International genomic evaluation methods for dairy cattle
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The primary systems of data recording and genetic evaluation of dairy cattle are managed at a national level, with separate programs being run by each country, or in some cases for a small group of countries. However, international genomic evaluation methods for dairy cattle are needed so that sire evaluations can account for and estimate suitable degrees of sire re-ranking from one country to the next. This chapter compares national versus international standards and genetic versus genomic evaluation methods. The chapter highlights key points of understanding for current and future applications of international genomic evaluation of dairy cattle. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area and provides detailed guidance on further reading on the subject.
Theodor Friedrich, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy
The role of no or minimum mechanical soil disturbance in Conservation Agriculture systems
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Minimum mechanical soil disturbance is one of the pillars of Conservation Agriculture (CA). It is the core concept, which distinguishes CA as a sustainable farming system from tillage-based systems. This chapter introduces concepts of tillage and soil disturbance and the issues and solutions related to this topic along the cropping cycle. The role of no or minimum soil disturbance in CA systems is fully explored, firstly by looking at the effects of soil tillage and tillage implements on the soil. The chapter goes on to discuss how soil disturbance can by minimised during farming activities such as land preparation, seeding, planting, pest, disease and weed management, and harvesting. The issue of soil compaction is also discussed. The author concludes that agriculture is possible without soil disturbance and that sustainable agriculture via CA may become a reality.
W. Keith Moser, USDA Forest Service, USA; Adam P. Coble, Oregon Department of Forestry, USA; Lea Hallik, University of Tartu, Estonia; Andrew D. Richardson, Northern Arizona University, USA; Jan Pisek and Kairi Adamson, University of Tartu, Estonia; Russe
Advances in understanding canopy development in forest trees
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter introduces the reader to physiological processes at the leaf, crown, and canopy level. It details the importance of light and water to these processes, then outlines the patterns that foliage at the three levels assume in order to maximize carbon uptake and tree performance. Summaries of research in leaf orientation, leaf clumping, and traits acclimation along a canopy light gradient are presented. At the canopy level, the continuous recording of canopy phenology and the eddy covariance method of recording biosphere-atmosphere fluxes are also discussed. These methods are suitable for whole-season measurements at the cross-landscape or regional level. Managers will find this knowledge useful as they assemble information to aid in their managerial decisions.
Dr Dr Soo-Hyung Kim
Advances and improvements in modeling plant processes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter provides an overview of the advances made historically and today in modeling key plant processes with a focus on the processes associated with carbon acquisition and allocation (photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, respiration, and assimilate partitioning), and the timing of plant developmental events (phenology). Areas for further improvement are also addressed.
Raphael Mrode, Scotland’s Rural College, UK and International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya
Genetic and genomic dairy cattle evaluations in developing countries
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Genetic improvement programmes have delivered huge economic returns in developed countries. Supporting these successful genetic improvements are efficient genetic evaluation systems (GES) for the accurate evaluation of animals on which selection is based. Thus, GES is not only an integral and important component of any genetic improvement programme, but it has direct influence on the rate of genetic progress that is achievable. This chapter discusses genetic and genomic dairy cattle evaluations in developing countries. Following an introduction, a section entitled efficient data collection and storage is provided covering historical perspectives, and the current status of data and data collection in some developing countries (Kenya, Zimbabwe, India and Brazil). Then follows a section on analytical systems for the computation of the genetic merits of animals covering both conventional genetic evaluation systems and genomic selection. The chapter concludes with a discussion on systems for dispersal of better genetic merit.
Charles Vincent, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada; Guy Hallman, Phytosanitation, Oceanside, USA; Phyllis Weintraub, Gilat Research Center, Israel; and Francis Fleurat-Lessard, Gradignan, France
Advances in physical control methods in IPM
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The evidence is mounting for pesticide failures on many fronts, including environmental contamination and pest resistance to chemical products. As an alternative, physical management methods are environmentally friendly, are not subject to the development of resistance, leave no residues and require no complicated registration procedures. In this chapter, recent advances in physical control methods are reviewed, and how they are applied to the pre-harvest situations, and to the post-harvest situations of stored products, notably fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Physical management techniques should be fully integrated into integrated pest management programmes. The chapter discusses how physical barriers are applied in the pre-harvest field as compared to the post-harvest situations and how sanitation measures differ between pre- and post-harvest. The chapter concludes with a section on the vision for the future of post-harvest phytosanitary measures, which includes the possibility of artificial intelligence, coupled with affordable sensors.
George B. Frisvold, University of Arizona, USA
Economic assessment of integrated pest management (IPM) implementation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Besides reducing health and the ecological risks of pest control, integrated pest management (IPM) seeks to increase farm income. Economic constraints also act as barriers to adoption of IPM practices. An understanding of how IPM affects the farm “bottom line” is crucial to efforts to encourage IPM. This chapter discusses methods for estimating the economic impacts of IPM, devoting special attention to advances in statistical methods to account for sample selection bias in program evaluation. The chapter also discusses methods for estimating economic values of reduced environmental risks. Finally, the chapter examines the effectiveness of Farmer Field Schools in promoting pest management knowledge, IPM adoption, and farm income and discusses ways to improve economic assessments of IPM programs.
Christine Baes, University of Guelph, Canada and University of Bern, Switzerland; and Bayode Makanjuola and Larry Schaeffer, University of Guelph, Canada
Assessing inbreeding and genetic diversity in the Holstein breed using pedigree and genomic approaches
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Various breeding strategies to improve dairy cattle production, conformation, health and, more recently, efficiency, have been developed. However, as selection intensity within these finite populations has increased, so has the relatedness within individual populations. This chapter looks at inbreeding and genetic diversity in the Holstein breed. It discusses the forces affecting genetic diversity within the breed, including drift, selection, migration, and mutation. Assessing measures of relatedness using different sources of information available for Holsteins (additive genetic relationships, genomic relationships, and other measures of inbreeding) are described. Inbreeding and its effects on phenotypes, including positive effects of inbreeding, inherited defects, and inbreeding depression for quantitative traits, are then explored. Exploration of population measures of inbreeding, such as the effective population size and the rate of inbreeding leads into a discussion on how to manage genetic diversity in Holsteins. The chapter concludes with a case study on Holstein cattle in Canada.
Dr Dr J. R. Olatunji
Advances in cooling technologies to preserve horticultural produce
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Fruit and vegetables are living organisms that continue to respire after harvest, deteriorating over time, in a process known as senescence. Although it is impossible to halt senescence, removing the field-heat, and reducing the temperature of the product at the time of harvest, has substantial effects on maintaining product integrity. Cooling is the first ‘cool’ stage of the horticultural cool-chain, and is designed to rapidly and efficiently reduce the product temperature from the field temperature (often 20-30°C, depending on local conditions) to storage temperature (usually between 0-15°C, depending on the specific product. This chapter provides a review of the state of the art of produce cooling with emphasis on the recent developments in this field.
Scott Day, Treelane Farms Ltd, Canada; Ademir Calegari, Agricultural Research Institute of Paraná State (IAPAR), Brazil; Alessandra Santos, Marcus Cremonesi, Lilianne Maia and Wilian Demetrio, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil; and Marie L. C. Bartz,
Biodiversity management practices and benefits in Conservation Agriculture systems
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Biodiversity in agriculture is one of the most effective ways to achiebe sustainable crop production without damaging the environment. This chapter reviews biodiversity management practices and benefits in Conservation Agriculture systems. After looking at the importance of soil microorganisms, the chapter looks at how CA systems contribute to soil biological activity, particularly the way cover crops and rotations, with a no-till regime, can enrich soil and the multitude or organisms living in it. The chapter concludes with a case study discussing biodiversity management practices and benefits in CA systems in South-West Manitoba (Canada).
B. Basso and R. A. Martinez-Feria, Michigan State University, USA; and B. Dumont, University of Liege, Belgium
Modeling crop rotations: capturing short- and long-term feedbacks for sustainability and soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Crop rotation is a critical management strategy available to farmers to sustain soil fertility, combat pests, and improve crop yields. Because of the complex feedbacks occurring in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, legacy effects and their interactions with climate are generally not well understood, and their ultimate influence on yields and environmental quality is difficult to predict. Crop simulation models offer a way of parsing through this complexity. This chapter illustrates how crop models account for the interactions between soil, genotypes, management, and climate, on crops grown in various rotations, and their effects on yield and environmental outcomes (e.g. nitrate leaching, soil organic carbon sequestration) under current and future climate scenarios by presenting two different case studies and modeling approaches. The authors conclude the chapter by summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of the modeling approaches and offer some recommendations for how to best capture legacy effects.
Robert Venette, USDA Forest Service, USA; and Amy Morey, University of Minnesota, USA
Advances in understanding the ecology of invasive crop insect pests and their impact on IPM
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Invasive species represent one of the greatest threats to agriculture and commercial forestry, worldwide. Examples of invasive pests continue to increase with increasing world trade and human transport, but all biological invasions progress through similar stages of arrival, establishment, spread and impact. This chapter reviews how management strategies change as invasions progress. As problems from invasive species increase, some scientists and decision-makers question if species-by-species research and farm-by-farm management are the optimum ways to address the problem. Here, the authors address two more fundamental questions: can the various approaches to invasive species management still be considered integrated pest management, and why does it matter if they can or cannot? Lastly, the authors describe invasive species as a ‘wicked problem’, for policy-makers, researchers and stakeholders. Great achievements can be made if the problem is tamed, but research and management efforts may be jeopardized if it is not.
E. A. Heinrichs and John E. Foster, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
Advances in breeding crops resistant to insect pests: rice as a paradigm
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Over the last 60 years research involving the development and deployment of insect-resistant crop cultivars has led to significant crop improvements in the major food-producing areas of the world. This chapter discusses the history, status, latest methods, and challenges of breeding insect-resistant rice varieties. The chapter examines host plant resistance as an ecological approach to managing crop pests and considers the process of evaluating resistance on the basis of insect behavior. The chapter looks at breeding rice for resistance to insect pests and considers the constraints on the development and deployment of insect-resistant plant technology. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Don Reicosky, Soil Scientist Emeritus USDA-ARS and University of Minnesota, USA
Conservation Agriculture Systems: soil health and landscape management
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
At the core of Conservation Agriculture (CA) is the transformation towards soil health and systems management innovation with emphasis on regenerative carbon management. This chapter documents the role of CA systems in relation to soil health and soil function. The three principles of: 1) permanent organic crop residue soil cover; 2) diverse crop rotations and cover crop mixes; and 3) continuous minimum mechanical soil disturbance, of CA systems, along with complementary supporting practices, are fully discussed. Then follows a section on plant carbon and its impact on hydrology and water use efficiency. The author concludes that a strong partnership is needed among all social, economic, and political sectors to promote innovation, adoption and success of Conservation Agriculture systems in light of the need for global food security.
Thuy T. T. Nguyen, Agriculture Victoria, Australia
Advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve heat tolerance
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Elevated temperature can impact dairy cows in many aspects, leading to a decline in productivity and ultimately the profitability of the industry. There is a need to breed for heat tolerant dairy cattle to mitigate these impacts. This chapter outlines technologies to breed for more heat tolerant dairy cattle, exploiting either between or within breed genetic variation in the trait. Finally, the chapter discusses future perspectives on the use of different tools to achieve accelerated improvements of this important trait, and provides detailed guidance on further reading in this area.
Dr Dr Matthew J. McGrath
Advances in understanding the role of forests in the carbon cycle
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The recognition that increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are warming the global climate has led to forests being viewed as potential natural ways to reduce carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. Forests’ complex interactions with local and global climates, however, make predicting the impacts of changes in forest cover and composition challenging. This chapter examines the importance of forest carbon content and methods of monitoring it. The chapter describes the mechanisms driving forest carbon storage and explores whether forests should be considered sources or sinks of carbon. The chapter distinguishes between carbon management and climate management. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area and offers suggestions for further reading.
Reiner Jedermann, Institute for Microsensors, Actuators and Systems (IMSAS), Germany; Ulrike Praeger and Martin Geyer, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany; and Walter Lang, Institute for Microsensors, Actuators and
Temperature deviations during transport as a cause for food losses
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Deviating temperature conditions during distribution processes reduce the quality of food and significantly contribute to global food losses. The effect of careless handling and inadequate processing only become visible much later in the cool chain, making it difficult to quantify the contribution of individual processes. This chapter highlights the importance of transport losses of produce and draws attention to the omnipresence of temperature deviations. The chapter examines methods of shelf-life prediction, as well as the identification, quantification and mitigation of temperature abuse, along with remote monitoring. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Upendra Singh and Cheryl Porter, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and University of Florida, USA
Improving modeling of nutrient cycles in crop cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter describes nutrient cycle modelling for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and is not meant to be a review of existing nutrient models. Most of these existing models were designed to predict the effects of N and P on crop growth response. Given the importance of N in global food production and its impact on the environment, the major emphasis of this chapter has been on N modelling.
Dr Dr Sean Moore
Advances in microbial control in IPM: entomopathogenic viruses
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Although there are several families of viruses known to include insect pathogens, only a handful are recognised to have species with any potential of being biopesticides. The majority of these are baculoviruses and are an ideal component of an integrated pest management (IPM) programme, as they are highly target pest-specific, have no detrimental side effects, are user-friendly, are often as effective as the chemical alternatives, are compatible with most pesticides and technologies, and they leave no detectable residues. However, there are certain challenges associated with their usage, such as slow speed of kill, a narrow host range, limited shelf life, high cost and the possibility of resistance development – the solutions to which are discussed in this chapter. Three baculovirus biopesticide case studies are provided elucidating the practical benefits and challenges of using baculoviruses in IPM systems. The chapter concludes that the usage of insect viruses in IPM is set to grow in the future.
Claudio O. Stöckle, Washington State University, USA; and Francisco Meza, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Improving modelling of water cycles in crop cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Adequate representation of the water cycle in cropping systems remains as one of the major concerns for crop model developers as it is involved in many critical processes such as the determination of the energy balance and crop temperature, the determination of crop productivity, and the movement of nutrients in the soil and their uptake. Even though the water budget equation is rather simple, the scarcity of measurements and data to specify the parameters and evaluate the component processes, as well as the myriad of empirical and mechanistic approaches available, makes it difficult for crop modelers to decide on suitable approaches to incorporate in their models. This chapter presents a summary of the most common approaches that are included in crop simulation models, the parameterization of the equations involved, and the main limitations currently observed.
Peter Amer, AbacusBio Ltd, New Zealand; and Tim Byrne, AbacusBio International Ltd, UK
Recent developments in multi-trait selection in dairy cattle breeding
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Selection indexes, and their underlying breeding objectives, are widely used in dairy cattle breeding, and indexes tend to play an important role in selection decisions made by commercial farmers in many of the more advanced dairy industries within well developed economies. This chapter describes the key role of multi-trait indexes in dairy cattle breeding, how this role is evolving, and consequently, the methods used to establish the weightings in the indexes. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area and provides guidance on further reading on the subject.
John Cole, USDA-ARS, USA
Advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve resistance to mastitis
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Mastitis, an inflammatory response associated with bacterial infections, is generally regarded as the most-costly disease of dairy cattle because of its high incidence and effects on milk production and composition. Genetic selection for highly productive dairy cows has been very successful; however, udder health has declined in many dairy breeds because of its unfavourable correlations with milk production. Poor udder health increases veterinary and farm labour costs, increases rates of involuntary culling, decreases farm revenue, and adversely impacts animal welfare. However, genetic selection can be used to improve udder health just as it has been used to increase production. This chapter reviews advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve resistance to mastitis. It includes sections on both conventional and new phenotypes for improving resistance to clinical mastitis, and also on both national and international genetic improvement programmes for resistance to clinical mastitis. It concludes with a section on increasing rates of genetic gain through genomic selection.
Guillermo Tellez and Juan D. Latorre, University of Arkansas, USA; Margarita A. Arreguin-Nava, Eco-Bio LLC, USA; and Billy M. Hargis, University of Arkansas, USA
The role of probiotics in optimizing gut function in poultry
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes has created public concerns leading to new laws that restrict the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in domestic and meat-producing animals in several countries around the world. In this chapter, the safety and efficacy of individual monocultures for prophylactic and/or therapeutic efficacy against Salmonella infections in poultry under both laboratory and field conditions are summarized. In addition, the development of novel, cost-effective, feed-stable, direct-fed microbials with potential for widespread utilization and improved production, delivery and clinical efficacy for animal use are presented. Following an introduction, a section on the use of probiotics in poultry is presented; a discussion on probiotics and inflammation is also provided. The risks on the overuse of antibiotics are discussed, and the chapter concludes with an introduction to the use of direct-fed microbials in commercial poultry diets.
Joel Ira Weller, The Volcani Center, Israel
Genetic evaluation: use of genomic data in large-scale genetic evaluations in dairy cattle breeding
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Genomic evaluation has been successfully implemented in nearly all advanced dairy producing countries. Methods to compute genomic genetic evaluations for dairy cattle can be divided into single-step methods and multi-step methods. This chapter introduces the use of mixed model equations and the numerator relationship matrix, outlining the two basic methods used to compute genomic evaluations. The chapter explains the process of validating methods of computing genomic estimated breeding values. Finally, the chapter examines how genomic selection has changed the dairy cattle industry and looks ahead to future research trends in this area, as well as providing detailed guidance on further reading on the subject.
Michael D. Cressman, The Ohio State University, USA; Jannigje G. Kers, Utrecht University, The Netherlands; and Lingling Wang and Zhongtang Yu, The Ohio State University, USA
Genetics and other factors affecting intestinal microbiota and function in poultry
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The diverse intestinal microbiota of poultry plays critical roles in determining feed utilization, health, and diseases. A comprehensive understanding of how various factors shape the intestinal microbiota in poultry can help develop new dietary and managerial interventions to enhance bird growth, maximize feed utilization efficiency, and lower enteric diseases caused by pathogens. This chapter reviews the current understanding of how different factors (except diet and growth promoters that are covered in other chapters of this book) can affect the intestinal microbiota. These factors include genetics and breeds, hatchery conditions and environment, bedding and litter, climate and geographic regions, gender and diseases. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future perspectives in research on intestinal microbiota in poultry and provides comprehensive guidance on finding further information on this area.
Philip J. Burton, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
The scope and challenge of sustainable forestry
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Forests have managed to sustain themselves for millennia, recovering, reorganizing or migrating in response to innumerable disruptions. Humans have always reaped the benefits of this natural ability of treed ecosystems to renew themselves. Overharvesting of wood for fuel and building materials, however, eventually led to restrictions at different times and places around the world, and was eventually resolved through the development of sustained yield forestry. This introductory chapter focusses on current research in sustainable forestry. Beginning by discussing the concept of sustainable forestry, the chapter goes on to explore the natural resilience of forests. Further sections address the ways in which sustainability is interpreted and the challenges encountered in its implementation. In later sections, each of the subsequent chapters is referred to, in turn, providing an overview of the book. The chapter concludes with a reflection on what sustainable forestry is and how it may be attained.
Trudee Fair and Pat Lonergan, University of College Dublin, Ireland
Developments in the use of embryo technologies in dairy cows
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Reproductive technologies offer the opportunity to produce far greater numbers of offspring from genetically valuable dams, than they would normally have in their lifetime. Technologies such as ovum-pickup when applied to harvest oocytes from prepubertal animals provide the means to dramatically reduce the genetic interval, whereas the large number of embryos recovered from multiple ovulation embryo transfer gives greater scope for selection for genetic improvement. When animal breeding programmes couple these technologies with genomic selection based on genome wide assisted selection, the accuracy of selection can be increased further. The current range of interventions that can be applied to breeding programmes provides great scope to increase the efficiency, sustainability and welfare of the dairy industry. This chapter provides an update on current developments in reproductive technologies that are available for routine use and those that are still in the research stage but have the potential to provide solutions for the dairy industry in the future.
Robert Moore, RMIT University, Australia
Understanding gut microbiota in poultry
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Research has shown that gut microbiota; the bacteria, archaea, protozoa, fungi and viruses that reside within the gastrointestinal tract, has a profound effect on the health and productivity of poultry. This chapter outlines what is known about the establishment and development of the gut microbiota, some of the mechanisms by which the microbiota can affect poultry and the ways that the microbiota can be manipulated to enhance poultry health and productivity. Firstly, an overview of the microbiota of chickens is presented. This is followed by a discussion on the functional interaction of such microbiota with the host, in this case, the chicken. A section on the manipulation of microbiota for health and productivity of chickens is provided, covering the use of microbes to manipulate gut microbiota and also the use of feed additives and antibiotics. The chapter concludes with an overview of future trends in research.
Dr Dr Yamina Micaela Rosas
Trade-offs between management and conservation for the provision of ecosystem services in the southern Patagonian forests
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Forests provide critical ecosystem services for human well-being; however, some ecosystem services are more valued (e.g. provisioning services) than others (e.g. regulating or supporting services). Temperate regions contain several forests affected by humans, mainly with regard to ecosystem services and biodiversity. This chapter focuses on Nothofagus forests in southern Patagonia. It analyzes potential trade-offs between ecosystem services and biodiversity, and how new silvicultural approaches (such as silvopastoral and variable retention harvesting) allow multi-objective management at the landscape level. The authors first discuss forest ecosystem service characterization. Further sections are included on the provision of forest ecosystem services in southern Patagonia and developing strategies of sustainable forest management. The chapter closes with an overview of forest ecosystem services in a changing world. The authors conclude that future proposals (such as land-sharing) will require fewer trade-offs and promote positive synergies within the provision of ecosystem services, generating more resilient alternatives that can mitigate potential climate change effects.
John Daigle, University of Maine, USA
Developing forestry recreation services
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
A high percentage of individuals participate in outdoor recreation, and as regions around the world continue to experience population growth there correspondingly will be increased demand for recreation services. Quality in such recreation can be defined as the degree to which recreation opportunities provide the experiences for which they are designed and managed. Therefore, key to protecting the recreation experiences in certain areas is an understanding of the different aspects of the visitor experience and recognizing which of these are important to visitors. This chapter is focused on developing forestry recreation services. Following a general introduction on recreation, a section is then included on visitor experience. The chapter then discusses the concept of the recreation opportunity spectrum. Recreation site planning and management are discussed, as are visitor use management, and monitoring and assessment. The chapter includes a case study on development of recreation services on privately owned forestlands in the United States.
Katrien Descheemaeker, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands; and Lindsay Bell, CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Australia
Integrating livestock production into whole-farm system models of mixed crop–livestock systems
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Crop-livestock farming systems integrate various biophysical components with farm decision-making. Whole-farm system models help to understand the complexity arising from this integration and are useful tools to explore effects of interventions and to design improved systems. After describing the generic characteristics of crop-livestock systems, this chapter gives an account of the separate component models, from which whole-farm models are usually assembled. Most attention goes to the wide diversity in pasture, livestock and manure models, while approaches to represent farm management in models are also discussed. The interactions between farm components strongly determine model functioning and performance, and often present modelling challenges to capture them. With a focus on grazing, manure dynamics and animal mobility, the authors assess the key processes governing these interactions and review how models represent them. Further, the representation of feed quality in crop model outputs and the management of time scales and carry-over effects is dealt with. Finally, the authors provide two examples of common whole-farm model applications from contrasting environments.
Toyoki Kozai, Japan Plant Factory Association, Japan; Yumiko Amagai, Chiba University, Japan; and Eri Hayashi, Japan Plant Factory Association, Japan
Towards sustainable plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs): from greenhouses to vertical farms
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) have hitherto proved too costly to be economically viable, consuming too much electricity to be considered truly sustainable. However, recent advances are changing this, and the potential advantages of PFALs are making them an attractive option. This chapter discusses the requirements of sustainable plant production systems, exploring the potential and actual benefits of PFALs. The chapter considers the resource consumption, production cost and cost performance associated with current PFALs, as well as methods for reducing resource consumption and production costs. Finally, the chapter examines future challenges of environmentally and economically sustainable plant production for smart PFALs.
Moez El Shohdi, Egyptian Food Bank/Food Banking Regional Network, Egypt; and Rasha El Shafei, Universities of Canada in Egypt, Egypt
The role of food banks in food security and food loss and waste (FLW) prevention
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The current deficit of food supply in which more than 820 million people do not have enough to eat puts a real threat on the upcoming generations to satisfy their most basic need of food sufficiency. This chapter describes the development of food banks over the years, explains the difference between the traditional and contemporary food banking models and presents a case study on one of the most successful food banks in the Middle East region that diverts more than 17,000,000 meals monthly from the landfill.
K. J. Boote, University of Florida, USA
The future of crop modeling for sustainable agriculture
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Crop growth simulation models have become increasingly important as accepted tools with uses in education, research, crop management, industry, and government policy decisions related to improving and sustaining agricultural production of food, feed, fiber, and ecosystem services. This chapter begins with a brief review of history of crop modeling that has led to excellent collaborations among the world’s crop modeling community. It discusses present and future potential uses of crop models in education, academic research, plant breeding, strategic crop management, in-season advisory tools, famine risk tools, climate change impact assessment, ecosystem services, sustaining long-term soil fertility, and integration with livestock and economic models. It concludes with a look to the future with a review of what is new in crop models, the processes that need improvement, along with suggestions of new features needed.
Andrew Lister, USDA Forest Service, USA
Advances in monitoring forest growth and health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Information derived from monitoring the status of and trends in forest resources is a critical tool for policymakers, managers, and other environmental decision makers. Advances in forest monitoring technology, particularly in the use of remote sensing, have helped deliver higher quality information in a timelier manner than in the past. This chapter gives background information on the practical and statistical principles behind both ground-based and remote sensing-based forest measurement and monitoring, provides historical context for each, identifies information gaps and practical challenges, and proposes solutions for harmonizing the two sources of information. This is done through the use of a hypothetical forest management case study aimed at providing a conceptual framework for forest managers seeking to design forest monitoring systems. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends and suggests further reading.
Oliver Körner, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Germany
Models, sensors and decision support systems in greenhouse cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Model-based decision support and automation in horticulture is accompanied today by the development of Industry 4.0, that is, today’s greenhouses are advanced production systems with the possibility of controlling the indoor climate (and with that, the crop) very accurately with intelligent algorithms based on models and/or data. This chapter discusses the potential of sensors and models within the growing mechanisation in greenhouses. The chapter examines differences in development and application of deterministic explanatory and data-based models for real-time control and decision support systems (DSS) using soft sensors and the application of planning tools. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Frits K. van Evert, Wageningen University & Research, Agrosystems Research, The Netherlands
Data for developing, testing, and applying crop and farm models
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter focuses on the data needed for developing, testing, and applying crop and farm models. The chapter reviews the kinds of data available to crop and farm modellers. The chapter describes practices concerning storage, exchanging, and combining data from various sources, examining the socio-economic and ethical implications. The chapter looks at the role of companies in data flows and generating recommendations to farmers. The chapter presents examples of successful use of agricultural data, both for science and for agricultural practice. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Juan I. Montero, formerly Institut de Recerca i Tecnología Agroalimentaries, Spain; and Yi Zhang, Qichang Yang and Xinglin Ke, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, China
Advances in greenhouse design
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Greenhouses are effective structures for producing high-value crops since they use natural resources as well as production inputs very efficiently. Consequently, greenhouses occupy large areas of the world. This chapter examines recent developments in greenhouse designs on three relevant production systems, namely low-tech greenhouses, high-tech greenhouses and the Chinese solar greenhouse (CSG). The chapter reviews advances in natural ventilation, light transmission and passive improvement of night-time conditions. The chapter discusses new greenhouse roofing for glasshouses as well as the concept of the semi-closed greenhouse, a type of high-tech greenhouse. The chapter describes types of CSGs and relevant technical features of CSGs in northeast, northwest and northern China.
E. J. van Henten, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
Automation and robotics in greenhouses
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter provides an overview of the state of the art of automation technology in protected cultivation and looks ahead to future directions for achieving further progress in this field. The chapter provides a generic description of the greenhouse crop production process and then uses it as a reference for reviewing the state of the art in automation and robotics. The chapter explains those tasks in protected cultivation that have already been automated and identifies those tasks that are predominantly still the domain of human labour. The chapter outlines the requirements for the technology capable of doing these tasks. The chapter describes the ongoing research in automation and robotics in protected cultivation and concludes with a description of the challenges facing high-tech systems in protected cultivation.
Josef Tanny, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Center, Israel
Advances in screenhouse design and practice for protected cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The increasing world population, along with water and land shortages and climate change, lead growers worldwide to protected cultivation systems. The screenhouse, built with a skeleton of basic construction elements enveloped by a porous screen, is one example of such systems. Another protected cultivation system is a screen cover without sidewalls, usually used for shading only. This chapter describes common types of structures and materials used by growers and discusses studies where microclimate and evapotranspiration were measured and modelled under the screens. The chapter considers the question of whether it is possible to increase water-use efficiency in screenhouses. The chapter reviews studies in which product quality under screens was examined. Finally, the chapter draws attention to knowledge gaps and suggests future research directions.
Prof. Prof. Donald Grebner
Key challenges in forest management
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Forest managers face many challenges, both now and in the future, driven by society’s need as well as by the impacts dictated by the climate change threat. Growing populations will also strain the forest’s ability to provide traditional products sustainably while catering to the growing demands for ecosystem services not previously and explicitly managed for across forested landscapes. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of current and pending threats and challenges for forest managers around the world as well as current research focussed on these topics. The chapter starts with reviewing current and future concerns in forest management, which include climate change impacts, changing land-use and ecosystem services. Key research areas such as climate change impacts (e.g. species shifts, growth rates, extreme weather events, water, forest pests and invasive species), urbanization/forest fragmentation (e.g. wildland–urban interface) and ecosystem services (e.g. valuation) are discussed. A case study on forest management in North America is included.
Marcos Kogan, Oregon State University, USA
The synergism of biocontrol and plant resistance: a path to advance IPM to higher levels of integration
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter reviews the future evolution of integrated pest management (IPM). It identifies the ways modern agriculture has disrupted plant defences and the control of pests by their natural enemies. The chapter discusses ways of restoring and enhancing these controls both through breeding and the use of biological methods. It demonstrates how IPM can be taken to the next level with a case study of a pome fruit IPM program in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
Prof Prof Hendrika Fourie
Integrated pest management (IPM) of nematodes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Limited and fragmented information is available about long-term research efforts that demonstrate the value and impact of integrated pest management to combat nematodes. This particularly applies to major cereal (maize, wheat and rice) and leguminous (peanut, soybean and sunflower) crops on which this chapter focusses, and the economically most important nematode pests (root-knot, cyst and root-lesion nematodes) damaging such crops. A summary on the basic biology and morphology of nematodes is given, followed by integral and popular strategies (cultural, biological and chemical control and host plant resistance) used worldwide. A case study demonstrates the integration of multiple nematode control strategies, followed by the novel use of transgenic crops with nematode resistance, challenges faced in terms of nematode management under changing environmental conditions and practices (focussing on minimal disturbance of soil and conservation of soil-fauna communities) and the challenge posed by weeds as hosts of major nematode pests is also discussed.
Steven C. Ricke, University of Arkansas, USA
Short chain organic acids: microbial ecology and antimicrobial activity in the poultry gastrointestinal tract
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Interest continues for the development and implementation of alternative feed additives that limit foodborne pathogens in the poultry gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and benefit the host. Short chain organic acids have been employed as feed additives for a number of years. They have been primarily used for their antimicrobial properties in the feed as well as in the GIT after being consumed by the bird. Short chain organic acids are also produced by indigenous gastrointestinal bacteria during fermentation. These are primarily generated in the cecum which is the site where most of GIT microbial fermentation occurs. Short chain organic acids are also used as feed additives for poultry. When added to feeds, they can limit foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella in the feed and potentially in the GIT. This review will cover current findings and future prospects on poultry GIT responses to short chain organic acids generated by GIT fermentative microorganisms and antimicrobial efficacy when birds are fed treated feeds.
Dr Dr Alison M. Laing
Whole-farm system models in practice: diverse applications
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The challenges of contemporary agriculture are causing farmers to seek models of whole-farm goals, which requires mathematically-based modeling grounded in the latest scientific understanding of animal growth and reproduction, crop physiology, soil and environmental sciences, as well as economics and human relations. Such models are often invaluable tools in the process of undertaking nuanced, multifaceted management decisions at the farm system level. This chapter explores model selection and, through a series of case studies, whole farm modelling in both smallholder systems and single enterprise farm businesses. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Martine Dorais, Université Laval, Canada
Advances in organic greenhouse cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Organic greenhouse horticulture has expanded considerably during the last decades to meet consumer demand. Organic greenhouse cultivation constitutes a sustainable alternative to mitigate producer challenges related to new pest infestation, weed infestation, extreme temperature events, drought, frequent episodes of hail as well as strong rain and wind, and soil erosion. This chapter highlights the current regulation and situation of organic greenhouse cultivation in the world, presents yield gap and profitability compared with conventional farming and describes recent advances related to robust plant material, soil and soilless growing systems, soil health, biostimulants, fertilisation and water management, plant protection and quality value of organic products. Finally, the chapter considers the environmental impact of organic greenhouse cultivation and future trends in this area, providing detailed guidance on further reading.
Prof. Prof. B. W. Alsanius
Sustainable systems for integrated fish and vegetable production: new perspectives on aquaponics
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Aquaponics integrates fish and seafood rearing (aquaculture) with soilless production of horticultural produce (hydroponics). Engineered systems of this kind meet the challenges posed by global population growth, urbanization, global climate change, limited access to resources for agricultural activities and sustainability. This chapter reviews and analyses three distinct habitats in the aquaponics system: the fish rearing unit, the water treatment unit and the crop production unit. The chapter describes processes and mechanisms relevant to aquaponics, separating loops and flows within the culture system (water, trophic levels, microorganisms) and impacts on global cycles (food safety, sustainability). Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future trends in this field.
Dr Dr Tod Ramsfield
Advances in understanding and managing fungal and other diseases of forest trees
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Forest diseases are caused by pathogens and they affect all parts of the tree, including roots, stems, and leaves. Forest diseases result in volume losses and decreases in wood quality, which are considered detrimental in stands managed for timber products; however, in the context of a biodiversity reserve, diseases are important for nutrient cycling and habitat creation as agents of succession. This chapter uses a case study approach to describe how various forest pathogens affect trees and introduces strategies to reduce damage caused by forest pathogens in managed stands. The chapter introduces parasitic flowering plants, rust pathogens, diseases caused by Phytophthora spp., as well as abiotic disease. The chapter discusses the importance of exotic forest pathogens and the damage several of these pathogens have caused to ecosystems following their introduction, establishment, and spread. The chapter also addresses how climate change might change host–pathogen interactions, leading to differences in disease expression. Finally, the chapter provides detailed guidance on further reading.
Dr Dr Xiaofan Wang
Advances in sequence technologies for generating poultry gut microbiome data
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The important role of the microbiome in the immune system, nutrient digestion, and disease diagnosis and prevention has been well documented in both humans and animals. In poultry, the microbiome community changes between different organs, and the perturbation of gut microbiota can lead to intestinal infections and respiratory diseases, which result in enormous economic losses. The advances in several high-throughput sequencing techniques have generated big sequencing data for microbiome analysis. In this review, we go over the traditional molecular tools used to analyze gut microbiome in poultry, such as T-RFLP, DGGE, and TGGE, clone library sequencing using the Sanger method, the development of next-generation sequencing techniques such as Roche 454, Illumina, and Ion Torrent. We also discuss third-generation sequencing techniques including Pacbio SMRT sequencing and Oxford Nanopore, both of which were developed to generate length reads. Finally, we discuss other omics such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics, which are necessary for studying microbiome functions.
Divek V. T. Nair, Grace Dewi and Anup Kollanoor-Johny, University of Minnesota, USA
The role of essential oils and other botanicals in optimizing gut function in poultry
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The poultry industry has long trusted antibiotics for their benefits in chicken production such as improved feed conversion, growth promotion and disease control. However, the emergence of bacterial antimicrobial resistance has resulted in the U.S. federal guidelines prompting the animal industries to voluntarily phase out antibiotic growth promotion in food animals through changes in labelling and soliciting veterinary oversight on their therapeutic use. This situation has resulted in the search for alternatives that would fill the gap antibiotics once occupied. This chapter discusses the role of essential oils and botanicals in improving gut function in poultry, focussing on four major functions of phytobiotics that could potentially contribute to gut health: digestive conditioning, antimicrobial property, immunomodulation and gut microbiota modulation. The chapter discusses the impact of these functions on performance as well as carcass and egg quality. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Prof. Prof. Linton Winder
Robot-enhanced insect pest control: reality or fantasy?
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter focusses on the incorporation of robotics and automation to detect insect pests within integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. The chapter reviews current technology that could be utilized for this purpose, and identifies significant barriers to implementing such an approach, including locating and identifying small and difficult-to-observe pests. The chapter provides examples of how technology is already being used or developed to solve real-world IPM problems, including uses of robotic technology to control insects, mites, nematodes and weeds. Finally, the chapter makes some predictions about how such technology may affect IPM in the next decade or two.
Dr Dr Jana Seifert
Omics technologies for connecting host responses with poultry gut function
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Optimal gut function is of importance to the whole metabolism of a chicken and thus also central to efficient feed conversion and optimal meat and egg production. State-of-the-art Omics technologies are currently available to gain a deeper insight into animal physiology. This chapter summarizes the latest studies using different omics technologies (e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) to identify the response of chicken intestinal cells to various effectors. First, the functions, physiology and microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract in chicken are discussed. Then follows a section on Omics technologies, how they can be used and what they can tell researchers. The authors then present a section on the application of omics to the study of the chicken intestine. The chapter concludes with a case study on the proteomic analysis of the mucosal layer of the chicken gut, and a look to future trends in research.
Stephan Pfister, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; and Sandra Payen, CIRAD, France and AgResearch, New Zealand
Modelling impacts of agriculture on freshwater
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Agriculture greatly impacts water resources due to the high volumes of irrigation water consumed in crop production. Additionally, agricultural activities affect hydrological cycles through land-use changes and soil modifications, which may lead to pollution of water bodies. On a local level, these impacts and specific improvement options can be assessed by risk assessment and integrated water resource management. Modelling the impacts of agriculture on freshwater comprehensively is a difficult task as freshwater can be impacted by water consumption and also by water pollution. These are influenced by direct agricultural activities (e.g. irrigation) as well as by indirect activities for the production of agricultural inputs (e.g. fertilizers, agrochemicals). This chapter looks at modelling the impacts of agriculture on freshwater. Following an introduction, the authors go on to look at modelling in relation to water consumption, water quality and salinization. The chapter also covers soil quality, land use and both geographical and temporal variation. Case studies are also included.
Graham Matthews, Imperial College London, UK
Chemical control in IPM systems: advances in selective pesticides and application systems
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The European Union has adopted integrated pest management (IPM) as a policy as part of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, in which chemical pesticides are used as a last resort. Bringing IPM into the policy for crop protection has focussed attention on using more selective pesticides and especially biopesticides, but to implement IPM well-trained practitioners are required to provide farmers with the support they need to achieve informed pest management. This chapter examines selective pesticides, the importance of dose selection, timing of chemical pesticide treatments and changes in pesticide application technology. The chapter offers an overview of biopesticides, baculoviruses and their application, and the application of bacterial biopesticides. The chapter also looks at the application of entomopathogenic nematodes, release of predators and parasitoids as a form of pest management and the use of pheromones.
Dr Dr Osman Yasir Koyun
Controlling pathogens in the poultry gut
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Food-borne pathogenic bacteria are all too often found as commensal or transient organisms in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry. Many of these organisms do not reveal themselves through illness in the bird, although some do. Therefore, it is important to find ways to apply treatment to all members of a flock, rather than simply treating ‘sick’ birds. This chapter describes the gastrointestinal microbiota of poultry before going on to consider alternatives to the use of antibiotics. The chapter considers the use of organic acids, bacteriophages, sodium chlorate and pro- and prebiotic approaches.
Dr Dr Taro Takahashi
Assessing the environmental impact of ruminant production systems
Regular price
$0.00
Save $0.00
One of the most common methods to evaluate environmental footprints of farming systems is life cycle assessment (LCA). Although LCA itself is suitable for and adopted by a wide range of industries far beyond agriculture, what separates agriculture, and in particular pasture-based ruminant production systems, is the high degree of uncertainties associated with physical, chemical and biological processes that underpin production. Through a review of recent literature and a quantitative case study, this chapter explores how the practical trade-off between feasibility and scientific rigour should be addressed in the field of ruminant production systems. Finally, the chapter provides detailed guidance on where to look for further information in the field.
Dr Dr Jerke de Vries
The environmental impact of valorising agricultural by-products
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Agricultural by-products, that is primary residue, industrial by-products and animal manure, are an important source of nutrients and carbon for maintaining soil quality and crop production but can also be valorised through treatment pathways such as fermentation, incineration or a combination of these called bio-refinery. Here, we provide an overview of opportunity to reduce environmental impact of valorising agricultural by-products. We estimate the available by-products in Northwestern Europe as a case study and the maximum and realistic greenhouse gas reduction potentials. Availability, collectability, the original use and environmental impact including land use changes, soil carbon sequestration and pollution swapping are discussed as critical factors when valorising agricultural by-products.
Ümit Serdar, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Turkey; Toshihiro Saito, Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, Japan; Beatriz Cuenca, Empresa de Transformacion Agraria S.A (TRAGSA) Maceda, Spain; Burak Akyüz, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Turkey; José Gomes La
Advances in cultivation of chestnuts
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Chestnut (Castanea), within the family Fagaceae, is a multipurpose tree that produces nuts and timber, as well as holds an important place in landscape and culture. The aim of this chapter is to present the current state of global cultivation of the Castanea species, in terms of its ecological characterization, propagation methods and multifunctionality. The chapter will examine chestnut’s economic profitability and the importance of wood and fruit production for promoting the resilience and sustainability of chestnut cultivation. The chapter describes specific regional characteristics of chestnut cultivation around the world. The authors include sections on the ecological conditions affecting the growth of chestnuts, chestnut management as coppice forest or orchards, propagation methods (including grafting, layering, cutting and micropropagation) and orchard establishment and management (including training, pruning, fertilization and irrigation). The harvest and storage of chestnuts and pest management in chestnut orchards are also covered.
Dr Dr Jerry L. Hatfield
Agroecosystem models for delivering ecosystem services
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Agroecosystems are complex representations of the interactions occurring among multiple biological systems at the field and landscape scale. Models simulating these interactions across time and space are not very mature and expanding our current knowledge on crop, pest, and soils models provides a framework for how we use agroecological models to quantify a range of ecosystem services. This chapter examines the need for an agroecosystem approach, outlining the importance of plants, soils, pests, diseases, weeds and pollinators as part of the agroecosystem. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Casey Hoy, Ohio State University, USA
Advances in understanding agroecosystems ecology and its applications in integrated pest management
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Achieving the theoretical goal of integrated pest management (IPM), maintaining pest populations at levels below an economic threshold through a combination of tactics, has so far proved difficult to attain. Production systems, particularly specialized commodity production based on economies of scale, place constraints on IPM, but managing agroecosystem health is an alternative that incorporates IPM into its multiple goals and benefits. This chapter describes the shift in focus required for agroecosystem health from particular commodities to diversified landscapes and agroecosystems, from pest suppression to ecosystem services, from technological inputs to ecological knowledge and experience, and from management by individuals to management by human populations and organizations. The chapter presents some detailed case studies of IPM via agroecosystem management and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Prof. Prof. Gabriele Beccaro
Tree nut cultivation, ecosystem services, biodiversity and conservation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
There is growing concern about the impact of overuse of agricultural inputs on the environment which in turn has created a challenge for food production systems that should sustain acceptable production levels while preserving natural resources. It is now well-accepted that a holistic approach is needed to improve management techniques that ensure both nature conservation and stable production levels. In nut crop production the complex interconnections among physical and biological structures, agricultural practices, functions and services strongly influence, and may be influenced by, several aspects such as orchard design, ground cover management and different biological components. This chapter will address biodiversity and conservation issues concerning tree nut cultivation, through an analysis of the ecosystem services and dis-services that may affect, and can in turn be affected by, agricultural practices. It also features sections on tree nut cultivation and biodiversity, and pest management and animal diversity in tree nut orchards.
Evelyne A. Groen, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Key challenges in modelling of agricultural activities and their environmental impact
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Modelling agricultural activities gives insight into the environmental impact of current practices. Furthermore, modelling allows testing the effect of mitigation strategies or management changes and supports decision making towards environmentally friendlier products. Model quality depends on accuracy of modelling decisions and quality of the obtained data. This chapter discusses several tools to assess model quality. The chapter categorizes agricultural models based on certain characteristics, such as linearity and time-dependence. The chapter includes two detailed case studies that show the benefits of including uncertainty propagation and sensitivity analysis. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future trends in research and suggests further reading in this area.
Michael E. Irwin, University of Illinois, USA; and Wendy Moore, University of Arizona, USA
Foundations of an IPM program: detection, identification, and quantification
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Integration of pest management efforts based on advanced technologies and multiple pest assessments in multi-field and areawide venues has led to a host of sophisticated approaches that continue to shape the discipline of integrated pest management (IPM). From the initial efforts, the concept of pest control has evolved into an established ecological, economic, and sociological paradigm. This chapter describes the bedrock components of IPM, pertinent to managing annual and perennial fruit, grain, vegetable, and greenhouse crops, as well as ornamentals. Although emphasis is placed on recently formulated and emerging technologies and their current and future impacts on the two foundational IPM components, the chapter also examines the status quo and provides insight into the constraints imposed by the state of technology and by society at large. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future trends in this area.
Pablo Hernández-Alonso, Mònica Bulló and Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain
Advances in understanding health benefits of pistachio
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The health benefits of nuts, mainly in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) but also for other chronic conditions, have been widely demonstrated in epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Among nuts, pistachio is a nut with a moderate amount of macronutrients and micronutrients. It is specifically rich in vegetable protein, fibre and bioactive compounds such as lutein-zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, all of them linked to potential health benefits. This chapter explains the nutritional composition of pistachio nuts and summarizes their potential health benefits and the current human, animal and in vitro research exploring the beneficial role of pistachios on health.
Dr Dr Ivan Milosavljević
Advances in classical biological control to support IPM of perennial agricultural crops
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Scientific advances in classical biological control and supporting disciplines have provided ‘tools’ that could enable permanent suppression of some seemingly intractable invasive pest problems that limit the effectiveness of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes in perennial crops. This chapter examines the steps required in the development of a classical biological control programme for managing invasive insect pests. The chapter includes a detailed case study of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, an invasive pest of California citrus, to demonstrate the potential of ‘tools’ to support development of a classical biological control programme targeting this pest. The chapter explores the benefits of classical biological control for IPM of insect pests in perennial crops before looking ahead to future research trends in this area. The chapter provides detailed guidance on further reading on the topic.
Hans Pretzsch, Technical University of Munich, Germany
Transitioning monocultures to complex forest stands in Central Europe: principles and practice
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The high expectations placed on forests in Europe require an integrative approach to forest management. Heterogeneous mixed-species stands are of special interest as they fulfil many ecosystem services better than monocultures, and consequently homogenous forest stands are now often transformed into more heterogeneous stands. This chapter contrasts even-aged monoculture forests and selection forests, describing the transition from monocultures to more complex forest stands. The chapter presents practical examples of transformation and models for scenario analysis, as well as explaining the principles of selection forest management. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Andrea Vannini and Carmen Morales-Rodríguez, Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF) – University of Tuscia, Italy
Integrated disease management in tree nut cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Integrated disease management and use of protocols and products that minimize the environmental impact are paramount needs in the cultivation of tree nuts. In this chapter, such approaches are proposed for chestnut cultivation and, specifically, for the management and mitigation of damage caused by one of the most threatening diseases affecting chestnuts worldwide – ink disease caused by Phytophthora spp. The chapter starts by introducing the concept of area-wide integrated ink disease management, followed by sections on monitoring and GIS mapping of the disease, and landscape features of the disease – Phytophthora being easily dispersed via water and infected soil. Also covered are tree and soil treatments used to treat the disease, and a review of the varieties resistant to the disease (breeding of interspecific hybrids has led to resistant rootstocks). The chapter concludes with a discussion on the importance of quality and certification of material for propagation.
Dr Dr Christophe Orazio
Species choice, planting and establishment in temperate and boreal forests: meeting the challenge of global change
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Due to global change, there is a need to question most of the practices used to establish forests. This chapter provides discussion of the current issues for most of the key processes of forest establishment and highlights the importance of the choice of genetic material in the establishment of plantation forests. It confirms that more knowledge and accurate decision support will be needed in the near future and that new resilience strategies are required.
Travis Glare and Aimee McKinnon, Lincoln University, New Zealand; Roma Gwynn, Rationale, UK; and Michael Brownbridge, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, Canada
Advances in microbial control in integrated pest management: entomopathogenic fungi
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The use of entomopathogenic fungi to control insect pests has been expanding in recent years, with improvements in formulation and more extensive commercialization. However, there are still limitations on their effectiveness in some situations. Combining entomopathogenic fungi with other control options has been investigated for control of a range of insects. This chapter discusses the use of entomopathogenic fungi in integrated pest management. For the bulk of this chapter, the authors provide examples of successes and explore the wider potential for entomopathogenic fungi if certain obstacles are overcome. Use in combination with conventional chemicals, other natural enemies and botanical extracts are covered, as are habitat manipulation, attraction and deterrence. Not all combinations of entomopathogenic fungi with other agents lead to improved control, and true synergy between agents is rare. However, there are many examples of improved control of target insects and mites through combinations of entomopathogenic fungi and other agents. Several case studies are provided.
Prof. Prof. Stef J. Koppelman
Advances in detecting tree nut allergens
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Food allergy remains a major problem affecting consumers. Together with peanut, tree nuts belong to a small group of allergens responsible for the great majority of food allergies. This chapter begins by providing an overview of tree nut allergies and their prevalence. It then discusses allergenic proteins and thresholds, as well as the required sensitivity of detection methods. Finally, the chapter reviews both general issues in developing effective detection methods as well as the range of techniques available for particular tree nuts, and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Assumpció Antón, Erica Montemayor and Nancy Peña, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Spain
Assessing the environmental impact of greenhouse cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter aims to address the environmental aspects of greenhouse cultivation, it covers the methodology used to perform an environmental assessment and provides information regarding damaging and beneficial environmental aspects, as well as suggestions to improve environmental quantification methods for greenhouse production systems. The chapter explores the methodology used to account for environmental impacts using a life cycle perspective, including a brief summary of life cycle assessment (LCA) tools, and its application to greenhouse crop production. The chapter describes the different components involved in greenhouse cultivation (including structures, greenhouse management, fertilization, pesticides and waste management) and how to include them in the environmental quantification assessment. Finally, the chapter draws conclusions regarding not only the improvement of environmental aspects of greenhouse cultivation but also enhancement of environmental quantification tools.
David Shapiro-Ilan, USDA-ARS, USA; Selcuk Hazir, Adnan Menderes University, Turkey; and Itamar Glazer, Volcani Center, Israel
Advances in use of entomopathogenic nematodes in integrated pest management
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Entomopathogenic nematodes in the genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema are potent biological control agents that have been commercialized widely for control of economically important insect pests. This chapter describes the foraging and infection behavior of nematodes and the production technology, formulation, application technology, and commercialization of entomopathogenic nematodes. The chapter considers the factors affecting the efficacy of nematodes in integrated pest management and methods to improve their efficacy. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Tatjana Stevanovic, Laval University, Canada
Emerging technologies to develop new forest products
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Forest trees occupy a central place among lignocellulosic plants, in terms of both abundance of wood they produce each year and also generating a variety of other biological tissues. This chapter focusses on new processes and new applications of wood polymers, notably uses of lignins. The chapter considers the three major biopolymers: celluloses, hemicelluloses and lignins. The chapter focusses particularly on polymers, notably lignins, as the wood constituents are the richest carbon sources of all lignocellulosic polymers and the most important aromatic polymers on earth. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Andreas Hund, Lukas Kronenberg and Jonas Anderegg, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Kang Yu, KU Leuven, Belgium; and Achim Walter, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Non-invasive field phenotyping of cereal development
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
High throughput field phenotyping (HTFP) allows the selection of crops with unprecedented precision, and plays an important role to understand genotype-by-environment interaction. This chapter describes carrier systems for non-invasive field phenotyping, outlines the principles of envirotyping, and examines the challenge of physiological breeding by means of high-throughput phenotyping of plant development. The chapter describes the importance of the different phases of cereal development and how to phenotype them, and analyses genetic crop models. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Joop C. van Lenteren, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; and Vanda H. P. Bueno, Federal University of Lavras, Brazil
Advances in augmentative biological control in integrated pest management
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Augmentative biological control uses mass-reared natural enemies for releases in large numbers to reduce pest populations. Augmentative biocontrol is increasingly applied worldwide in many different crops. It is a cornerstone of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes and plays a key sustainability-determining role in IPM. This chapter describes the scale of augmentative biological control and where this type of biocontrol is applied. The chapter describes the natural enemies commercially available and gives information on their mass production. The chapter discusses the important role of biocontrol in IPM programmes, and its practical use in very different agricultural production systems. Finally, the chapter presents the advantages and disadvantages of this control method, and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Ali Islam, University of Ordu, Turkey
Advances in breeding of hazelnuts
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Hazelnut (Corylus spp.) is a member of the Betulaceae family, and is widely distributed in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Cultivated varieties differ from each other in such characteristics as nut size, shape, kernel ratio, shell thickness, etc. Key target characteristics for breeding not only include high yield but also good morphological and vegetative traits as well as resistance to pests and diseases. This chapter discusses advances in the breeding of hazelnuts. Following an introduction, the author first presents a section on floral biology, pollination and compatibility in hazelnut. The chapter then includes information on the development of hazelnut varieties mainly relating to hazelnut breeding programmes in Turkey, Europe and also the United States (where the focus has been for breeding for resistance to Easter filbert blight). Then follows a section on the breeding of rootstocks referring to programmes in the United States, Turkey, Italy and Iran. A number of new key cultivars of hazelnut are then described.
Matthew Reynolds and Francisco Pinto, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Mexico
Theory and application of phenotyping in wheat for different target environments
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Phenotyping serves both research and breeding purposes. For research, precise and often costly procedures are employed to phenotype strategic traits in order to gain a better understanding of how genotypes adapt to different environments. For breeding, both strategic and screening traits are considered, the latter typically being measured at high throughput. This chapter describes phenotyping for key traits and environments, as well as the challenges facing reliable phenotyping. The chapter explains applications of phenotyping in breeding, offering a detailed case study of physiological breeding for yield potential and climate change. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends and suggests further reading in this area.
Chieri Kubota, The Ohio State University, USA
Understanding crop responses to controlled climates in greenhouses
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Understanding plant responses to environmental factors is crucial in controlled environment crop production. This chapter summarizes current understanding of interactions of key aerial environmental factors affecting plant growth and their strategic applications to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of greenhouse cultivation. It reviews the current body of knowledge regarding plant responses to environmental interactions. Environmental factors discussed include light intensity, temperature, air circulation, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration. Interactions of (1) light and temperature; (2) light and carbon dioxide; (3) light and plant canopy structure; (4) temperature and temperature integration time; and (5) humidity, air circulation and light are also presented (it must be noted there are many other combinations of factors, not only of aerial factors but also of root-zone factors). A case study is provided on tipburn management of strawberry using night-time humidity control. The chapter concludes with a look towards future trends in research.
Dr Dr Anne Oxbrough
Advances in understanding forest ecosystem services: conserving biodiversity
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Forest biodiversity is fundamental to ecosystem functioning, facilitating processes such as nutrient cycling, pollination and seed dispersal. A healthy forest provides a range of economic, societal and cultural values and services beyond timber production, including recreation, carbon sequestration, ecotourism, landscape aesthetics and the intrinsic value of biodiversity to society. Despite this, forest biodiversity remains under increasing pressure from agricultural conversion and intensive, large-scale, yield-driven forest management approaches. In this chapter, the authors explore how these approaches alter forest biodiversity and, in particular, species of conservation concern. The authors outline how sustainable forest management can be used to maintain or enhance biodiversity. Two case studies are provided that illustrate these concepts in contrasting biomes: managing forest biodiversity in landscapes of low forest cover, a case study from temperate plantation forestry in Ireland; and, managing forest biodiversity by emulating natural ecosystem dynamics, a case study from boreal mixedwood forests in Canada.
Thomas Miedaner, University of Hohenheim, Germany; and Peer Wilde, KWS Lochow GmbH, Germany
Selection strategies in hybrid rye with special consideration of fungal disease resistances
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Although winter rye is known for its high tolerance to biotic stress factors, several diseases are occurring in most rye-growing countries: snow mold, brown foot rot, powdery mildew, leaf rust, stem rust, Fusarium head blight, and ergot. For hybrid breeding, resistance selection is important due to the restricted genetic variation within a cultivar. For powdery mildew and the two rusts, race-specific qualitative resistances based on single resistance (R) genes and quantitative resistances have been described. For the other diseases only quantitative resistances can be selected. This chapter describes the features of snow mold, foot rot, powdery mildew, leaf rust, stem rust, Fusarium head blight and ergot. The chapter examines and assesses strategies for resistance selection and looks ahead to future trends in this area.
Dr Dr Miguel Sanchez-Garcia
Marker-assisted trait introgression for wheat breeding and research
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Trait introgression, the incorporation of a specific character, is a cornerstone of both wheat breeding and research allowing a specific line or variety to be improved for the character. Varieties can be improved by introgressing the trait of interest into their genetic background through backcrossing techniques especially when the underlying genetic control is relatively simple. Moreover, the agronomic value of the variety can be easily and rapidly recovered or improved by combining backcross and double haploid (DH) approaches. This chapter describes the principles of backcross breeding and explains the use of marker assisted doubled haploids for trait introgression. The chapter describes the results of combining backcross and DH introgression and outlines the principles of marker assisted speed breeding.
Dr Dr Carly Schramm
Development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for cereal breeding and crop research: current methods and future prospects
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Modern cereal breeding and research increasingly relies upon the application of molecular genetics. This chapter provides an overview of the development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for use in such breeding and research. Fluorescence detection methods are fully reviewed as this field is experiencing an explosion of interest among plant biologists and crop breeders. More than 20 modern fluorescence-based methods for SNP identification and discrimination are included and the specific advantages and disadvantages of each covered. This variety of approaches gives researchers and industry the freedom to adapt and improve upon existing methods and develop novel techniques to suit specific SNP analyses. The majority of the described SNP methods are already widely used in plant biology and crop breeding, whereas others are more popular in medical research yet have potential applications in plant research.
Daniel G. Neary, USDA Forest Service, USA
Advances in nutrient and water management in forestry: monitoring, maintaining, and restoring soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
A number of important advances in nutrient and water management in forestry have been made since the middle of the 20th Century to maintain and improve soil health. Many concerns have been expressed about the sustainability of forestry operations with intensification of management and harvesting disturbances and the occurrence of natural disturbances. The most important of these advances is implementation of the concept of Best Management Practices (BMPs). The use of BMPs involves a continuous cycle of design, analysis, planning, implementation, review, monitoring, and modification. The core of the BMP concept is the Streamside Management Zone (SMZ). The focus of the SMZ is on forestry management activities on lands adjacent to streams and waterways, and how these activities can be conducted to maintain water quality and site productivity. Other advances include soil testing and monitoring to ensure maintenance of physical properties, water status, and nutrient conditions that are the foundations of site productivity.
Prof. Prof. Stefania De Pascale
Advances in irrigation management in greenhouse cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The advantages of greenhouse include the ability to secure better conditions than outdoor environment for crop growth and development, increased off-season production and autonomy from external weather conditions. This chapter provides an up-to-date critical overview of scientific advances in irrigation management for greenhouse vegetables and ornamentals. The chapter presents a technical design of a typical greenhouse irrigation system, before covering water balance and crop evapotranspiration techniques as well as the use of high-tech moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling. In the context of enhancing the water use efficiency of greenhouse crops, the chapter also discusses innovative management practices such as biostimulants and grafting. Finally, the chapter concludes by looking ahead to future prospects and research breakthroughs.
Paul Iji, Fiji National University, Fiji Islands and University of New England, Australia; Apeh Omede, University of New England, Australia and Kogi State University, Nigeria; Medani Abdallh, University of New England, Australia and University of Khartoum
The role of specific cereal grain dietary components in poultry gut function
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Cereal grains constitute the greatest proportion of most practical poultry diets. As dietary components, cereal grains provide most of the dietary energy and help to support the development of the structural and functional integrity of the digestive tract. However, many cereal grains contain one or more deleterious factors, which may negatively affect the structural and functional development of the gut. Some of the key factors are carbohydrate in nature, but there are non-carbohydrate fractions which may actually not provide any nutrients but function mainly as anti-nutrients. This chapter broadly explores the normal structure and function of the digestive tract in poultry in the absence of dietary factors. It then highlights the nature of the key components of cereal grains, particularly the components that may influence the development of intestinal structure and function. Finally, the chapter examines the role of cereal grain components on poultry gut function and the possible mechanisms by which these interactions take place.
Patrick Thorwarth, University of Hohenheim, Germany
Genomic prediction in crops: advantages and drawbacks
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Genomic Selection evolved as a promising new method to support decision making for plant breeders. This chapter provides a short introduction to genomic prediction and its usefulness as a selection tool. In addition, the chapter highlights some of the most important factors to be considered when implementing and applying genomic selection in research and plant breeding. The chapter focuses on the application of genomic selection in plant breeding and the discussion of some of the advantages and drawbacks of this method. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends and provides guidance on further reading in this area.
Ernesto Igartua, Carlos P. Cantalapiedra and Ana M. Casas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in barley
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
In recent years, the limiting factors for Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) in barley have shifted from the number of markers to the number of individuals, and to the deepness of phenotyping, particularly in field experiments of required size. Recent advances in methodology provide an increasing number of models available for research. This chapter provides an up-to-date review of issues relevant to GWAS approaches, with a particular focus on barley. The chapter offers an overview of all GWAS studies performed on barley and a summary of the results achieved. The chapter describes such methodological challenges as linkage disequilibrium, ascertainment bias, genetic and physical distances, resolution to single genes and the impact of population structure on detecting major loci in wheat. Finally, the chapter briefly introduces several new developments that enrich the outcome of GWAS studies, like genotype-environmental association suitable for landrace and wild materials, the inclusion of environmental effects to explain QTL effects, and the analysis of gene regulatory networks.
Ryan J. Arsenault, University of Delaware, USA
Understanding gut function in poultry: immunometabolism at the gut level
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
In poultry production, a trade-off has been made between growth and efficiency on the one hand, and immune potential and disease resistance on the other. The emerging field of immunometabolism, brought to the fore by research into human metabolic syndrome and cancer, is an opportunity in poultry production to eliminate this trade-off and have both production efficiency and immune robustness. This chapter provides an overview of metabolism and immunometabolism, including the most important links between metabolic and immune pathways. The chapter describes methods of investigating metabolism and addresses the components of feed that lead to inflammation, and how to mitigate this effect. Finally, the chapter discusses the future of research in this field, using examples of how feeding the immune system is already enhancing growth and immune response in poultry.
Wei Zhang and Xiwen Cai, North Dakota State University, USA
Alien introgression and breeding of synthetic wheat
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Wheat is a major food grain source of humans and genetic improvement has contributed significantly to its production. However, the genetic gain of wheat production has slowed in recent years due to its narrow genetic variability and draining of the gene pool in wheat breeding. This chapter elucidates both the contribution of wheat-related species to wheat improvement through alien introgression and breeding of synthetic wheat. The section on alien introgression from wheat-related species into wheat covers gene introgression from both annual and perennial wheat -related wild species as well as wheat-related crop species. This is followed by a comprehensive review of chromosome engineering technologies. The chapter concludes with a summary on the breeding of synthetic hexaploid wheat, and the issues of genome instability and homoeologous gene expression.
Mihai Botu, University of Craiova, Romania
Sustainable plum and apricot cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Sustainable fruit cultivation may depend on the combination of a number of factors; these include optimal growing conditions, correct selection of cultivars and rootstocks, and application of modern crop-cultivation techniques. Sustainability also implies promotion of biodiversity, improvement of microbiological processes in the soil, and protection of the environment (e.g., by avoiding pollution from fertilizers and pesticide runoff). It has been estimated that fruit production may need to increase two- to three-fold to meet future demand, but this needs to be achieved in a sustainable way. This chapter explores ways this might be achieved for plum and apricot production. Sections are included on the genetic resources available for cultivation of these fruits and the environmental factors affecting plum and apricot cultivation. Then follow separate sections on plum and apricot (also covering prune) cultivation. The authors conclude the chapter with a discussion on future trends in plum and apricot cultivation.
Julie Graham, Alison Karley, Alison Dolan, Dominic Williams and Nikki Jennings, James Hutton Institute, UK
Advances and challenges in sustainable raspberry/blackberry cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Rubus crops are important for human health and for employment in rural communities. As demand for these berry crops increases at a time of changing climate and consumer awareness of real and/or perceived risks associated with traditional growing practices including inputs, new breeding strategies and cultivation practices are needed. This chapter addresses some of the challenges and solutions to continued sustainable growth, including pest and disease stresses, environmental impacts, effects of climate change and environmental stresses. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future trends in this area.
Todd Einhorn, Michigan State University, USA
Challenges and opportunities in pear cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Excessive vigor of European pear varieties and a dearth of dwarfing rootstocks create significant challenges to the establishment and management of modern high-density orchards. The pronounced negative relationship between pear tree vigor and precocity requires considerable intensive horticultural intervention to expedite a return on investment and to achieve maximum yield potential. Plantings of low-to-moderate tree densities are no longer economically sustainable given their characteristically inconsistent fruit quality and suboptimal yields. Nascent technologies and novel horticultural strategies have potential to balance reproductive and vegetative development of pear trees and facilitate the cultural management of high-density orchards. This chapter presents the challenges and opportunities in pear cultivation. A review of pear floral biology and fruit setting habits and their complex interaction with environmental factors is presented along with practical horticultural strategies to promote balanced canopies. The physiological bases for applying these strategies and their implications on agronomic processes and whole plant performance are highlighted.
Gerben J. Messelink and H. Marjolein Kruidhof, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
Advances in pest and disease management in greenhouse cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Greenhouse crops are continuously under pressure of infestations by a wide range of pests and diseases. This chapter describes the myriad practices that can contribute to managing pests and diseases, and how to integrate these practices in an ecologically based integrated pest management (IPM) approach. The chapter offers a historical perspective on the development of IPM, together with an explanation of its underlying rationale and main challenges. The chapter discusses the different components of IPM, including sanitation, cultural control, preventative and curative biological control. The chapter examines food web complexities, which inevitably result from integrating multiple biological control agents in a single crop, and offers a detailed case study on IPM implementation in tomato. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area and suggests further reading on the subject.
Youbin Zheng, University of Guelph, Canada
Developments in growing substrates for soilless cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Growing substrates are used to provide physical support, as reservoir for water and nutrients, for providing air space for free gas exchange, and also for providing a habitat for beneficial microorganisms. Peat- and coir-based substrates and rockwool are the most commonly used substrates in modern advanced greenhouse operations. This chapter examines the materials commonly used in forming growing substrates and addresses methods and technologies for assessing them. The chapter looks at the use of beneficial microorganisms to create a resilient rootzone and considers the implementation of integrated rootzone management (IRM). Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future trends in this area and provides detailed guidance on further reading.
Dario J. Chavez and Rachel A. Itle, University of Georgia, USA; Daniel Mancero-Castillo, Universidad Agraria del Ecuador, Ecuador; Jose X. Chaparro, University of Florida, USA; and Thomas G. Beckman, USDA-ARS, USA
Advances and challenges in peach breeding
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Peaches are found in diverse climates and growing regions, plus its relatively short juvenile period, self-pollinated fruitfulness, small genome size and important identified Mendelian traits have made peach a model fruit for breeding and genetics research. This chapter reviews the moderate chill peach variety development programme that commenced in the United States in 1986 as a cooperative regional effort involving the USDA-ARS, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida, and is located at the University of Georgia Research and Education Center outside of Attapulgus, Georgia. The chapter reviews the identification of a locus for resistance to peach fungal gummosis (PFG) and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Pierre-Éric Lauri and Sylvaine Simon, INRA, France
Advances and challenges in sustainable apple cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Developing sustainable apple cultivation is based on both a better knowledge of tree architecture and physiology in relation to fruiting, and on how the tree interacts with its abiotic and biotic environments. Improving knowledge in these domains is crucial to take into account the societal demand towards less input-dependent orchards. This chapter provides an overview of apple tree growth and fruiting, exploring the bases for sustainable apple training and pruning management. The chapter also challenges the current apple production agroecosystem and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
E. David Peebles, Mississippi State University, USA
In ovo development of the chicken gut microbiome and its impact on later gut function
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Beneficial as well as pathogenic microorganisms, derived from external and maternal sources, can inhabit the gut of hatchlings. In an effort to optimize the enteric development of chicks and to assist in the establishment of intestinal bacteria populations that are conducive to their good health and for their subsequent protection against invading pathogens, the in ovo administration of various biologics has been explored in various laboratories. This chapter discusses the various biologics tested for their effects on the gut microbiome and examines competitive exclusion cultures, specifically identified probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and nutrients. The chapter also looks at the prospects for the commercial in ovo use of these biologics during transfer, and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Leo F. M. Marcelis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; Joaquim Miguel Costa, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; and Ep Heuvelink, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Greenhouse production systems have been introduced to improve growth conditions for plants to increase yield and quality. While initially greenhouses were mainly found in cool climates, water saving has become an important driver for the expansion of the greenhouse industry, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Over the past few decades, the level of control in greenhouses has increased rapidly due to an increased use of technology. During the last 30 years, the yield per unit land area has doubled for several crops. We expect that the application of new technologies will continue to expand in the coming years while at the same time biological and ecological principles will be increasingly applied. This chapter provides key figures on production in greenhouses, discusses the sustainability of greenhouse production and describes current and future trends in greenhouse production.
Stefano Musacchi, Washington State University and Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, USA; and Davide Neri, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy
Optimizing production of quality nursery plants for fruit tree cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
It is now possible to purchase specific nursery tree types that are more compatible with an intended training system, improving planting efficiency and encouraging early production. Although single axis, well-feathered scions suitable for high-density spindle training systems have dominated nursery production over the past two decades, recent nursery trends increasingly produce double axis scions for pear, apple and even stone fruits, to obtain uniform and early producing fruiting walls. This chapter summarizes current knowledge of the physiology of grafting and recent innovations in such fruit tree nursery techniques. New approaches to regulate nursery plant growth and development are reviewed. In vitro propagation is also included which is becoming more and more powerful for producing rootstocks and self-rooted varieties of several fruit species. Sections on scion grafting and budding techniques are covered and the biochemical and physiological aspects of graft incompatibility are discussed in detail. The chapter concludes with a section on tree production in the nursery.
Susan McCallum, James Hutton Institute, UK
Advances and challenges in blueberry breeding
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Efforts have steadily increased towards understanding the biological processes underlying key physiological traits in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Studies have shown high levels of genetic diversity are present within this species, much of which remains to be harnessed. This chapter introduces both the recent advances and current challenges in the breeding of blueberries, with particular focus on demand and production in the United Kingdom. Key cultivars currently used in the industry are listed and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The genetic material available and its use in breeding programmes are also covered including crossing with other species within the genus Vaccinium to obtain desirable traits. Also included are sections on phenotyping and marker-assisted breeding. An extensive discussion on the improvement of flavour in blueberry is also provided. The chapter concludes with a summary and a look ahead to future trends in research.
