the most highly consumed fruits globally, with estimations that almost 88 million tonnes of apples are produced worldwide each year. As a result of this popularity, consumers have extremely high expectations of the sensory quality of the apples they consume.

Improving the quality of apples provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on the processes which determine the key quality attributes of apples, including texture and nutritional content. The book addresses how these properties can be enhanced during the pre- and postharvest stages to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction, as well as the role of breeding programmes in identifying genes directly related to sensory quality characteristics.

In its detailed exploration of the key quality attributes of apples, the book provides its readers with an insight into the science behind producing the ‘perfect’ product and how influential quality attributes are on consumer purchasing behaviours.

"…provides a good overview of the status of genetic improvement of banana, highlighting both the challenges and potential of ensuring successful cultivation…making this volume a comprehensive foundation of knowledge on which future banana improvement strategies can be built." (Book Review Published in Chronica Horticulturae – Dr Karin Hannweg, ARC-ISTC, South Africa)

Despite bananas being the world’s most exported and valuable fruit, banana production faces a number of challenges, primarily the extremely narrow genetic base currently available for commercial cultivation which increases the rate of vulnerability to diseases and other stresses. The sector faces increasing pressure to improve existing varieties, as well as to develop new varieties which retain key yield and quality characteristics and improved resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses.

Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement offers an authoritative discussion on the progress of identifying and broadening the genetic base for Musa species. This collection reviews the current conventional and molecular breeding techniques for breeding new varieties of banana, as well as providing coverage on improving traits in Cavendish.

With its distinguished editors and international range of expert authors, Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, government and other agencies supporting banana cultivation, as well as commercial banana growers and retailers. This title is accompanied by a companion volume: Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1: Cultivation techniques.

• Discusses the range of key ecosystem services provided by pollinators
• Reviews the range of ongoing habitat restoration projects in the European Union and North America
• Considers how data and ‘smart agriculture’ can be utilised to assess the impact of key agricultural practices on pollinator species

• Discusses the impact of monoculture in the banana industry and its contribution to the spread of Fusarium wilt
• Highlights the potential of key breeding technologies which can be used to improve resistance to Fusarium wilt of banana
• Discusses the challenges associated with developing hybrid banana varieties

• Provides a detailed overview of the recent advances in controlled environment agriculture
• Reviews the sustainability of controlled environment agriculture
• Summarises recent developments in controlled environment technologies, including lighting and climate control

• Reviews the implementation of best practices to reduce the risk of virus spread in apple orchards
• Provides a detailed overview of key viruses affecting banana production, such as banana bunchy top virus and banana bract mosaic virus
• Addresses the modes of transmission and spread of Apple mosaic virus

• Reviews recent advances in the use of quantitative trait loci to identify and improve key sensory attributes of tomatoes and strawberries
• Identifies the key health benefits associated with the consumption of cranberries, as well as future approaches for maximising the bioefficacy of cranberry-related food and products
• Highlights the use of plant bioregulators in the tree fruit production industry as a means of controlling vegetative growth and the maintenance and development of tree structure

“The book is a ‘must have’, for it considers many complex and intertwined aspects from the consumer to genetics, to pre- and postharvest management, that impact and determine eating quality. This positions the book well for those young researchers starting a career on these topics.” (Book Review Published in Chronica Horticulturae – Professor Luca Corelli Grappadelli, University of Bologna, Italy and Chair ISHS Division Temperate Tree Fruits)

Apples are one of the most highly consumed fruits globally, with estimations that almost 88 million tonnes of apples are produced worldwide each year. As a result of this popularity, consumers have extremely high expectations of the sensory quality of the apples they consume.

Improving the quality of apples provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on the processes which determine the key quality attributes of apples, including texture and nutritional content. The book addresses how these properties can be enhanced during the pre- and postharvest stages to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction, as well as the role of breeding programmes in identifying genes directly related to sensory quality characteristics.

In its detailed exploration of the key quality attributes of apples, the book provides its readers with an insight into the science behind producing the ‘perfect’ product and how influential quality attributes are on consumer purchasing behaviours.

This collection features six peer-reviewed reviews on irrigation management in horticultural production.

The first chapter considers recent advances in irrigation techniques used in sustainable vegetable cultivation and reviews the performance and efficiency of these systems.

The second chapter details the need to optimise precision in orchard irrigation management, focussing on matching water supply to plant demand as a means of achieving this.

The third chapter assesses irrigation management systems for tomato production and how these can be optimised alongside nutrient management to ensure the production of safe and nutritious tomatoes.

The fourth chapter summarises the common types of irrigation systems found in soilless culture production, as well as the emergence of new systems, including plant-based sensing and monitoring systems.

The fifth chapter highlights the need for more sustainable water use in ornamental production systems and the methods which can be used to achieve this, such as reducing runoff volume.

The final chapter considers recent advances in irrigation management in greenhouse cultivation, focussing on water balance, crop evapotranspiration techniques and irrigation scheduling.

Avocado is one of the world’s most economically important subtropical/tropical fruit crops, ranking fourth in export value behind bananas, grapes and apples. In the past 20 years, global avocado production has increased dramatically, with production now occurring in over 70 countries as a result of increased consumer demand.

This growth in production and consumer demand has been attributed to the fruit’s remarkable sensory, nutritional and nutraceutical properties. However, continued growth of the sector depends on optimising these properties, as well as improving the sustainability of pre-harvest cultivation and post-processing operations in the face of several challenges, including climate change.

Built on a lifetime’s experience from one of the world’s leading experts in the field, Sustainable production and postharvest handling of avocado considers how the avocado value chain can be optimised to achieve this growth. The book includes seven chapters which each offer a detailed insight into different elements of avocado production, covering topics such as nutritional compounds and health benefits, cultivars, growing techniques, pest and disease management, as well as post-harvest physiology and treatment and handling.

Written by a world-renowned expert, Sustainable production and postharvest handling of avocado will be a standard reference for commercial avocado growers, producers, processors and retailers, university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, as well as government and other private sector agencies supporting the sustainable production of avocados.

This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on improving the shelf life of horticultural produce.

The first chapter introduces the concept of smart distribution and highlights how optimising the management of produce distribution systems can reduce loss and waste in the horticultural sector and extend shelf life by minimising quality deterioration. The chapter also discusses the use of remote sensing technology to determine food quality.

The second chapter reviews a selection of pre- and postharvest strategies used to optimise fruit quality. The chapter considers ways of measuring harvest maturity, as well as the role of temperature controlled environments in extending the shelf life of tree fruit.

The third chapter summarises the wealth of recent research on the preservation of fruit quality in mango production, as well as how postharvest operations can be optimised to reduce loss and waste and maximise shelf life, including the use of controlled environments, waxes and edible coatings.

The final chapter explores the advantages and disadvantages of cultivating ripening-impaired tomato mutants and genetically engineered genotypes characterized by inhibition of the ripening process. The chapter considers the use of ethylene inhibitors and controlled environments as a means of mitigating devastating yield losses.

"This book provides an informative global perspective on soilless culture systems (SCS) around the world…the book promises to bring together the current best practice in SCS horticulture to create an important industry reference for all participants." ISHS - Chronica Horticulturae

Soilless cultivation techniques (including hydroponic systems) have attracted growing attention as a way of growing horticultural crops more efficiently without taking up more land. These controlled environment systems are also less vulnerable to climate change and are particularly suited to urban farming as part of the shift to more localised, circular food systems.

Advances in horticultural soilless culture provides a comprehensive assessment of recent research in this important area, paying close attention to the advances in optimising substrates for soilless cultivation, as well as the developments in solid and liquid-medium container systems, fertigation systems, modelling and process control. The collection includes case studies on horticultural crops such as tomatoes, strawberries and ornamentals.

With its distinguished editor and international range of expert authors, Advances in horticultural soilless culture will be a standard reference for university and other researchers involved in horticultural science, hydroponics and soilless cultivation. It will also be a valuable resource for government and other agencies supporting vertical and urban farming systems, as well as companies involved in this sector.

With increasing temperatures and an escalation in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, agricultural productivity remains at risk of being compromised. With the food security of millions threatened, there remains a need to develop alternative, sustainable production models which can thrive in the face of climate change.

Advances in plant factories: New technologies in indoor vertical farming reviews the wealth of research on optimising plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) as one potential solution to achieving a more sustainable agriculture. The book addresses developments in process monitoring, optimising energy use, as well as adjusting lighting conditions to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of a range of horticultural crops.

Increasing consumer demand for low-input cultivation and minimal processing has significantly increased the risk of microbiological contamination of fresh produce. This both presents a health risk to consumers and undermines trust in the food supply chain from farm to fork.

Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce reviews our current understanding of key pathogenic risks to fresh produce such as Salmonella, Listeria and E.coli. The book addresses recent advances in improving safety along the value chain, from advances in detection to improving consumer handling of fresh produce.

By providing a comprehensive insight into the pathogenic risks facing the fresh produce sector, the book details how key stakeholders across the agri-food supply chain can reduce the risk of pathogen contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.

Edited by an internationally-renowned expert in the field and featuring contributions from a team of expert authors, Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce will be a standard reference for researchers in food safety, agricultural engineers specialising in fresh produce storage, retail and other companies involved in the fresh produce supply chain, as well as government and commercial agencies responsible for safety and quality monitoring of agri-food supply chains.

This collection reviews current advances in the breeding and cultivation of key tropical and subtropical fruits.

Chapters summarise key advances across the value chain for citrus fruit cultivation, including citrus genetics, nutrition and other aspects of cultivation, the use of precision agriculture and developments in integrated pest management (IPM). Two case studies on limes and mandarins highlight the range of improvements in cultivation.

The book also summarises recent developments in breeding and cultivation techniques for a range of soft tropical fruits, including banana, lychee, papaya and pomegranate. The final part of the book covers developments in breeding and cultivation techniques for a range of stone and other tropical fruit, including avocado, coconut, guava, jackfruit, mangos and olives.

"…provides a good overview of the status of genetic improvement of banana, highlighting both the challenges and potential of ensuring successful cultivation…making this volume a comprehensive foundation of knowledge on which future banana improvement strategies can be built." (Book Review Published in Chronica Horticulturae – Dr Karin Hannweg, ARC-ISTC, South Africa)

Despite bananas being the world’s most exported and valuable fruit, banana production faces a number of challenges, primarily the extremely narrow genetic base currently available for commercial cultivation which increases the rate of vulnerability to diseases and other stresses. The sector faces increasing pressure to improve existing varieties, as well as to develop new varieties which retain key yield and quality characteristics and improved resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses.

Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement offers an authoritative discussion on the progress of identifying and broadening the genetic base for Musa species. This collection reviews the current conventional and molecular breeding techniques for breeding new varieties of banana, as well as providing coverage on improving traits in Cavendish.

With its distinguished editors and international range of expert authors, Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, government and other agencies supporting banana cultivation, as well as commercial banana growers and retailers. This title is accompanied by a companion volume: Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1: Cultivation techniques.

It has been suggested that agriculture may account for up to 24% of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) contributing to climate change. At the same time climate change is threatening to disrupt agricultural production. This collection reviews key research addressing this challenge.

Climate change is the biggest challenge agriculture faces. Part 1 of this collection reviews current research on the impacts of climate change on agriculture, such as the effects of increased temperatures, as well as the ways these impacts can be modelled. Part 2 assesses what we know about the contribution of agriculture to climate change, including the impacts of both crop and livestock production as well as land use. Part 3 surveys mitigation strategies to achieve a more ‘climate-smart’ agriculture such as the role of integrated crop-livestock and agroforestry systems.

There is a need to develop next-generation bioenergy systems that exhibit net carbon capture. This collection reviews advances in producing next-generation biofuels from plant materials. These address climate change by fixing carbon in co-products.

Part 1 discusses key technologies to achieve this goal such as biomass gasification, fast pyrolysis and torrefaction. Chapters review advances in technology, applications and commercial development. Part 2 assesses advances in production of biofuels from crops such as jatropha, oilseeds (such as canola and rapeseed), Miscanthus, switchgrass and willow, as well as the sustainable use of seaweed for biofuel.

With its international range of expert authors, Achieving carbon-negative bioenergy systems from plant materials will be a standard reference for researchers in agricultural and environmental science focussing on plant-based biofuel technologies, as well as government and other agencies supporting this sector.

Ornamental plants are plants grown for decorative purposes. They include cut flowers, bulbs, potted plants, shrubs and trees for gardening and landscape design. Like other crops, ornamentals face challenges such as biotic and abiotic stresses as well as the need to develop more sustainable, ‘climate-smart’ methods of cultivation. This collection reviews the rich range of research addressing these challenges.

Part 1 discusses advances in understanding plant physiology, genetic diversity and breeding techniques. Chapters cover recent research on how plants respond to abiotic stress, ways of exploiting genetic diversity to improve target traits, advances in both conventional and marker-assisted breeding techniques, as well as their use to produce abiotic stress-resistant varieties. Part 2 surveys advances in cultivation techniques in such areas as nutrition, irrigation, protected cultivation and integrated disease management.

"In conclusion, this extremely comprehensive, accurate and useful volume of reviews in the Burleigh Dodds series is recommended as an important reference for professionals and students alike."
ISHS - Chronica Horticulturae

This collection reviews advances in understanding and managing key diseases and insect pests of tree fruit.

Part 1 summarises current research on what causes key fungal diseases (apple scab, powdery mildew, apple canker and brown rot) as well as viral diseases (apple mosaic virus and plum pox). Building on this foundation, Part 2 discusses integrated fruit disease management techniques such as improved surveillance, breeding disease-resistant varieties, improved fungicide application as well as the use of biocontrol agents.

The second half of the book focuses on the ecology of major insect pests (aphids, tortricid moths, mites and spotted wing drosophila). The final part of the book reviews ways of improving integrated pest management (IPM) techniques for tree fruit, from monitoring and forecasting to agronomic practices to methods of biological control and optimisation of insecticide use.

With its distinguished editors and expert team of chapter authors, this will be a standard reference on understanding and managing key diseases and insect pests of tree fruit.

“The book is broken down into three distinct parts and encompasses a total of 20 chapters which come complete with extensive references. The editor – Dr Michael Fidanza – needs little introduction to global turfgrass managers…he has drawn together more than 60 contributing authors, representing a ‘who’s who’ of the turfgrass scientific and academic community.” (Book Review Published in Australian Turfgrass Management Journal – Brett Robinson, Australian Sports Turf Managers Association, Australia)

Turfgrass is required to meet a challenging range of aesthetic, functional and environmental requirements, whilst also adapting to the threat of abiotic and biotic stresses which are being accentuated by climate change. The turfgrass industry is also facing increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact and advance more sustainable maintenance practices that utilise and/or optimise fewer agronomic-related resources.

Achieving sustainable turfgrass management summarises the wealth of recent research that addresses these challenges, whilst also identifying potential mitigation strategies to reduce the sector’s contribution to climate change, such as reduced fertilizer use and water conservation. This collection also highlights developments in breeding for improved cultivars of turfgrass with enhanced abiotic and biotic stress responses, as well as climate resilience.

In its extensive exploration of turfgrass physiology, breeding and cultivation, the book showcases how the turfgrass industry can adopt more sustainable management practices and reduce its environmental impact.

“This very timely book provides a comprehensive exploration of the current status of pollinators in farming and the strategies to promote pollination by insects other than honeybees. The editors, Peter Kevan and Susan Willis Chan, have assembled contributions from a large number of experts in the area of crop pollination, bee ecology and pathology…this book presents a state-of-the-art account of an essential topic and will remain a very useful resource for years to come. The Burleigh Dodds series in agricultural science aims to provide researchers with advice for sustainable food production. This volume does more than that: it will be a go-to reference not only for researchers but also for farmers and agronomists, policymakers and NGOs interested in learning about advances in techniques and protocols in promoting a crucial ecosystem service.” (Dr Katja Hogendoorn, The University of Adelaide, Australia)

It has been reported that up to 95% of all flowering plants require the services of other organisms to move pollen from male to female flower parts during the pollination process. These organisms, including bees, are collectively known as pollinators. However, in light of the growing evidence of global declines in pollinator species, the management, ecology and conservation of wild and managed pollinators is a subject of growing importance and research activity.

Promoting pollination and pollinators in farming reviews the wealth of research on our current understanding of existing pollination processes and their importance to our global ecosystems. The book considers how pollinators interact with plants, as well as the major threats to pollinator species, including climate change, diseases and pesticide exposure.

Through its comprehensive exploration of the current status of pollinators in farming, the book provides its readers with the knowledge required to promote pollination by protecting the world’s pollinators species and the ecosystem services they deliver using techniques such as habitat conservation.

“Burleigh Dodds has recently published the third volume of a three-volume series on Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas, one of over 160 titles in the Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science. The third volume is separated into several parts and within each part, several chapters outline the most important pests and diseases affecting banana cultivation throughout the value chain from pre-plant to postharvest. The book is an invaluable tool for students, scientists and technical production managers alike.” (Book Review Published in Chronica Horticulturae – Dr Karin Hennweg, ARC-ITSC, South Africa)

Bananas are a key food source for millions, whilst their production supports the livelihood of farmers across the globe. However, recent research has identified the vulnerability of particular banana varieties to major pests and diseases. With the banana industry under threat of extinction, more research is required into understanding the biology of the pests and diseases that pose this threat so that more effective management strategies can be developed and the risk of future outbreaks reduced.

Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 3: Diseases and pests provides a comprehensive review of the major pests and diseases affecting global banana production including Tropical Race 4, black Sigatoka and banana streak virus. The book explores existing methods for pest/disease diagnosis and identification, current management strategies used to control and/or prevent outbreaks, as well as the development of disease-resistant cultivars and integrated pest and disease management programmes.

"From the beginning of this book to the end, it has been Professor Hochmuth’s intent to address and educate with a complete synopsis of what he calls ‘…the wealth of research addressing the challenges’ in sustainable growth of vegetables… I believe he has succeeded."
(Plant Science Bulletin - Botanical Society of America)

Sustainability involves meeting current needs without compromising the ability to meet future requirements. Like other crops, vegetable cultivation faces a number of challenges in ensuring sustainable production. These challenges include the need to improve yields and quality to meet rising demand and higher consumer expectations, the need to reduce the ongoing threats from pathogens and pests. Focussing on temperate cultivation, Achieving sustainable cultivation of vegetables summarises the wealth of research addressing these challenges, from breeding improved varieties to better techniques for cultivation and crop protection.

Part 1 reviews advances in physiology and breeding. Parts 2-3 summarise advances in cultivation and pest management. The final part includes case studies on the breeding and cultivation of key vegetables such as carrot, lettuce and cabbage.

With its distinguished editor and range of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for horticultural scientists in universities, government and other research centres involved in supporting vegetable cultivation, as well as companies supporting the vegetable sector.

As populations in many developed countries age and the burden of chronic disease increases, there remains a need to establish effective preventative measures. Fruit and vegetables are a natural source of vitamins and minerals which can contribute to good health.

Understanding and optimising the nutraceutical properties of fruit and vegetables reviews the associated health benefits of key horticultural crops, including apples, broccoli and cranberries. The book provides authoritative discussions on the nutraceutical properties of the major phytochemical compounds, including antioxidants and flavonoids, and how these properties can be optimised to prevent the onset of chronic diseases.

By providing a comprehensive insight into the human health benefits of fruit and vegetables, the book highlights the emergence of a more sustainable, alternative method to preventing the onset of disease with less reliance on overburdened healthcare systems.

This specially curated collection features three reviews of current and key research on climate change, insect pests and invasive species.

The first chapter reviews the impact of climate change on insect pests and how it has affected insect pest development and population dynamics, activity and abundance, diversity and geographical distribution. It also assesses insect-host plant interactions and the effectiveness of crop pest management techniques.

The second chapter discusses the literature on the potential impact of climate change on the principal insect pests of wheat, including cereal aphids, Hessian fly, orange wheat blossom midge, cereal leaf beetle and cotton bollworm. It assesses the different methods used to assess likely impacts as well climate change effects on biological control in wheat systems.

The final chapter surveys what we know about the ecology of invasive species and potential management strategies. In particular, it assesses how integrated pest management (IPM) needs to evolve to deal with invasive species, particularly in focussing more on monitoring, prevention and rapid response.

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on using crops as biofuel.

The first chapter reviews the key issues and challenges faced when expanding sugarcane cultivation for bioenergy, primarily, competition with food crops, loss of biodiversity, water, air and soil pollution, as well as a potential increase in pest problems.

The second chapter describes current technologies and constraints of biodiesel production, including the need for a consistent supply of feedstock to ensure a sustainable biodiesel industry. The chapter also examines life cycle assessment (LCA) of canola/rapeseed biodiesel production.

The third chapter addresses the sustainability of biofuels derived from palm oil and discusses the impact of their production on our ecosystems. The chapter also reviews the economics of biofuel and the levels of governmental support needed for sustainable production.

The fourth chapter examines the potential of varying grassland types for biomass production. It details the options for use of grassland biomass, citing its suitability for combustion, pyrolysis, biorefining and for use in bioenergy applications.

The final chapter reviews best agronomic practices for increasing overall biomass output in the face of pressing environmental changes. It also utilises the LCA framework to review strategies for crop improvement, such as crop rotations.

This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on vertical farming in horticulture.

The first chapter describes and evaluates technologies and methods for growing edible plants indoors and presents a survey of selected commercial vertical farms currently operating that employ them.

The second chapter explores the benefits of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs). The chapter assesses resource consumption, costs and performance of current PFALs, as well as methods for reducing resource consumption and production costs.

The third chapter explores recent advances in the ornamentals industry, such as vertical propagation systems and LED technology, and how these can be implemented to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace and societal demands.

The fourth chapter describes the advantages and disadvantages of hydroponics, along with the equipment and substrates used, and also examines soilless/hydroponic growing systems for vegetables.

The final chapter describes the most recent innovation in hydroponic technologies for plant cultivation within cities and their adaptability to the urban fabric.

"For anyone who wants information on the insect pests of rice, this book provides an enormous amount of information about the root and stem feeders, stem borers, gall midges, leafhoppers, planthoppers, foliage feeders and panicle feeders, together with colour illustrations and line drawings, supported by an extensive list of references to each chapter. For each insect, information is given on their distribution, host plants, their biology/ecology and plant damage they cause."
Outlooks on Pest Management

The rice plant is an ideal host for many insect species. All of the plant parts are vulnerable to insect-feeding from the time of sowing till harvest. There are over 800 insect species damaging rice in one way or another, although the majority of them do very little damage. In tropical Asia only about 20 species are of major importance. In Africa, 15 species of insects are considered major rice pests and in the Americas about 20 species are considered major pests.

To develop effective pest management strategies, it is essential to properly identify and understand the biology and ecology of insect pests and the arthropods that help regulate their populations. This book effectively utilizes the unique knowledge and expertise of leading rice entomologists from Africa, Asia and the Americas to provide the first global coverage of rice insect pests. The discussion of each pest includes geographical distribution, plant hosts other than rice, description and biology, plant damage and ecology.

This specially curated collection features three reviews of current and key research on nutraceuticals in fruit and vegetables.

The first chapter provides a brief description of the chemistry of bioactive compounds (BCs) and their presence in temperate fruits, and discusses recent advances in strategies towards improving sustainable crop production for nutraceuticals. It examines polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamin C and production practices that influence bioactive compound synthesis.

The second chapter describes the claimed health benefits associated with the antioxidant properties of bioactive compounds found in mangoes, such as vitamin C, phenolics and carotenoids. The chapter also examines specific cell, animal and clinical studies that suggest mango pulp, juice and extract are effective against metabolic diseases and certain forms of cancer.

The final chapter considers how developments such as genetic dissection using fruit ripening mutants, new transgenic plants, and molecular breeding have opened a road map for scientists to further unravel the intricacies and regulation of genes governing fruit quality attributes. Improvements in precision in engineering plant genomes have enabled development of novel tomatoes with marketable traits such as higher carotenoid and anthocyanin content, both beneficial for human health.

• Discusses the range of key ecosystem services provided by pollinators
• Reviews the range of ongoing habitat restoration projects in the European Union and North America
• Considers how data and ‘smart agriculture’ can be utilised to assess the impact of key agricultural practices on pollinator species

• Provides a detailed overview of the recent advances in controlled environment agriculture
• Reviews the sustainability of controlled environment agriculture
• Summarises recent developments in controlled environment technologies, including lighting and climate control

Fruit growth is a complex mechanism linking biochemical and biophysical processes promoting water and dry matter uptake in fruit tissues. This chapter describes growth mechanisms in apple fruit at different phenological stages and relates phases to key physiological parameters for fruit growth, including phloem and xylem inflows as well transpiration losses. A fundamental understanding of how apple fruit develop can allow the production chain to optimise resource management, leading to higher quality and more profitable and sustainable production.

This chapter reviews the latest scientific studies on the health benefits of apples, including fresh, canned, frozen, dried and/or juice (clear and cloudy) and their phytochemicals. Due to their popularity, accessibility and high nutritional content, apples have been the subject of many scientific studies targeting chronic disease prevention. Their consumption has been correlated with positive outcomes for a variety of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cognitive and lung disorders.

• Reviews the implementation of best practices to reduce the risk of virus spread in apple orchards
• Provides a detailed overview of key viruses affecting banana production, such as banana bunchy top virus and banana bract mosaic virus
• Addresses the modes of transmission and spread of Apple mosaic virus

Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) must fulfill the following basic requirements to help solve global and local issues relating to food, resources, environment, and quality of life: minimal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from construction and operation, high resource and economic productivity with minimal resource inputs and waste outputs through use of natural energy. The following issues are crucial to meet the above requirements: 1) efficient use of resources, such as electricity, water, and fertilizer in PFAL operation, and structural elements such as metals and cement in PFAL construction; 2) optimal environmental control of cultivation rooms for maximum resource and monetary productivities; 3) maximum use of alternatives to plastic products, chemical fertilizer, metals, and cement, and 4) use of electricity generated locally by natural energy. This chapter discusses the actions required to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) or GHG in the PFAL industry, and improve resource use efficiency, particularly electrical energy use efficiency.

Vertical plant farming (VPF), defined as crop production utilising vertical space through stacking horizontally or in towers, is a promising and relatively novel type of controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The nascent sector has been riddled with complexities in economic viability, labour, and plant science, evidenced by a landscape littered with failed start-ups. No studies have examined lessons learned from vertical plant farms. We analyse the interviews of 20 industry practitioners growing leafy vegetables, microgreens, herbs and edible flowers. We examine the experiences of both profitable farms and shuttered projects and their reasons for closure. Thematic analysis is used to identify lessons learned. The lessons fall under six themes: i) economics, ii) labour, iii) technology, iv) growing, v) strategy, and viii) risk. We explore these themes to provide guidelines for successful VPF projects grounded in the literature. This discourse includes a risk register comprised of all reported risks affecting VPF.

Breeding for fruit quality improvement is critical for sustaining consumer interest and providing long-term profitability for the apple industry. Priority breeding targets consist of eating quality, appearance, and storability traits (to ensure year-round availability of fruit). Apple breeding is a resource-intensive process constrained by its heterozygosity and long generation time. Advancements in genomic research and DNA technologies are increasing our knowledge of genomic regions and diagnostic markers linked to priority traits. This chapter describes breeding for quality improvement, address challenges of phenotyping, and provide a comprehensive review of DNA markers associated with fruit quality traits.

For growers to fully realise the benefits of a total controlled environment agriculture system, ensuring the correct design and management of industrial-scale vertical farms is critical. Systems should be modular, scalable, and flexible to de-risk the farmer's businesses and make the most of economics of scale and facility management systems to optimise energy and labour. These elements all combine to ensure the optimum environmental footprint. This chapter will introduce Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) as a business, including its products, services, system design, and functionalities. Further, there is a reference to the installation and operation of IGS Growth Towers and an exploration of future trends such as improving crop range, efficiency gains, levels of automation, and the development of systems to operate the world's largest vertical farms successfully. A case study detailing a publicly subsidised project to grow conifer tree seedlings has been included to demonstrate the system's flexibility and adaptability.

Plant factories utilizing artificial light (PFALs) perform particularly well in terms of resource efficiency, although energy use, mainly due to the use of artificial light for plant photosynthesis, remains high. This chapter presents the latest innovations in horticulture, photobiology, climate management technology and urban symbiosis aimed at reducing the use of energy, water and soil for crop cultivation in PFALs in order to achieve the highest levels of resource use efficiency.

Selecting the optimal light environment for plant growth and development, and reducing the amount of electric energy consumed by lighting are both essential to improve the economic operations of vertical farming. Compared with photosynthetic photon flux density and light period, the effects of light quality on plant morphology and physiology are much more complex. The effect of light quality on plant growth and development has been a hot topic in vertical farming over the past few decades. In this chapter, the effects of monochromatic and polychromatic lights on growth, development and qualities of leafy greens are described. Different morphological and physiological responses to specific spectral stimulation are discussed, followed by common polychromatic spectrums and their effects on plants.

The microbial safety of fresh fruits and vegetables impacts the health of consumers and the economic viability of farms, packinghouses, and the produce industry. The implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) on farms and in packinghouses over the past 24 years has resulted in an increase in written farm food safety plans and targeted practices aimed at reducing the risks of microbial contamination. Growers have expanded their mindset and management practices to include food safety in addition to the myriad of other production goals including improving crop yield, controlling pests, maintaining market access, and ensuring postharvest quality. The focus of this chapter is to review the role of GAPs in preventing microbial contamination of fresh produce over time. This includes summarizing how GAPs have evolved, the impact they have had on the produce industry, current GAPs and how they are implemented, and projecting their relevance into the future.

Plant factories have great potential for mitigating the contradiction between the growing global population and food scarcity. Machine vision plays an important role during automated food production, covering each production stage from raising seedlings, transplanting, management, harvesting and grading to packaging. In this paper, the prospects of machine vision application in plant factories are analyzed, then the present research utilizing this technology are summarized, including plant growth monitoring, robot operation assistance and fruit grading. Through the analyses, it is found that although existing methods have solved various practical problems with the advantages of low cost, high efficiency and high precision, there are still various challenges facing machine vision. Firstly, changing lighting conditions, complex indoor environments and color similarities between a plant’s organs can cause common image segmentation algorithms to fail. The lack of standard agricultural datasets hinders deep learning and unsupervised classification algorithms from making significant progress. Secondly, there are various theoretical knowledge gaps regarding the application of machine vision in the specific plant factory environment, which seriously hinders its application effect. Thirdly, a shortage of special image acquisition devices and supporting facilities has resulted in poor image quality. All these factors hinder machine vision to promote the development of plant factories. Nevertheless, this technology remains a powerful tool and is currently irreplaceable. We believe that machine vision will become more robust, efficient and reliable with the development of computer technology, the application of deep learning and updated algorithms.

This chapter will review published literature related to plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) energy consumption, provide detail on concepts around energy consuming systems, and give example case-studies with scenario analysis to illustrate the impacts of making energy efficient decisions in PFALs.

Biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) are essential in contemporary agricultural production to increase crop yield and enrich soil health. BSAAOs may introduce or extend the survival of microbial pathogens that may be transferred to crops. Climate and weather along with amendment type can influence pathogen persistence in agricultural environments. Specifically, moisture and rainfall are critical elements that can enhance pathogen survival in amended soils. This chapter includes a discussion of pathogen survival and transfer along with highlights from recent foodborne illness outbreaks. Reconsidering data presented on E. coli and Salmonella survival in amended soils alongside epidemiological and environmental assessment data is essential to collective growth in this field, as scientists develop recommendations for use and risk analysis. Future use of soil amendments may include use as tools for remediation or inclusion of biocontrol elements to reduce the risk of contamination associated with their application to raw agricultural commodities.

The reuse, recycling and control of emissions from large-scale food waste in urban areas have gained increased attention in recent years. Developing efficient food production systems with a low environmental impact is an important issue in facility-based plant production systems, such as plant factories, as part of efforts to add more value to plant production from an environmental perspective. Plant production plays an important role in human health and welfare, particularly in urban areas. To produce food efficiently while protecting the environment, it is imperative to establish a material-cycling farming system to promote a material-cycling-oriented society. In this chapter, the author proposes three possibilities and perspectives for facility-based plant production systems with the circulation of materials to achieve a sustainable balance between food production and environmental protection.

Fresh produce accounts for the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks and >30% of food waste attributed to premature spoilage. To date, pathogen control has been focused on the pre-harvest stage, in the form of testing and Good Agricultural Practice, given the limited efficacy of post-harvest washing to remove field-acquired contamination. However, the open nature of production systems and unreliability of testing have led to increased attention on post-harvest interventions as a type of ‘pasteurisation’ step. Attempts to improve the washing process involve identifying and maintaining sufficient free chlorine in wash tanks to prevent cross-contamination events. Alternative sanitisers to chlorine have also been evaluated although at best, minimize cross-contamination rather than support decontamination. This has led to the development of aqueous-free produce decontamination methods with gas-phase, gas plasma and hydroxyl-radical treatments showing promise. The development of a standard validation method to compare technologies is discussed along with future directions.

The packaging of fruits and vegetables serves several critical functions, including protecting them from damage during transportation and storage, extending their shelf life, preventing contamination from plant disease and foodborne pathogens, and reducing food waste. To safeguard produce from physical harm, it is essential to use sturdy containers, proper dividers, and padding. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and edible coatings help prevent produce from losing water and provide an optimal oxygen and carbon dioxide combination within the packaging. As many crops emit ethylene, which triggers ripening and senescence, and fresh produce is susceptible to microbial contamination, ethylene scavengers and antimicrobial agents are integrated with MAP to improve the storability of the produce. There are ongoing efforts to make packaging materials more environmentally friendly and sustainable, as well as advancements in smart packaging technology that can add extra functionality to packaging.

Managing the microbiological safety of fresh produce is a complicated task. Quantitative microbial risk assessments are being used increasingly as an aid to risk management by federal agencies, food industry professionals and academic researchers. This chapter takes a microorganism and historical perspective to review advances in quantitative microbial risk assessment of fresh produce. The chapter reviews microbial risk assessment research over the past 25 years specifically focused on Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and norovirus as important pathogens that have all caused outbreaks linked to fresh produce.

• Discusses the impact of monoculture in the banana industry and its contribution to the spread of Fusarium wilt
• Highlights the potential of key breeding technologies which can be used to improve resistance to Fusarium wilt of banana
• Discusses the challenges associated with developing hybrid banana varieties

This chapter reviews advances in understanding texture development in apples. It starts by first describing the anatomy and physiology of fruit texture traits. This is then followed by an evaluation of fruit texture parameters. The chapter goes on to discuss the influence of growing conditions, the effects of storage conditions on fruit texture as well as the impact fungal diseases can have on fruit texture. A section on genetic determination of texture is also provided, followed by a review of the association between texture and aroma, as well as an overview of selection/breeding achievements.

As described throughout this book, plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) can contribute to solving global and local issues in: 1) food safety and security, 2) environmental recovery, improvement, and creation, 3) increasing demands for a higher quality of fresh, functional, pesticide-free foods, 4) reducing food mileage and food loss, and 5) quality of life. However, in practice, most existing PFALs have not yet achieved the potential that PFALs have. This chapter provides an overview of the challenges in sustainable PFALs both in food production and in achieving wider social goals.

This chapter examines how light and root zone environments in plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) can affect the growth and nutritional components of medicinal plants and herbs. It first draws attention to perilla, a popular medicinal plant, and describes the effects of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and electrical conductivity (EC) on its growth and secondary metabolite accumulation. The chapter moves on to examine coriander and how PFFD, root zone temperature and the light spectrum affects the growth and secondary metabolite accumulation. A section on nasturtium is also included, focusing on the effects of EC, continuous lighting and daily light integral on nasturtium cuttings and plants. The chapter concludes by emphasising how the regulation of light and root zone environments can help to control plant growth in PFALs.

Our “808 FACTORY” business has been profitable for eight years since establishment of our first plant factory. Here, we present the business model of the brand that we have been operating. We discuss factory layout and operation management. We review measures of productivity per unit cultivation area, per unit of electric energy consumption, per labor hour and merchantability/commercialization ratio. We also outline control of variables such as temperature, photoperiod, airflow, CO2 and nutrient supply.

The past decade has seen rapid improvements in the technology used for plant factories with artificial light (PFALs), and these improvements are expected to continue for the coming years. These technological advancements are both a continuation and a synthesis of technologies that have been under development for centuries if not millennia. Here, we categorize PFAL technologies into six categories: architecture & automation, lighting, climate control, sensors & algorithms, rootzones, and genetics, and we discuss the past, present, and future of each. Among these technology categories, lighting has probably received the most attention, partially due to the increase in LED efficiency that has occurred over the past decade, and partially due to lighting’s visual appeal. The other technologies, however, are also making PFALs an increasingly feasible industry by increasing yields per unit growing area, by decreasing energy and resource consumption, and by increasing product quality.

This chapter briefly focuses on various aspects of postharvest management of apple fruit quality, including harvest maturity, pre-cooling, storage (conventional cold storage, control atmosphere and dynamic control atmosphere), packaging, ethylene and respiration management by using pre-storage ripening controlling treatments such as 1-methylcyclopropene and description of the control measures of most prevalent postharvest physiological disorders during the entire supply chain of apple fruit.

For reasons of food safety and quality assurance, rapid identification of pathogens causing spoilage and infections in food matrices is essential. Conventional approaches include enrichment of microbial pathogens in a range of non-selective and pathogen-specific selective media, followed by biochemical and phenotypic identification. In conventional culturing techniques, time-dependent detection is a major obstacle when it comes to delicate foods such as fish, dairy products and fresh produce. To overcome the limits of conventional approaches, numerous detection technologies such as molecular-, spectroscopy- and spectrometry-based methods, as well as optical phenotyping and biosensor methods are now available. This chapter provides an overview of the principles, mechanisms and applications of new and emerging technologies for microbial identification in food systems. It also provides researchers in the field of food safety and quality assurance with the known advantages and limitations of available rapid detection techniques for identifying pathogens in foods.

Due to changes in lifestyle and the increasing awareness of a healthy diet, consumers’ demand for fresh produce during the last few decades has increased rapidly, bringing along new challenges to the produce industry, including food safety issues. The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is often implicated in fresh produce outbreaks due to the lack of “kill” step during processing. Although the incidence rate of L. monocytogenes is relatively low compared to other pathogens, the high fatality rate associated with the outbreaks necessitates the need for advanced understanding of its contamination of fresh produce. This chapter provides information on the current knowledge associated with L. monocytogenes contamination of fresh produce. Specific sections cover the pathogenicity and gene regulation of the pathogen, listeriosis and recent outbreaks, common transmission routes to fresh produce, related guidance and regulations for the fresh produce industry, and current and novel intervention strategies.

This chapter highlights the significant evolution of the global avocado industry, which has experienced extraordinary growth in the last very few decades, both in the American continent where the fruit was originated, and in the other continents. The chapter indicates the important avocado producing regions in the different countries and their characteristics and potentials. The chapter also discusses the future strong growth prospects in emerging markets for avocados, such as in Asia, particularly in China.

This chapter reviews the pre-harvest management of avocados, fruit losses and their causes and control, with a special emphasis on fruit quality. It highlights key production techniques required for sustainable cultivation of the crop. It discusses existing information on the floral biology, the importance of the rootstock, emphasizing potential resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi and ways of combining resistance with tolerance to other disease-causing organisms and / or abiotic factors. The chapter describes the global efforts in the search for new rootstocks and new varieties to solve the problems attributed to reliance on the `Hass´ variety. Conventional avocado propagation techniques as well as methods such as Brokaw clonal and microcloning have been discussed. It also describes soil, fertilizers and climate needs, cultivation techniques, tree formation, management of the crown and the use of chemicals, among others. The effect of pre-harvest factors on the post-harvest quality and storability of the fruit are also discussed.

This chapter describes the global trade in avocado, markets and marketing systems, examples of quality and safety standards and requirements for local markets as well as for export markets, and costs and returns.

This chapter will assess the sustainable use of phosphite in amenity turfgrass management, by exploring the often-contentious use of phosphite as a nutrient source, its use as a biostimulant, and its properties and efficacy as a plant protectant within many plants including turfgrasses.

Turfgrasses are frequently grown in environments with less than optimal conditions, which ultimately negatively impacts plant growth and development. Between a changing environment and a desire to reduce inputs, turfgrasses will be exposed to even more stressful conditions. Understanding a plant's physiology and how they respond to stressful conditions is essential to developing turf areas that are able to maintain high levels of performance. This chapter covers physiological responses to four of the most common abiotic stress conditions: drought, heat, freezing, and salinity stresses. The chapter focuses on recent research that has improved our understanding of how these stresses damage plants and how in turn plants respond to tolerate these conditions. Knowledge of turfgrass physiology and their responses to different environments are essential to achieve sustainable turf areas in the future.

In recent years, small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and advancements in remote sensing technology have provided alternative and more affordable means for monitoring crop health and stress than ground-based (hand-held or vehicle-mounted) or other aerial-based platforms (manned aircraft or satellites). However, few scientific studies have evaluated the application of sUAS in turfgrass systems. The use of sUAS in monitoring turfgrass requires an understanding of basic remote sensing principles; identifying the target of interest and the various sUAS platforms and sensors that provide the necessary resolution and frequencies to measure and monitor that target; calibration of sensors in the field; and data processing considerations. Those topics are discussed, followed by reviews of recent turfgrass field studies conducted to predict and manage drought stress and pest outbreaks, and improve phenotyping capabilities in turfgrass breeding programs. The use of sUAS remote sensing in turfgrass offers unique possibilities and challenges, which are addressed herein.

Soil properties influence how turfgrass will look, function and perform. In this chapter, we explore our current understanding of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties relevant to turfgrass management and identify areas for future study. Recent advances in our understanding of physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils will help turfgrass managers work towards sustainable management of resources. In particular, the field of soil ecology and microbiology continues to reveal exciting new discoveries. Researchers are working towards a better understanding of estimating nitrogen availability from soil organic matter, and utilizing and managing the soil microbiome to augment turfgrass growth and suppress disease may be within reach in coming decades with continued investment in research on turfgrass and soil science.

Turfgrass breeding efforts are aimed at developing new turfgrass varieties adapted to a wide range of geographic regions with excellent seed or sod production, improved stress and pest tolerance, and elite turf quality under high, medium, and low maintenance practices. Various cooperative testing programs are available and utilized by turfgrass breeders to expedite these efforts. In addition, new technologies and advanced breeding strategies are being developed for enhanced DNA genotyping and high-throughput plant phenotyping approaches to improve turfgrass breeding and selection efficiency. This chapter discusses biological characteristics, traditional breeding strategies, current breeding objectives, and advanced breeding methods for the major cool- and warm-season turfgrass species. Although remarkable progress has been made in the development of improved turfgrass cultivars, much work remains to deliver turfgrass varieties that are able to withstand the stresses of the future.

This chapter addresses the advances in turfgrass insect pest management. It starts by first reviewing the recent studies of major turfgrass insect pests, such as annual bluegrass weevil, bill bugs, white grubs and fall armyworm. The chapter then moves on to discuss recent studies on emerging turfgrass pests, focusing specifically on European crane flies and Chaetocnema minuta. A section on integrated pest management practices is also provided, drawing attention to methods such as pest detection and monitoring, chemical control, insecticide resistance and non-target issues with chemical insectides. The chapter also discusses biological control, cultural control, host plant tolerance and resistance to pests and the use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.

Interactions between plants and pollinators, and thus pollination, are network-based processes. Many early studies of plant-pollinator networks focused on interactions within agroecosystems, providing a substantial knowledge-base around agricultural pollinators and how they can be promoted. There is therefore an opportunity to use network ecology to understand, support and enhance pollination services through farm management and integrated decision-making. This chapter aims to provide an introduction to network thinking, as well as examples and ideas of how it can be applied to promote and manage pollination services in a range of agroecosystems. To do so we: (i) describe the important and agriculturally relevant characteristics and structures in plant-pollinator networks; (ii) demonstrate how plant-pollinator networks have been assessed from field to national scales; and (iii) discuss the developments required to further operationalise management and conservation based on pollination networks.

Anthropogenic climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing biodiversity presently and into the future. Climate change, through increasing temperatures, and extreme events including droughts and fires, can be predicted to impact pollinators through a number of mechanisms, including altered phenologies and distributions, which in turn may lead to altered plant-pollinator interactions. This chapter presents an overview of observed and predicted impacts of climate change on pollinators, as well as factors that may mediate species’ responses, including synergisms with other threatening processes, and identify topics for further research. Given the importance of pollinating organisms for biodiversity and ecosystem services, the chapter concludes by presenting a number of ways in which we can help pollinators face the challenge of climate change.

Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs), with an almost airtight and well-insulated structure, enable simple and accurate data acquisition and environmental control, time series analysis, and prediction related to plant phenotypes. With plant phenotyping based on cohort research in PFALs, the life cycle phenome history of both plant individuals and communities can be obtained non-invasively and continuously and analyzed from seed sowing to harvesting, with time series data on the microenvironment, management, and resource inputs/outputs. This chapter first reviews challenges affecting PFALs and introduces plant phenotyping in general, along with previous plant phenotyping studies in PFALs. Plant phenotyping based on plant cohort research in PFALs is also discussed, followed by experimental cohort research studies on individual phenotyping. Finally, the possibility of plant phenotype-based environmental control in PFALs, considering business-related factors, is discussed.

Agricultural intensification, or the increase in crop production per unit of input or land area to meet the needs of a growing population, has resulted in a landscape dominated by large scale monoculture cropping. Pollinators, specifically, are impacted by the lack of diverse floral and habitat resources associated with this type of farming. Agriculture must develop practices that diversify the crop landscape and increase the availability of habitat and flowering resources to support these populations. In this chapter, we summarize the available literature on how the production space, i.e., within a crop production field, orchard, or pasture, can be more effectively managed to sustain pollinator populations. We report on various spatial and temporal approaches within the context of various cropping systems (row crops, specialty crops, perennial orchards, and perennial forage and pasture systems). Collectively, these approaches represent opportunities to re-introduce diversity into the agricultural landscape to benefit pollinators.

Abiotic stresses of turfgrasses involve any environmental condition which limits plant growth, turfgrass quality, and system functionality. Commonly observed abiotic stresses in turfgrass systems include drought, high temperature, low temperature, low irradiance, traffic, salinity, and chemical phytotoxicity. Managing abiotic stresses with reduced irrigation, fertilizer, energy, and pesticides has become critical to the sustainability of the turfgrass industry. In this chapter, we aim to describe the current literature related to abiotic stress management in turfgrasses with an emphasis on sustainability of turfgrass systems. To this end, we have organized the discussion into four approaches to sustainable abiotic stress management: 1) managing growth, 2) moderating the environment, 3) enhancing stress tolerance, and 4) masking stress response.

Avocado fruit is rich in phytochemicals that have been associated with the prevention of some important diseases. This chapter discusses the important nutritional components of avocado fruit, especially the many important bioactive compounds they contain, as well as the important effects of avocado consumption on human nutrition and health, a driver behind the very significant growth and expansion of the industry in the last few decades. The chapter details nutraceutical properties of avocado, particularly their potential for the prevention and possible treatment of diseases such as macular degeneration, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular problems, and cancer, among others. Some folk medicinal uses of avocado and its components, as well as some pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other applications have been discussed. Potential allergic and toxic compounds have also been mentioned and discussed.

Light-emitting diodes (LED) are advancing the development of indoor vertical farming due to their varied light spectrum and photon flux density. The substantial energy cost of lighting systems requires improvement. This chapter reviews three major spectra applied to lettuce cultivation in indoor vertical farming systems. Red and blue light are the most efficient spectra for chlorophyll absorption and far-red light promotes light interception and increases photochemical efficiency. Research shows that the photon flux ratio between red and blue light affects plant architecture, leaf and photosynthetic characteristics, biomass production and phytochemical compound accumulation. Additional far-red over photosynthetically active radiation triggers shade avoidance responses and increases light interception, which combines with planting density effects. Aside from the above spectra, biomass production and quality, utilization of other light spectrum and dynamic lighting as well as plant modelling should be considered to promote light use efficiency in indoor vertical farming.

Plant production in plant factories with artificial lighting (PFAL) can be done continuously for similar crops regardless of location and climate, allowing interconnectivity of production worldwide. A combination of a PFAL modular system with data acquisition and analysis tools has the potential to improve crop production in PFALs. Using real time monitoring and AI driven adjustment of the growing environment can improve the resource use efficiency of PFALs worldwide. In this chapter we describe the main elements required to successfully build a global network of PFALs based on the experience of Infarm, a company that built the first world‘s cloud connected PFAL network.

This chapter provides an overview of the antioxidant nutraceutical compounds found in apples. Apples have always been recognised as foods with high nutritional value. In addition, their health benefits have always been the subject of intense research. This chapter summarises the characteristics and properties of the antioxidant compounds found in apples, their bioavailability, and the mechanisms by which they exert their antioxidant effects. The effects of maturation, ripening, and post-harvesting on the resulting antioxidant content are also discussed.

Extending shelf life, improving quality, and reducing waste of leafy vegetables during transport and storage are key to tackling the global food challenge. Leafy vegetables – as the most popular crop grown in indoor vertical farms – are considered an important contributor to a healthy diet but generally have a short shelf life. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive definition of quality and review studies on the effect of high photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) applied prior to harvest on phytochemicals in leafy vegetables. Increasing levels of phytochemicals (vitamin C, phenolics and carbohydrates) under high PPFD can directly improve health-related values at harvest, and more importantly, through their involvement in metabolic and redox homeostasis, ensure sufficient antioxidant capacity in leaves and suppress quality decay in storage. Increased PPFD during growth can be integrated with indoor vertical farming to improve quality and extend the shelf life of leafy vegetables.

Because of their importance as pollinators of wild and cultivated plants, little concern has been paid to alien bees when entering a new ecosystem. Hence, approximately 80 alien bee species worldwide have spread outside their native ranges. Here, we explored the main impacts of alien bees on native bees through competition for food or nesting resources, interference, pathogen spillover, and genetic contamination. Implications for native bee conservation are also discussed. In addition, in this chapter, we developed a particular focus on the first alien bee that colonised Europe, Megachile sculpturalis. We emphasised the main knowledge gaps and important trends for future research. Finally, avenues for managing alien bee species and preventing their introduction are provided.

This chapter introduces the background and theory underpinning use of odours by insects in pollination, discusses how flowers produce odours and highlights issues specific to crops such as selective breeding. It then explores current technologies and case studies in which natural or synthetic odours on or near the crop, and the interaction with insects, influences visitation, pollination success and yield.

This chapter focuses on improving safe confumser handling of fresh produce. It begins by first discussing consumer produce consumption, drawing specific attention to the consumption of high risk produce items. The chapter then moves on to review pathogens isolated from produce samples, which is followed by an analysis of outbreaks and illnesses caused by produce. A section on organic produce is also provided, focusing specifically on microbial quality of conventionally grown versus organic produce and foodborne outbreaks associated with organic foods. The chapter also provides an overview of farmers markets, comparing the quality of produce items from these markets to traditional retail and also identifies the foodborne illnesses that can occur due to farmers markets. Consumer knowledge and behaviours around safe produce handling and consumption is also discussed, followed by an overview of produce safety and vulnerable and immunocompromised consumers. The chapter includes an overview of fresh produce safety handling recommendations and resources, as well as a discussion on the need to include behaviour theories and formative research in the development of new and targeted education materials around produce safety.

Salmonella is a frequent etiologic agent for foodborne illnesses acquired via consumption of plant-based foods. This may be attributed to the adaptability of this pathogen to various environments and hosts, including plants. Salmonella has a broad capacity to associate with fresh produce crops from a multitude of plant families, colonizing various anatomical structures of plants at all developmental stages, from root to leaf, from sprout to fruit. Salmonella identifies microsites on the plant surface with adequate water and nutrients and can enter plant tissues through natural plant openings such as stomata and lenticels. Its ability to persist on or penetrate plant tissues may also be facilitated by agricultural practices or post-harvest preparation of fruit and vegetables. This chapter discusses the various plant traits and agricultural practices that aid Salmonella association with fruit and vegetable crops, as well as the genetic strategies that Salmonella employs to compete in the plant niche.

The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) conducts trials of turfgrass species across the USA and Canada. NTEP data collected since 1981 is publicly available at www.ntep.org. Data is collected on more than 100 parameters including key factors in sustainable turfgrass selection. Selection of turfgrasses with traits such as improved disease resistance, drought tolerance, persistence under poor soil conditions or low quality irrigation and fast establishment are shown to protect the environment, improve athlete safety, reduce inputs, thus improving sustainability. To improve access to sustainable turfgrass data, NTEP and the University of Minnesota have developed a relational database along with a user-friendly selection tool, the Turfgrass Trial Explorer. This tool is accessed at www.ntep.org/database.htm, which allows for additional selection, sorting, analyzing and downloading of NTEP data. Case studies are presented to demonstrate current and future use of the Turfgrass Trial Explorer for sustainable turfgrass selection.

This particular chapter will cover recent advances in turfgrass disease management that promote sustainable suppression of the pathogens that cause diseases.