Advances in pest- and disease-resistant cocoa varieties
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Plant-parasitic nematodes cause cocoa yield losses, a sudden death of trees and retardation of seedling growth in nurseries. This chapter explains the hidden nature and the masking effects of these nematodes and how these have led to erroneous control measures. The chapter describes the nematode pests associated with cocoa and the symptoms of damage. It also addresses several available control options and outlines how nematode management is essential in order to reduce crop losses and to ensure self-sufficiency for food and industrial raw materials. The chapter finally looks ahead to future research in this area and provides additional reading for those interested in researching further.
Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur
Genetic modification of grain legumes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Grain legumes constitute a number of important oilseeds and food crops of the world. Most of these grow predominantly in the low-input production systems in the developing countries of Asia and Africa and are subject to several production constraints. This chapter addresses progress in and prospects for transgenic interventions in the improvement of grain legumes, concentrating on chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea, lentils, peas, peanuts and other grain legumes. The chapter shows how these technological interventions provide opportunities for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of breeding programmes for complex traits, as well as increasing the rate of genetic gains in these nutritious grain legumes. The chapter looks ahead to future trends in this area and provides detailed guidance on further reading.
Susanne Padel, The Organic Research Centre, UK
The principles of organic livestock farming
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Organic animal farming is guided by considerations of naturalness, systems thinking and sustainability, and the four IFOAM principles of health, ecology, fairness and care. The principle of health emphasises the connectedness of different parts of the system and seeks high animal health status through system design. The principle of ecology relates to the integration of livestock with cropping for feeding and nutrient recycling within the farm or region. The principle of fairness encourages respect for animal rights, whilst the principle of care places a responsibility for humane treatment of animals on those working with them. This chapter presents a range of current issues relating to these principles, and illustrates how achieving high animal health and welfare requires active engagement from the whole sector, including farmers, consumers, regulators, advisers and researchers.
S. N. Nigam
Improving cultivation of groundnuts
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Genetic and management options are available to realize an optimal pod yield and quality of groundnut production that meets the needs of the processors and consumers, as well as ensuring food safety standards. This chapter discusses various options for groundnut cultivation, from the choice of the variety to methods of storage available or are in use to achieve improved pod yield and quality. It discusses advanced groundnut farming practices such as conservation tillage in the USA, polythene mulch technology in China, and precision farming in developed countries. The chapter addresses the limitations of current agronomic recommendations for groundnut, assesses the available varieties and cultivars, and examines methods of field preparation and soil resources management. The chapter explores groundnut seed preparation, planting and weed and water management, as well as plant protection practices and harvesting, drying, curing, and storage methods. Finally, the chapter focuses on precision cultivation and groundnut seed systems.
Chris Johansen and Kadambot H.M. Siddique, The University of Western Australia, Australia
Grain legumes in integrated crop management systems
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter focuses on integrated crop management strategies to increase grain legume production in rainfed, resource-poor farming systems. Generally, grain legumes fail to reach even half of their potential yields in these systems. For rainfed grain legumes the major contributor to the yield gap is sub-optimal soil moisture, along with a suite of nutrient, pest and disease constraints. The challenge is to identify remedial action within the means of resource-poor farmers. This requires greater emphasis on farmer-participatory research to identify local constraints, and engaging farmers in trialling locally feasible solutions. Examples of this approach are documented. Particular areas in need of intensive on-farm research include adapting grain legume farming to conservation agriculture and exploring means to increase cropping intensity of grain legumes in cereal-dominated cropping systems. It is suggested that a concerted shift in international and national efforts to support farmer-participatory approaches is needed.
Darin A. Sukha and Naailah A. Ali, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
Analysing sensory and processing quality of cocoa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Flavour is a critical facet of cocoa quality, impacting to a large extent the value and end use of traded cocoa beans. This chapter provides a road map towards bridging the knowledge gap that currently exists between industry and cocoa producers by defining approaches for analysing sensory and processing quality of cocoa. The chapter describes the quality criteria for cocoa being developed and communicated to cocoa farmers around the world with varying levels of depth, clarity and consistency into one harmonised and pragmatic approach. It links quality with the genetic expression of flavour potential and is informed by existing recognised international standards, experiences and recent research output. The chapter also highlights the evolution of sensory evaluation as a science and the use of physical and sensory evaluation as a tool to drive improvements in the cocoa value chain.
Frederick P. Baijukya and Harun M. Murithi, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Tanzania; and Fred Kanampiu, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kenya
Improving cultivation practices for soybeans in sub-Saharan Africa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Soybean production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has significantly increased due to the surge in demand arising from increasing populations and improved incomes. Analysis across SSA revealed an increase in soybean consumption of 7.4% between 1990 and 2011 with more than 50% of the production gap filled by importation. There is therefore an urgent need to improve the production of this important legume in SSA. In this chapter, we present the best practices for soybean cultivation together with evidence for their effectiveness in improving soybean yields. These best practices include the use of improved varieties; correct plant population; and nutrient, disease and pest management. We discuss the importance of supporting these practices with good input delivery and financing systems, agricultural advisory services and functioning output markets.
Prof. William Erskine
Developing improved varieties of lentil
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Lentil is a popular pulse consumed primarily in Asia. It has a protein content of approx. 28% and also contains high amounts of macro- and micro-nutrients. Lentils are cropped under rainfed conditions and on residual/conserved soil moisture, and their inclusion in rotation benefits succeeding crops as a result of biological nitrogen fixation. This chapter reviews the reviews global production of lentils, and shows how the breeding and use of new varieties with higher yield potential and improved disease resistance has led to increased productivity in many countries. It discusses successful attempts to broaden the genetic base of lentil in South Asia and to cross domestic varieties with wild relatives to access new disease resistance genes. Finally, it considers the scope for breeding new climate-smart varieties of lentil in response to emerging climate changes and variability.
James D. Kelly, Michigan State University, USA
Developing improved varieties of common bean
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The genetic improvement of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) has been a century old endeavor at institutions in North America and Mexico. This chapter describes Improvement programs focussing on a wide range of biotic and abiotic production constraints, traits for local adaptation, and consumer quality, with yield being the overriding challenge for most bean breeding programs. The chapter assesses the wide range of breeding procedures used to improve bean yields, from ideotype breeding to Quantitative Trait Analysis (QTL) of yield traits. The chapter discusses the impact of these procedures on yield gains and the future role of genomic research on yield improvement of the common bean.
Tolulope A. Agunbiade, Yale University, USA; Weilin Sun, Michigan State University, USA; Brad S. Coates, USDA-ARS, USA; Fousséni Traore, Institut de l ’ Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, Burkina Faso; James A. Ojo, Kwara State University, Niger
Insect pests and integrated pest management techniques in grain legume cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Cowpea is a major staple legume food crop grown and consumed in the dry savanna regions of sub-Saharan West Africa. Cowpea provides much-needed income to both farmers and traders; cowpea grain is also a major source of protein for the growing human populations, particularly, women, infants and children in West Africa. This chapter describes the pests that attack cowpea at every stage of its development, including aphids, thrips, pod-sucking bugs and lepidopteran pod borers. The chapter explains current control measures and their limitations, and advocates development of an integrated pest management strategy by exploiting knowledge of pest biology, host plant resistance (including Bt cowpea) and biocontrol, as well as incorporating research utilizing recent advances in ’omics’ research technologies. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of disseminating new information to farmers via Scientific Animations Without Borders, which uses cell phones to distribute freely downloadable video media.
Dr Leila Bagny Beilhe
Insect pests affecting cacao
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Pests have a major impact on cacao production: estimates of losses due to pest and disease range from 30% to 40%. The use of chemical inputs, for example, pesticides and fertilizers, for pest and disease control and production enhancement, respectively, can have numerous negative impacts on the environment and human health. An integrated and holistic approach is therefore required to enhance and sustain crop production. This chapter presents the main insect pests attacking cacao in each of the three principal production regions: the Americas, Africa and Asia, and provides general information on control measures adopted for each of the main insect pests. The chapter also presents case studies that showcase how research can help to develop more sustainable and environmentally friendly control measures. Finally, the chapter discusses some of the non-traditional areas in which research should focus to overcome the challenges posed by insect pests.
L. L. Murdock and D. Baributsa, Purdue University, USA
Grain legume storage in developing nations
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Grain legume grain stored after harvest is subject to catastrophic qualitative and quantitative loss. The major cause of loss is storage insects and mycotoxin-producing organisms, which reduce the monetary value of the grain as well as its food value. This chapter describes the various insect control approaches and technologies, both ancient and modern, that have the potential to help low-resource farmers. The chapter specifies the features such technologies must have if they are to be sustainably adopted by low-resource farmers.
C.B. Singh, University of South Australia, Australia; and D.S. Jayas, University of Manitoba, Canada
Drying, handling, storing and quality monitoring of pulses
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Pulses are an affordable, vegetarian source of protein. They are low in fat, high in carbohydrates and a rich source of micronutrients, amino acids and vitamins. This chapter discusses on how drying, storing and handling of pulses can adversely affect their quality. It reviews how pulse quality is assessed and discusses strategies for drying, handling and storing pulses in order to maintain quality. A technology for grain monitoring and automated aeration control system, as well as non-destructive techniques for quality assessment of pulses, is described.
Alan de Brauw, International Food Policy Research Institute, USA
The nutritional potential of grain legumes: an economic perspective
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Present-day food systems leave a substantial share of the world’s population malnourished. Though rates of undernutrition have been falling, many people continue to suffer from micronutrient malnutrition and rates of overnutrition are rapidly increasing. This chapter argues that the increased role of pulses in the diet could help alleviate the latter two forms of malnutrition. First, it discusses the evidence in the nutrition literature on the role pulses can potentially play in increasing dietary iron, particularly among vulnerable groups. It then discusses economic reasons behind inadequate pulse production, and constraints, which act as barriers to increased production, faced by smallholders. Finally, the chapter discusses the types of consumer interventions that could also lead to increased pulse demand and an increased role in the diet.
Juan M. Osorno and Phillip E. McClean, North Dakota State University, USA; and Timothy Close, University of California (Riverside), USA
Advanced breeding techniques for grain legumes in the genomics era
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The challenge of grain legume production is to continue increasing productivity while reducing the significant seed yield gap between developed and developing countries/regions. Advanced breeding techniques play an important role in the era of genomics. This chapter describes the main grain legume breeding programmes, including breeding targets such as stressors and phenotypes. The chapter examines grain legume reference-genome sequences, legume common lineages and synteny and describes the use of whole-genome and reduced representation resequencing and SNP chips.
Keith Thomas, University of Sunderland, UK
Diseases affecting grain legumes and their management
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Legume plants are peculiarly susceptible to diseases due to their association with Rhizobium bacteria, their large seeds and stress intolerance. Specific and generalist disease species are well documented, but pathogen virulence evolves rapidly making management a continual challenge. This challenge can no longer rely on pesticide applications as many chemicals become unavailable through regulatory changes. Instead, integrated disease management (IDM) is now promoted as a more suitable and sustainable approach. Integration of disease control has many elements, a number of which are traditional and well developed such as field and crop management. In addition, advanced monitoring methods, modelling and molecular methods of detection are becoming essential features to assist precision in prediction and control. Rapid responses to new disease varieties require development of ever more sophisticated techniques which can, ideally, be applied on site. Local management is likely to incorporate all these elements and be increasingly integrated to global coordination.
Diego Rubiales, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Spain
Developing pest- and disease-resistant cultivars of grain legumes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Average yields of most grain legumes are still relatively low due to limited adaptability of available cultivars to a broad range of environmental conditions, and susceptibility to pests and diseases. This chapter explores current knowledge of pest- and disease-resistant cultivars of a variety of grain legume crops, including faba beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, grass peas and common beans. The chapter considers cultivars less susceptible to foliar diseases incited either by biotrophic or necrotrophic pathogens, soil-borne diseases, as well as nematodes, bacteria, insect pests and parasitic weeds. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area and provides extensive further reading on the subject.
Mario R. Fernández-Alduenda, Coffee Quality Institute, USA
Flavour as the common thread for coffee quality along the value chain
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Quality, in the case of coffee, ultimately means flavour, as this is the aspect of coffee perceived by consumers as valuable. The assessment of coffee flavour quality is therefore the key tool for quality assurance in coffee, and is essential in strategies for achieving higher-value coffee. In this chapter, we discuss the definition of ‘quality’ as applied to commercial and speciality coffee, and then argue that despite many interesting advancements in the prediction of coffee flavour using instrumental, analytical methods, nevertheless the only practical way to analyse coffee flavour is still through sensory assessment. This usually means cupping, the process of grading coffee quality based on tasting performed by an expert using a specific protocol. We review how cupping has evolved, the protocols involved and how it can be used as a tool to reach consensus about quality. Finally, we consider other meaningful quality parameters related to coffee processing.
Richard Asare, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ghana; Victor Afari-Sefa, World Vegetable Center, Benin; Sander Muilerman, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; and Gilbert J. Anim-Kwapong, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Ghana
Good agronomic practices in cocoa cultivation: rehabilitating cocoa farms
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Cocoa cultivation covers a total area of about 5.9 million ha worldwide with around 73% of this area found in the four large cocoa-producing countries in West Africa namely Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. Adoption of good agronomic practices is crucial for the sustainability of cocoa cultivation and this chapter describes good practices at both the pre- and post-planting stages. The chapter focuses on the challenge of rehabilitating cocoa farms, and includes a detailed case study on rehabilitation of farms in Ghana. The chapter looks forward to future developments in this area and provides further reading on the subject.
Dr Dr Christian Bunn
Climate change and cocoa cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Climate change has been projected to impact cocoa production unless cultivation practices are adapted. Guiding effective adaptation is a challenging task because of the high model uncertainty for precipitation which is a vital consideration for cocoa producers. We focus on identifying preconditions for forward-looking, proactive adaptation, describing global climatic changes at current cocoa production locations and demonstrating that impacts are spatially differentiated with the example of Ivory Coast. Temperatures were found to rise beyond historically experienced levels with high certainty. In Ivory Coast, at the frontier along the Savanna, dry season conditions may become too severe for cocoa growing. In order to effectively guide adaptation strategies, cocoa research will need to close important knowledge gaps regarding the interaction of cocoa genotypes, high growing season temperatures and reductions in bean quality, the effect of combined heat and drought events for plant survival, and likely changes of pest and disease threats.
Bodo Raatz, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia
Biofortification of grain legumes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Micronutrient malnutrition (MNM) is one of the world’s major health threats. Fe and Zn deficiencies affect more than a third of the world’s population, most severely women and children. Biofortified legume crops are being developed with higher levels of bioavailable Fe and Zn to alleviate MNM and improve the nutritional status of affected populations. In this chapter, we review the genetic variability of Fe and Zn content in many legume crops, and show how this is being used to guide breeding efforts through both transgenic approaches and agronomic management. We also consider the importance of factors that influence the bioavailability of microminerals. We review current breeding activities and releases, and so demonstrate an active research field, with progress in all stages of development.
Dr Louis Bockel
Life cycle analysis and the carbon footprint of coffee value chains
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter presents concepts and tools around the life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint (CFP) with their applications to the coffee value chain. Coffee is characterised by a particularly complex value chain with multiple actors involved along every step, from production to consumers. This chapter explains the concepts of life cycle analysis and the coffee value chain, and describes in detail how carbon footprint performances can be used to upgrade coffee value chains. The chapter includes a case study on use of the EX-ACT value chain tool in Haiti.
Dário Ahnert, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Brazil; and Albertus Bernardus Eskes, formerly CIRAD and Bioversity International, France
Developments in cacao breeding programmes in Africa and the Americas
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter explores the main developments in cacao breeding programmes in Trinidad, Brazil, Ecuador and Costa Rica in the Americas; and Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Cameroon in Africa. The different types of commercial cacao cultivars and breeding programme objectives are described. Heterosis and heterotic groups in cacao, and the contrast between ‘traditional’ and new cacao breeding methods are explored. Finally, the issue of breeding cacao for organoleptic quality is examined and future developments in this area are discussed.
Dr Enrique Troyo-Dieguez
Advances in understanding grain legume physiology: stomatal behaviour and response to abiotic stress
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Grain legumes can fulfill several roles: they can be an immediate seed crop for consumption or marketing, a means to increase soil fertility as a result of their nutrient-rich residues and a key component of livestock feed. They are therefore likely to have an increasing role in agriculture in both less developed and developed regions of the world. However, a potential constraint on their use is their response to drought in the more arid conditions predicted in some parts of the world due to climate change. This chapter will review the responses of various grain legumes to water-deficit conditions, and then will discuss how grain legumes can be bred for the stomatal characteristics most appropriate for water-scarce environments.
N. Surya Prakash, Central Coffee Research Institute, India
Developing varieties of Robusta coffee
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Coffee is one of the important agricultural commodities, contributing substantially to the national exchequers of growing countries. Coffee is generally obtained from two types of coffee plants, namely Arabica and Robusta; the two species differ from each other in their centre of origin, breeding behaviour, growth habit, adaptability, production potential and quality attributes, but together produce unique blends for the consumer. This chapter offers a comprehensive review of various topics related to the development of Robusta coffee varieties, including the growth habits and agronomical characteristics of Robusta coffee, its breeding behaviour and genetic resources. The chapter describes the genetic structure of Robusta base populations and their phenotypic variability and initial efforts in the development of improved varieties. The chapter finally addresses the factors limiting sustained breeding initiatives and looks ahead to pragmatic strategies for the future.
Lambert A. Motilal, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
The role of gene banks in preserving the genetic diversity of cacao
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is an important tree crop for millions of farmers and for the multi-billion dollar chocolate industry but is derived from a limited genetic diversity. The centre of diversity of cacao is being deforested, thereby increasing genetic erosion, but fortunately a wealth of genetic diversity exists in global cacao collections. This chapter discusses the role and types of gene banks to capture genetic diversity. The chapter deals with the distinction between cacao gene banks and other gene banks and examines how this affects the management and estimation of genetic diversity. The chapter advocates an SNP panel for fingerprinting and addresses molecular marker-assisted management with the objective of comparing global collections and formulating a core collection.
Adriana Farah, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nutritional and health effects of coffee
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
An increasing number of studies have shown that, in spite of its nutritional limitations, coffee is a complex mixture of bioactive substances that may act together to help prevent diseases when consumed in a proper way. This chapter reviews the literature on the nutritional and health-related aspects of regular coffee consumption, then examines the potential side effects, and looks ahead to future research in this area.
Dr Dr Philippe Lashermes
Diversity and genome evolution in coffee
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
While the worldwide production of coffee relies on a small number of cultivars with reduced diversity, wild coffee trees represent huge reserves of genetic diversity that could help to mitigate the effects of unstable climate and plant diseases, as well as modify the wealth of health-related chemicals present in the coffee seeds. This chapter describes the results of studies of coffee tree species distribution and characterization, phylogenetic relationships among coffee species and the molecular bases of coffee species diversification, as well as looking ahead to future developments in this area.
Frans Wielemaker, Consultant (formerly Director of Research at Dole Fresh Fruit International), Costa Rica
Organic banana cultivation and sustainability
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The cultivation of conventional bananas of the commercial Cavendish variety for export markets in the wet tropics requires a substantial amount of synthetic agrochemical input. Over the last 25 years, organic banana production has soared in Latin America. This chapter describes organic banana production, identifying the key requirements for success: growing location, soil quality and the use of rotation. The chapter examines the importance of soil fertility and fertilization, disease management and managing nematode and insect pests. The chapter also focuses on weed management, and offers suggestions for further reading in this subject area.
Dr Thierry Joët
Environmental and genetic effects on coffee seed biochemical composition and quality
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Reserve compounds that accumulate in coffee seeds contribute to a large extent– directly or through roasting-induced chemical reactions – to the broad spectrum of aromas and flavours of the coffee cup. Coffee seed reserves are mainly composed of cell wall polysaccharides, lipids, proteins, sucrose and secondary metabolites including chlorogenic acids, caffeine and trigonelline. Understanding coffee quality requires a detailed characterization of the metabolic pathways dedicated to the synthesis of these aroma/flavour precursors. This chapter describes the current state of knowledge on the relationships between coffee quality, seed chemical composition, and genetic and environmental effects, with a special focus on environmental regulations of coffee seed metabolic pathways. It includes a case study on coffee production on La Réunion Island and provides suggestions for further reading as well as looking ahead to future developments in coffee seed chemical composition research.
Dr Chifumi Nagai
Breeding caffeine-free coffee beans
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Regular Arabica coffee contains about 1.2% caffeine. ‘Decaffeinated’ (less than 0.1%) and ‘low caffeine’ (0.2–0.8%) coffee can be obtained by removing the caffeine. However, this can compromise the flavour, and may lead to consumers viewing the product as less ‘natural’. Over the past 25 yrs, efforts have been made to develop naturally non- or low-caffeinated varieties, and some coffee beans with reduced caffeine content are now commercially available. In this chapter, we first review the process of caffeine biosynthesis and the economic significance of naturally decaffeinated and low-caffeine coffee. We consider the varying levels of caffeine in different coffee species, the production and characteristics of non- and low-caffeine coffee and the challenges of moving to large-scale cultivation for new varieties.
Louis Bockel, Laure-Sophie Schiettecatte and Orane Debrune, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Italy
Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint of banana cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter presents concepts and tools around the life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint (CFP) of the banana value chain. Bananas are the world’s most exported fresh fruit in volume and value and a key crop for millions of households in developing countries providing food, nutrition and income. As one of the most traded fruit, including transoceanic transportation, more attention is being paid to the social and environmental impact along the whole value-chain of bananas. LCA and CFP give farmers, individuals and multinationals the opportunity to identify GHG hotspots along the banana value chain and adopt practices reducing or offsetting the CFP. The FAO tailored the EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool for value chain tool (EX-ACT VC) to the banana value chain (EX-ACT BVC) allowing analysis of its CFP, resilience and socio-economic factors. The present chapter gives an example of an Ecuadorian and Peruvian banana value chain analysis with EX-ACT BVC.
Roberto Buffo, National University of Tucumán, Argentina
Advances in research on coffee flavour compounds
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Coffee’s global appeal is related to its unique flavour, taste and mouthfeel. Coffee is the second-most traded global commodity after petroleum, and a thorough understanding of the chemical dynamics associated with its aroma is essential for the enhancement and permanence of its popularity. This chapter covers the chemical composition of green coffee beans, the process of roasting, the profile of volatile and non-volatile compounds generated by roasting and the chemical reactions responsible for their formation. We use research from the 1990s to the present to discuss the presence of incidental compounds in roasted coffee, the influence of coffee processing on aroma profile and the central issue of key volatiles in the determination of coffee aroma. Finally, we provide insights regarding future directions in the elucidation of coffee flavour.
Dr Charles Lambot
Disseminating improved coffee varieties for sustainable production
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Although coffee is one of the most valuable agricultural commodities of the world, it is an orphan crop in relation to investment in plant breeding. An efficient system to develop, introduce and propagate improved coffee varieties is required to place productive, attractive and affordable plants at farmers’ disposal. The chapter describes the rationale of developing and propagating new coffee varieties, presenting a strategy to increase efficiency of coffee production without compromising the quality of results. The chapter considers the physiological constraints of coffee variety development, the legal aspects of plant or seed shipments and the protection of the breeder’s rights within national or international systems. The chapter also includes case studies on statistical methods applied to multi-location trials. The chapter presents some trends for the future and recent initiatives that may be able to accelerate the development and deployment of genetic innovation at farmer level.
Jetse J. Stoorvogel, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; and Rafael A. Segura, CORBANA S.A., Costa Rica
Nutrition and soil management in banana cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
There is significant variation in banana production systems across the world, particularly at the level of soil management. However, research on plant nutrition and soil management in relation to bananas has been limited for a number of reasons: bananas are unusual in their physiology and management, and the characteristics of the crop make it difficult to carry out standard fertilizer response experiments. Given the considerable investment in soil management, the scarcity of fertilization studies in bananas is surprising. This chapter provides an overview of general aspects of crop nutrition in the broader context of soil management. Focusing mostly on intensively managed systems where fertilizer use is the highest, the chapter discusses a number of strategies for soil nutrition as well as advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Amanda Berlan, De Montfort University, UK
Organic cocoa cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The last two decades have witnessed a dramatically increased demand for organically produced goods. As a crop, cocoa can be grown successfully using organic methods, and demand for organic chocolate has risen in line with the overall growth in the organic market. This chapter offers a summary of current issues in the production of organic cocoa. I discuss production trends, acknowledging some of the challenges in accurately monitoring such trends, before considering some of the issues surrounding different cultivation methods, and the certification and pricing of organic cocoa. Finally, the chapter considers different techniques for controlling pests and diseases without the use of chemical inputs. A number of conclusions are presented, such as the importance of farmer acceptance of methods, the need for integrated pest management strategies and the challenges of highly variable markets.
Samuel Orisajo, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Nigeria
Nematode pests of cocoa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Plant-parasitic nematodes cause cocoa yield losses, a sudden death of trees and retardation of seedling growth in nurseries. This chapter explains the hidden nature and the masking effects of these nematodes and how these have led to erroneous control measures. The chapter describes the nematode pests associated with cocoa and the symptoms of damage. It also addresses several available control options and outlines how nematode management is essential in order to reduce crop losses and to ensure self-sufficiency for food and industrial raw materials. The chapter finally looks ahead to future research in this area and provides additional reading for those interested in researching further.
Charles Staver, Bioversity International, France
Good agricultural practices: an end point or a starting point for more sustainable banana production?
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Bananas, a longstanding export crop, have not been immune from consumer concerns about food safety and the environmental and human health impacts of production. About half of export banana production is certified under four labels – GlobalGap, Organic, FairTrade and Rainforest – based on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). GAP certification is a short-term guarantee to marketers and consumers, but GAPs have also been proposed as indicators of sustainability. Our review of the effectiveness of GAP suggests that they could become more useful by incorporating more ecological intensification indicators with economic implications. The present chapter illustrates the application of this approach in smallholder organic export banana to address not only the yield gap, but also improved synchronization between ecological processes, production routines and cost efficiency. While GAPs are an imperfect tool, they are also dynamic and open to new knowledge and practices, to make the extensive tracking and monitoring required of banana growers more effective, enabling as well better understanding of sustainable banana production.
Prof Prof David W. Turner
A functional approach to bunch formation in banana
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Sustainable management of bananas requires knowledge of development, especially the pivotal processes of bunch formation. This chapter presents a functional analysis of the formation of the inflorescence up to flowering (bunch emergence), emphasising interaction of the plant with the environment. We discuss the role of cool temperature in shortening the juvenile phase and long photoperiod in shortening the mid-vegetative phase of development. We examine differentiation of functionally female flowers that form fruit and subsequently male flowers that do not form fruit. We conclude that hand formation and fruit number per hand are independent but coordinated processes. Genotype and environment determine the relationship between the number of hands per bunch and flowers per hand along the female peduncle. Further research is needed to quantify relationships that underpin new genotypes and management practices for sustainable banana production.
M. A. Rutherford, J. Crozier and J. Flood, CABI, UK; and S. Sastroutomo, CABI-SEA, Malaysia
Improving best practice with regard to pesticide use in cocoa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Consumer concerns about food safety have been translated into policy in consuming countries, including pesticide residues in cocoa. Such policy changes have an impact on cocoa producers and other supply chain stakeholders, as they have to comply with legislation or risk losing lucrative markets. Consequently, development and implementation of best practice for pesticide use is critical, but major challenges exist in-country. The chapter provides an overview of pesticide use in cocoa-producing countries and the challenge of improving pesticide regulation, before moving on to consider the development of best practice for pesticide use. The chapter provides detailed case studies on establishing baselines, promoting awareness and developing a holistic approach. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends and provides guidance for further reading in this area.
Didier Snoeck and Bernard Dubos, CIRAD, UR Systèmes de pérennes, France
Improving soil and nutrient management for cacao cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The results of early fertiliser trials on cacao showed that phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) always had positive effects, along with variable effects from calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). The variability of yield responses to nutrients pointed to the need to link the nutrients with each other or with other factors, in particular with soil, climate, and topography. This chapter outlines an approach to nutrition management based on correcting the soil so that the cacao can find the nutrients it needs in optimal quantities and balances. Through two detailed case studies, the chapter discusses the determination of fertiliser formula by physical-chemical analyses of a sample of soil taken from each plot to be corrected. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future trends in this area and suggests further reading on the subject.
Sarada Krishnan, Denver Botanic Gardens, USA
Ensuring the genetic diversity of coffee
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Developing adaptation strategies will be critical in sustaining the coffee economy and livelihoods in many countries, owing to continued rises in production costs, as well as problems related to negative impacts of climate change and higher incidence of pests and diseases. Utilizing the varied genetic resources of coffee to develop varieties with drought stress tolerances, pest and disease resistances, high cup quality and increased production will ensure the future sustainability of the crop. This chapter examines the genetic resources of coffee in both ex situ collections and in situ situations and provides a detailed case study of the conservation of wild coffee species in Madagascar. In the context of the development of a Global Conservation Strategy for Coffee Genetic Resources, the chapter looks ahead to future developments in this area.
Dr Sietze Vellema
Sustainable banana cultivation: from standards to multiple solutions
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
There is no single recipe for sustainable banana cultivation. Pest and disease management has been central to sustainability efforts, particularly in the export industry. The global and local spread of pathogens make the capacity to manage such threats a shared concern for leading banana exporters and smallholders. This chapter addresses the gap between implementation of global sustainability standards in the export industry based on a single banana variety, Cavendish, and the overwhelming diversity of varieties, uses and production environments related to local food security and rural livelihoods. This gap between ecologically and socially diverse production systems and management strategies relying on standardisation of a package of practices complicates coordinated action working towards multiple solutions. The chapter includes a case study of a major banana-producing region in the Philippines, representing variety in banana production systems, which shows the importance of working towards a territorial approach that has the capacity to accommodate and connect multiple solutions for making banana cultivation sustainable.
W. K. Tushemereirwe and J. Kubiriba, National Agricultural Research Laboratories, Uganda
Banana cultivation in Africa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Banana is important as a food, cash and climate-resilient crop in Africa. However, its productivity has declined tremendously to less than 10 t/ha compared with a potential 60–100 t/ha and plantation longevity has also severely reduced. This chapter examines the composition and distribution of banana cultivars, assesses banana production systems and focuses particularly on banana production in Uganda. The chapter addresses the challenges of banana production, including nutrient deficiencies, moisture stress and pests and diseases that affect them. It examines the ways in which banana varieties might be improved for management of pests and diseases and shows how marketing acts as a constraint to banana production in Uganda. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Ulrike Krauss, Palm Integrated Services and Solutions (PISS) Ltd., Costa Rica
Frosty pod rot, caused by Moniliophthora roreri
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Frosty pod rot (FPR) of cacao (Theobroma cacao) is caused by Moniliophthora roreri. FPR commonly can reduce yields by over 80% and is extremely difficult to manage. This chapter reviews the origins, spread and impact of Moniliophthora roreri. It also discusses methods for managing FPR, from strategies for prevention, early detection and rapid response (EDRR), to impact mitigation using integrated approaches. These include cultural control, supplemented by chemical, biological and genetic approaches.
Verina Ingram, Yuca Waarts and Fedes van Rijn, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Cocoa sustainability initiatives: the impacts of cocoa sustainability initiatives in West Africa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Sustainability initiatives, including associations, platforms and networks, voluntary sustainability standards, corporate and non-governmental and civil society initiatives, have all been developed as solutions to the multiple, long-running challenges facing cocoa growers and producers. Largely implemented by cocoa farmers and groups, these initiatives are often supported by traders, government agencies, certification organisations and other not-for-profit organisations. This chapter examines the different sustainability initiatives and their social, economic and environmental impacts on cocoa farmers, farms and ecosystems. The chapter provides detailed case studies of impacts in Ghana and Ivory Coast. The chapter also looks ahead to future research trends in this area and provides detailed guidance for further reading on the topic.
Navreet K. Bhullar, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Development of rice varieties with improved iron content in grain
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Iron deficiency constitutes one of the most prevalent forms of micronutrient deficiencies affecting human health. Biofortification of food crops is suggested as a suitable approach to address iron deficiency in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. Rice, a staple food for over half of the world’s population, is an important target crop for iron enrichment. Due to limited germplasm variability for endosperm iron content, conventional breeding has not met much success in developing high-iron rice lines. Genetic engineering approaches have demonstrated varied degrees of success in enriching rice endosperm with iron. This chapter reviews the studies focused on iron enhancement in the rice endosperm.
Mary A. Egbuta, Southern Cross University, Australia
Mycotoxins in cocoa: causes, detection and control
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Mycotoxins are produced as secondary metabolites by various species of filamentous fungi, and may affect many agricultural crops and products. The potential health risks associated with these chemical compounds mean that significant attention has been given to their detection and control. However, most study has so far been dedicated to mycotoxin contamination of agricultural crops such as cereals, with less attention given to cocoa. This chapter presents an overview of the current understanding of mycotoxin contamination of cocoa. The main groups of mycotoxins are discussed, followed by a summary of three methods of detection. There follows an explanation of various methods of controlling mycotoxins in cocoa, including recommendations at the stages of production, processing and fermentation and discussion of attempts to decontaminate infected crops. It is concluded that there is a need for more research into the different mycotoxins affecting cocoa and methods of reducing their presence and impact.
Andrew Daymond, University of Reading, UK
Safe handling and movement of cocoa germplasm for breeding
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) originated in South America, but is now cultivated in various parts of the tropics. Movement of cocoa germplasm is often required in breeding programmes to increase the genetic diversity pool or to test clones/progeny in the field. However, such movement brings with it the risks of spread of pests and diseases, many of which are confined to particular geographical locations. Thus, it is critical that movement of germplasm is conducted within a quarantine framework. This chapter reviews the risks associated with the movement of cocoa germplasm. It considers international governance of plant movement and discusses the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre at the University of Reading (ICQC,R) as a hub for safe handling and movement of cocoa germplasm.
Dr Brigitte Laliberté
Conserving and exploiting cocoa genetic resources: the key challenges
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The future of the world cocoa economy depends on the availability of genetic diversity and the sustainable use of this broad genetic base to breed improved varieties. Decreasing cacao genetic diversity (in situ, on-farm and conserved in collections) is a serious problem, and all its many causes need to be urgently addressed: the destruction of the Amazonian rainforests, changing patterns of land use, the spread of pests and diseases, sudden changes in climate and threats from natural disasters and extreme weather. These factors are resulting in an irreversible loss of the cacao genetic diversity so essential for farmers, breeders and consumers. A Global Strategy was published in 2012 to optimize the conservation and maximize the use of cacao genetic resources as the foundation of a sustainable cocoa economy. The chapter describes the key challenges, how they are being addressed and the priorities for further research and actions.
Siela N. Maximova and Mark J. Guiltinan, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
The potential of somatic embryogenesis for commercial-scale propagation of elite cacao varieties
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Plant tissue culture can be used to speed up the development and deployment of genetically improved genotypes. Research conducted by multiple groups for over 25 years has led to the development of protocols for efficient somatic embryogenesis (SE) of cacao. This chapter provides a synthesis of publically available information and literature describing the research and development activities on cacao tissue culture and of field-test evaluations of SE-derived plants. The chapter also reviews current activities in cacao-producing countries involving adoption and scale-up for large-scale propagation of important genotypes, providing a number of field studies from Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Kazuki Saito, Pepijn van Oort, Ibnou Dieng, Jean-Martial Johnson, Abibou Niang, Kokou Ahouanton and Amakoe Delali Alognon, Africa Rice Center, Benin; Atsuko Tanaka, JICA and Africa Rice Center, Benin; Kalimuthu Senthilkumar and Elke Vandamme, Africa Rice
Yield gap analysis towards meeting future rice demand
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Rice provides 20% of the world’s food energy, and increased rice production owing to growing demand needs to be derived mainly from existing agricultural land. This requires reducing the ‘yield gap’, which is defined as the difference between potential yield and average on-farm yield obtained by farmers. In this chapter, we provide case studies of yield gap analyses using different benchmarks (potential yield, experimental yield and best farmers’ yield) for estimating yield gaps. We start with studies focusing on the quantification of yield gaps and then describe studies with a focus on identification of the causes of yield gaps. We conclude with a discussion of the challenges to achieving better quantification of yield gaps and their causes, and the implications of yield gap studies for sustainable agricultural development to meet future rice demand.
Chuan Tong and Jinsong Bao, Zhejiang University, China
Agronomic and environmental factors affecting rice grain quality
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Recent research has shown the importance of both cultivation practices and environmental factors in determining the yield and quality of rice crops. These aspects of rice production are increasingly important given the need to develop sustainable production techniques which will provide food security despite a changing climate. This chapter begins by considering the effects of cultivation practices such as sowing, transplantation and harvesting dates, irrigation and fertilizer application on rice production. It then discusses the effects of elevated temperatures, elevated atmospheric levels of CO2 and O3, and water availability. Changes in yield, milling performance and appearance, nutritional quality and cooking properties are all reviewed. Organic rice cultivation is then considered as an effective, sustainable technique for producing high-quality rice..
Michelle End, INGENIC (The International Group for Genetic Improvement of Cocoa), UK; Brigitte Laliberté, Bioversity International, Italy; Rob Lockwood, Consultant, UK; Augusto Roberto Sena Gomes, Consultant, Brazil; George Andrade Sodré, CEPLAC/CEPEC,
Cocoa plant propagation techniques to supply farmers with improved planting materials
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The availability of high-performance planting materials to cocoa farmers is an important part of a package of measures to improve the productivity of cocoa farms and thus the sustainability of the cocoa economy. This chapter reviews the methods, advantages and challenges of techniques of mass propagation, with a focus on seed and conventional vegetative propagation (since tissue culture techniques are covered in a separate chapter). The chapter discusses cross-cutting issues to be taken into account when developing a strategy to supply farmers with planting materials. These include availability of source materials, requirements for human resources and facilities, phytosanitary considerations, costs and demand. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to potential future research trends in this area.
David I. Guest, University of Sydney, Australia; and Philip J. Keane, LaTrobe University, Australia
Cacao diseases: vascular-streak dieback
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
‘Vascular-streak dieback’ (VSD) was the name given to a devastating disease of cacao, first described in Papua New Guinea in the 1960s and later found to be caused by a previously undescribed tullasneloid basidiomycete, Oncobasidium theobromae (now Ceratobasidium theobromae). This chapter describes the symptoms of VSD and the biology of the pathogen, the disease’s epidemiology and methods of management, as well as including a detailed case study showing the importance of field studies of the disease. The chapter anticipates future trends for research into this disease and suggests further reading on the subject.
Wyn Ellis, Sustainable Rice Platform, Thailand
Assessing the sustainability impacts of rice cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
In an increasingly crowded, volatile and fragile world, rice represents a crucial driver of global food security. This chapter explores the environmental and broader sustainability challenges posed by rice production. After considering trends in rice production and consumption and its strategic importance as a crop, we consider key environmental and sustainability challenges posed by rice, including resource-use efficiency, how rice production contributes to climate change and how it will be affected by a changing climate. We then address the challenge of quantifying these environmental impacts of rice production, and introduce the approach of the Sustainable Rice Platform, which offers a framework for assessing sustainability and encouraging the adoption of best practices.
Maura Calliera and Ettore Capri, Universit à Cattolica Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, Italy
Plant protection products in rice cultivation: critical issues in risk assessment and management to promote sustainable use
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The use of plant protection products (PPPs) is a key issue in ensuring the sustainability of rice cultivation. It is essential to evaluate the risks these products pose to human health and the environment, and to determine what measures are required to keep the risks within acceptable limits. This chapter first reviews how the risks posed by PPPs are currently evaluated, and considers where current risk assessment practices require improvement. Methods of managing the risks associated with PPPs and encouraging more sustainable rice cultivation are then discussed, with an emphasis on how integrated pest management (IPM) strategies can be successfully implemented.
Norman Uphoff, Cornell University, USA
Developments in the system of rice intensification (SRI)
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The system of rice intensification (SRI) is a combination of management practices developed in Madagascar some 30 years ago to make the cultivation of irrigated rice more productive. This chapter reviews how the SRI has evolved over the past 15 years as its efficacy has been demonstrated in over 50 countries. It reviews the ways in which SRI thinking and practice have developed as a result of farmer experience and scientific research, offering higher factor productivity, increased food security and poverty reduction, with more sustainability and climate-resilience in rice production. This review shows how SRI ideas and practices continue to evolve and even have effects beyond irrigated rice production to improve productivity for rain-fed rice and other crops.
Víctor Galán Saúco, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, Spain
Challenges in cultivation of bananas in the subtropics
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Although it is commonly thought that a tropical climate is more suited to banana production than a subtropical climate, banana yields obtained in the subtropics are excellent and under good cultural practices can even be considered among the highest of the world. The relatively cool climate of the subtropics causes undesirable physiological phenomena and a long cropping cycle, but it has advantages as well. This chapter describes appropriate cultural practices designed to solve or minimize the climatic constraints on cultivation of bananas in the subtropics, including cultivation under greenhouse conditions.
Melissa Fitzgerald, University of Queensland, Australia; Adoracion Resurreccion, International Rice Research Institute, The Philippines; and Julie Pua Ferraz, Diabetes Foundation Marikina and Calamba Doctors’ Hospital, The Philippines
Advances in understanding the role of rice in nutrition
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Malnutrition includes both under- and over-nutrition. The development of rice varieties to improve dietary quality can play a role in addressing both forms of malnutrition. This chapter begins by considering under-nutrition, with an emphasis on the problem of micronutrient deficiency. It reviews how a staple crop such as rice can be biofortified to deliver key nutrients such as iron, zinc and vitamin A. Over-nutrition and its negative health consequences are then discussed, and we explore the possibility of biofortifying rice to carry nutritional properties of benefit to those at risk of or suffering from chronic disease.
Dr Dr Ranjana Bhattacharjee
Taxonomy and classification of cacao
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Theobroma cacao is one of the most important cash crops in the world and is native to the tropical, humid forests of South America. This chapter discusses its origin and the taxonomy and classification of the varieties of Theobroma. It then reviews the characteristics of the three general groups of Theobroma: criollo, forastero and trinitario.
Dr P. R. Brown
Control of rodent pests in rice cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Rodents cause significant damage to rice crops at all stages. The intensity of rice cropping and the level of asynchrony of cropping affects the level of rodent losses. It is important to understand the biology of rodent species causing damage in order to develop appropriate management strategies. This chapter examines the impact of rodents on rice and comprehensively surveys physical, chemical, biocontrol-based and other methods of rodent management. Case studies of ecologically based rodent management in Vietnam, Laos and Tanzania form the background to the chapter’s assessment of the future for control of rodents and other vertebrate pests affecting rice production.
William Tinzaara, Bioversity International, Uganda; Dietmar Stoian, Bioversity International, France, Walter Ocimati, Enoch Kikulwe and Gloria Otieno, Bioversity International, Uganda; and Guy Blomme, Bioversity International, Ethiopia
Challenges and opportunities for smallholders in banana value chains
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Bananas and plantains play a major role in terms of global food security and household incomes in banana-producing countries. Banana production and yields are affected by a variety of factors, including availability of labour, soil degradation, access to clean planting material, management of pests and diseases, post-harvest losses, value addition and market access. This chapter reviews the literature on challenges in relation to pre-production, production, post-harvest management and marketing in domestic value chains of cooking bananas and plantains from the perspective of smallholders. The chapter takes stock of existing knowledge on these challenges, identifies opportunities for smallholders and other value chain actors for addressing these issues, and concludes with recommendations for future research.
Juan José Aycart, Dole, Ecuador
Harvesting and packaging of bananas
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Bananas are one of the most widely traded crops globally, and with appropriate management, can be produced on a continuous basis. However, the journey from field to retail destination is a delicate, finely tuned process, which must be closely managed at every stage to ensure the safety and quality of the product. This chapter describes each stage of this journey, evaluating different strategies and challenges. Various criteria are presented for determining when to harvest a bunch, followed by a description of different harvesting and transport techniques to avoid damage to the crop. Postharvest losses can be reduced through effective techniques of dehanding, washing, sorting and packaging. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future trends in banana cultivation, balancing the need to minimize production costs with the increasing consumer concern for the environmental and human impact of this trade.
T. Parthasarathi, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel; M. Kokila, D. Selvakumar, V. Meenakshi and A. Kowsalya, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India; K. Vanitha, Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India; A.
Dry-seeded and aerobic cultivation of rice
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Finding an efficient irrigation strategy that would minimize water consumption in rice cultivation is a key objective in dealing with the potential future competition for and scarcity of water as a resource. Several water-saving techniques have been developed, including dry-seeded rice and aerobic rice cultivation. This chapter explores these techniques and good agricultural practices (GAP) for optimizing use of both these techniques, describing the entire process in detail from field preparation to harvesting and suggesting best practice in each case. The chapter evaluates the differences between dry direct seeded and aerobic rice cultivation.
Frits Popma, Popma Fruit Expertise, The Netherlands
Ripening systems for bananas
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The correct ripening of bananas is essential for optimum taste, appearance, shelf life and consumer satisfaction. This chapter reviews the skills and technologies needed for successful ripening, together with innovations and recent developments. Advice on procedures and best practice throughout the supply chain is presented from the author’s own experience.
Sharon D. Hamill, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia
Banana plant propagation methods
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The ease of banana propagation by taking a sucker and simply planting it has allowed farmers to multiply their banana selections and share them. The banana sucker is a resilient form of planting material as the growing point is protected within the sucker, which contains a corm with a starchy store that allows the plant to readily re-establish. This chapter briefly describes the basic anatomy of the banana plant required to understand the part of the plant used for propagation. The chapter then describes the various practical aspects of banana propagation using either conventional planting material or tissue culture plants and the benefits and disadvantages of each method. The chapter looks ahead to future research trends in the area of banana tissue culture.
Rachelle Ward, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia
Quality parameters and testing methods in rice cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Quality parameters and the ability to test when these have been satisfied are essential for delivering a consistent, high-quality product to consumers, and important for the development of new rice varieties with desired characteristics. This chapter begins by focusing on technology for assessing rice quality. It reviews some of the core quality parameters, which such technology must measure, considers practical requirements in research and commercial settings and notes areas for further development. Consumer health needs are then considered, but the quality parameters for this area are still being clarified. Section 4 then shows how data linking genotype, growing environment and grain quality can be obtained, and how this can then provide an overview of the natural variation to be expected in rice crops. This information can be used to develop new resilient varieties of rice, or to choose the most suitable variety for a given location.
R. F. Sage, University of Toronto, Canada; and Shunsuke Adachi and Tadashi Hirasawa, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
Improving photosynthesis in rice: from small steps to giant leaps
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Current strategies for boosting rice productivity encounter diminishing returns as rice crops approach yield ceilings. This chapter describes how improvement of photosynthetic efficiency is needed to boost yield ceilings. This can be in the context of C3 photosynthesis, overcoming single limitations and maintaining optimal distribution of resources within the photosynthetic apparatus. The chapter shows that chloroplast-specific photorespiratory bypasses can lead to improvements in overcoming photorespiration-related limitations. The most significant enhancement would be engineering the C4 photosynthetic pathway into rice. The chapter argues that a major priority in the early phase of C4 engineering is targeting genes responsible for C4 structure and function.
Hugo Volkaert, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand
The origin, domestication and dispersal of bananas
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The search for the origins of the edible bananas probably started soon after European explorers brought home stories about the wonderful fruit they had come across in Africa. Currently about 40 seeded species in the genus Musa have been recognised. This chapter describes the morphological and molecular evidence for the origins of bananas and the role of Musa balbisiana in the domestication and early cultivation of bananas. The chapter reviews the archaeological evidence for early banana cultivation before considering the dispersal of bananas into Oceania, Africa, South and Southeast Asia.
Mike Smith, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia
Conserving banana germplasm through field genebanks
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The availability of true-to-type, pest- and disease-free planting material is fundamental to successful banana cultivation. It ensures that crops will not succumb to pathogens introduced at planting. This chapter examines the key issues in the selection, establishment and management of a field germplasm collection, with a focus on how best to provide a reliable source of quality banana planting stock. The chapter discusses characterisation strategies for variety selection and includes a case study of banana cultivation in Queensland, Australia. The chapter addresses the sourcing of material for the germplasm collection and strategies to ensure freedom from pests and disease. Finally, the chapter suggests future trends in research and offers guidance on where to look for further information on the subject.
Khawar Jabran
Integrated weed management in maize cultivation: an overview
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Maize (Zea mays L.) is among the most important cereals of the world. Weeds are one of the major constraints that reduce maize productivity. In this chapter, we discuss the impact of weeds on maize cultivation and the possible ways to control weeds in maize. In addition to herbicides, integrated weed management (IWM) practices are used to control weeds. IWM combinations include techniques such as land preparation, planting and cultivation or cultivars, rotations, intercropping and cover crops as well as mechanical control. The development of herbicide-tolerant maize cultivars and image-based site-specific herbicide applications are expected to contribute significantly in improving weed management in maize.
Anuj Kumar
Mechanisms of drought tolerance in rice
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Rice is especially sensitive to drought stress during reproductive growth. Drought mitigation, through development of drought- resistant varieties with higher yields, will be the key factor to improve stable rice production. This chapter reviews the following topics: mechanisms of drought resistance, assessing drought tolerance performance, identifying genes promoting drought tolerance using quantitative trait loci (QLT) analysis, genetic engineering for drought tolerance, drought-protective genes and plant hormones affecting drought tolerance.
Dan Koeppel, Independent Journalist and Researcher, USA
Understanding the banana industry: monoculture and beyond
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The dominance of monoculture in banana cultivation has produced numerous agricultural, social and political problems. This chapter examines the way in which monoculture has affected the banana industry. It outlines the available banana varieties and the dominant Cavendish monoculture, looking at the historical development and dynamics of a banana monoculture. The chapter moves on to examine post-war developments in the banana industry and the advent of the dominance of the Cavendish variety, before considering the crisis in Cavendish cultivation and a proposed new paradigm. The chapter examines the hunt for new banana varieties and looks ahead to future developments in the area.
Simerjeet Kaur and Gulshan Mahajan, Punjab Agricultural University, India; and Bhagirath S. Chauhan, The University of Queensland, Australia
Integrated weed management techniques for rice
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Global food production must increase in order to meet the needs of the world’s growing population. In order to improve productivity in rice cultivation, it is essential to recognize the problems caused by biological constraints such as weeds, and then to evolve and implement appropriate strategies to alleviate these problems. In this chapter, we review the problem of weeds in rice crops and the need for integrated weed management (IWM) to address this issue. After a brief overview of the IWM approach and its advantages, three sections offer a detailed discussion of the wide variety of techniques which may be incorporated into an IWM strategy. We then review examples of how these techniques can be combined and integrated, and offer recommendations for future IWM research.
Lu Yu, University of Maryland, USA; and Margaret Slavin and Mengyi Dong, George Mason University, USA
The nutraceutical properties of rice
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter reviews rice varieties and variations in nutritional content, bio-fortification of rice and antioxidants in rice. It also reviews the impact of breeding, cultivation and processing on the nutritional quality of rice.
Adrian Dubock, Golden Rice Humanitarian Board, Switzerland
Biofortified Golden Rice: an additional intervention for vitamin A deficiency
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter reviews the development of ‘Golden Rice’, a biofortified variety with enhanced β-carotene designed as a health intervention to help alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency (VAD). It also reviews the origins of Golden Rice, product development, as well as current challenges, to establishing Golden Rice as an additional VAD intervention.
F. G. Horgan, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Integrated pest management for sustainable rice cultivation: a holistic approach
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter describes a holistic approach to integrated pest management (IPM) using knowledge of the natural regulation of herbivore and weed populations and of natural succession in agricultural wetlands. It draws attention to the drivers of change in rice production systems, the forms that future rice production systems will take and anticipated pest problems. The chapter indicates the need for increased attention to understanding rice ecosystems in a holistic manner to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of modern rice production systems. The chapter shows that knowledge of rice ecosystems, combined with a range of available technologies, can enhance ecosystem functioning, ensure efficient extension pathways and thereby increase the success of IPM.
D. S. Gaydon, CSIRO Agriculture, Australia
Advances in irrigation techniques for rice cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Rice land receives 35–45% of all the world’s irrigation water. In view of growing concerns about future water scarcity, achieving water savings in irrigated rice production has become a key research challenge. This chapter considers the key techniques for improving rice water productivity through enhanced irrigation practices aiming to reduce irrigation water use in rice cultivation. These include the cultivation of aerobic rice, the use of the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technique, and the deployment of Ssaturated Ssoil Cculture. The chapter includes a detailed case study of water savings management in rice cultivation in southeast Australia and suggests possible lines for future research.
Nguyen Van Hung, Carlito Balingbing, James Quilty, Bjoern Ole Sander, Matty Demont and Martin Gummert, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), The Philippines
Processing rice straw and husks as co-products
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter focuses on by-product processing and management in the rice sector. The first section reviews rice residue availability. The following sections describe rice residue processing technologies, including on-field and off-field options. On-field processing focuses mainly on composting and incorporation into the soil, while off-field considers rice residue collection and use for energy and non-energy purposes. The chapter also covers value chain analysis and life cycle assessments of rice straw management
Jennifer Spindel and Susan McCouch, Cornell University, USA
Ensuring and exploiting genetic diversity in rice
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Genetic diversity is the basis for all advances in breeding and genetic improvement and represents an insurance policy for dealing with disaster. In the context of a changing climate, breeders are under increased pressure to selectively expand the genetic base of the varieties they develop to enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of rice production systems. In this chapter we discuss different definitions of ‘diversity’, the origin and extent of genetic diversity found in rice and its wild relatives, and a variety of approaches for identifying useful sources of variation for rice improvement and utilizing genetic diversity in breeding programs. We discuss the modern toolbox of breeding strategies for enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of selection including marker and genomics assisted breeding, pre-breeding using recombinant populations, and emerging technologies such as genome editing.
R. B. Angeles-Shim and M. Ashikari, Nagoya University, Japan
Advances in molecular breeding techniques for rice
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
For the last two decades, marker-assisted selection has reshaped breeding programmes and facilitated gains from selection. Recent developments in genomic technologies, including the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and cost-effective genotyping platforms, are effecting shifts in the prevailing framework of plant breeding towards a more precise utilization of genetic variation for crop improvement. This chapter describes the importance of selection and hybridization in crop improvement. It gives a detailed account of current trends in rice molecular breeding, including QTL mapping and marker-assisted selection, and presents a case study of gene Sub1A to illustrate how these techniques increased breeding efficiency and precision for target traits. Finally, it analyses the emerging tools in genomics-based breeding that promise to increase the efficiency of modern rice breeding towards a more rapid varietal development and release.
Bijay Singh, Punjab Agricultural University, India and V.K. Singh, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India
Advances in nutrient management in rice cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
New nutrient management strategies aim to enhance fertilizer use efficiency in rice ecologies beyond what can be achieved by following blanket nutrient management recommendations formulated for small regions with similar climates. The emphasis is on moving to real-time and site-specific nutrient management. This chapter reviews these nutrient management strategies for rice production. We evaluate non-invasive optical methods for working out the nitrogen (N) needs of crops which are already in the field. We then consider controlled-release N fertilizers and urease and nitrification inhibitors to curb losses of applied N from the soil–plant system. Finally, we review deep placement of N fertilizers and integrated nutrient management of organic nutrient sources and mineral fertilizers.
Loth S. Mulungu, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania
Control of rodent pests in maize cultivation: the case of Africa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Rodents cause significant damage to maize at sowing, seedling and maturity stages . The major rodent pest species of maize in Africa are Mastomys and Arvicanthis spp. Rodent management programmes in this continent have been reactive but have not considered the population ecology of the target species. The strategies used to manage rodents are probably most suited to managing low-density rodent populations and are selected to solve localized rodent problems in certain areas. Therefore, rodent management programmes should aim to reduce the damage to maize by applying a range of available control methods and must focus on ecological rodent management strategies.
George Mahuku, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Tanzania and P. Lava Kumar, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria
Rapid response to disease outbreaks in maize cultivation: the case of maize lethal necrosis
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Emerging plant diseases (EPDs) can cause significant losses of revenue due to decreased production and the high costs of controlling epidemics. Effective control of EPDs relies on rapid detection, accurate diagnosis, timely deployment of preventive responses and containment to prevent geographic expansion. The efficiency and success of this approach depends on intricate networking and collaboration among all stakeholders, including intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and specialized agencies in developed and developing countries. Such cooperation also prevents the duplication of efforts and improves the use of scarce financial resources. This chapter provides insights into recent biotic threats to maize productivity and the factors driving EPDs of maize. It then highlights the requirements for a coordinated system to respond rapidly to new disease outbreaks to avert potentially disastrous consequences. The recent emergence of maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in East Africa is used as a case study.
Prof. Z. Li
Breeding green super rice (GSR) varieties for sustainable rice cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Improving low rice productivity in rainfed areas of Asia and Africa and sustaining rice productivity in irrigated rice lands are challenges in the coming decades for the global rice research community. Green Super Rice (GSR), rice cultivars that can produce high and stable yields under less input, is a concept proposed to meet the challenge. This chapter outlines how GSR would signal a major shift in breeding objectives from yield improvement to high yield potential plus resilience to environmental disturbances. The chapter describes a GSR breeding strategy that integrates strong phenotypic selection in a modified backcross breeding procedure with high-efficient Quantitative/Qualitative Trait Locus network discovery by selective introgression and DNA markers, followed by high-efficient development of GSR varieties by designed QTL pyramiding (DQP) and molecular recurrent selection (MRS). The chapter makes the case that adoption of this breeding strategy will help achieve sustainable rice production and food security.
Amare Ayalew and Martin Kimanya, Partnership for Afl atoxin Control in Africa, Ethiopia; Limbikani Matumba, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi; Ranajit Bandyopadhayay and Abebe Menkir, International Institute of Tropical Agri
Controlling aflatoxins in maize in Africa: strategies, challenges and opportunities for improvement
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Maize is subject to pre- and post-harvest contamination with aflatoxins, which are acutely toxic, immunosuppressive, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic compounds. This chapter describes in detail the current strategies employed for aflatoxin control and the challenges associated with them, including pre- and post-harvest methods of control and prevention. The chapter also addresses the detoxification of aflatoxin-affected maize and the role of policy and raising public awareness in controlling aflatoxins, as well as suggesting lines of future research in this area.
Conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification of maize and other cereal systems: the case of Latin America
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Latin American agriculture faces many challenges, including extensive soil degradation and the prospect of increasing rainfall variability due to climate change. Conservation agriculture offers a way of responding to these challenges through improved management practices to prevent further soil degradation, improve the resilience of the system through increased soil organic matter and improve the efficiency of water and nutrient use. In this chapter, we review the need to move towards more sustainable soil management practices, and the long-term projects CIMMYT is using to research and develop such management practices. We consider the effects of conservation agriculture on physical, chemical and biological soil quality and on productivity, and then discuss how conservation agriculture can minimize greenhouse gas emissions while also making farms more resilient in the face of a changing climate. Finally, we discuss the implementation of conservation agriculture in Latin America.
Sukanta K. Sarangi and Buddheswar Maji, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, India
Sustainable rice cultivation in coastal saline soils: a case study
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter describes the development of stress-tolerant rice varieties and management practices for their cultivation. The chapter offers a detailed account of sustainable rice cultivation practices including leaching of salts from the root zone, nutrient management for saline/acid saline soils, measures to reduce weeds, the use of mulching and cover crops, and measures for flood affected areas.
Mr Abeya Temesgen
Intercropping in sustainable maize cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
As the level of productivity in sub-Saharan cropping increases, driven by technology adoption, the question whether intercropping should still be promoted over sole cropping is not clear. In this chapter, we review the existing evidence on systems productivity, resource capture and use efficiency, between intercrops and sole crops for maize–legume-dominated cropping systems. Findings indicate that system productivity in intercropping systems is more resource-use efficient and productive particularly in low-yielding environments and production systems, that is, under dryer and inadequate crop nutrition. As the level of resource availability increases, the differences between intercropping and sole cropping are reduced, though still intercropping presents advantages over sole cropping in some of the analysed cases.
Daniel Rodriguez, Caspar Roxburgh, Claire Farnsworth, Ariel Ferrante, Joseph Eyre, Stuart Irvine-Brown, James McLean, Martin Bielich, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Australia
Climate risk management in maize cropping systems
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Climate variability affects the lives and livelihoods of farmers in many diverse ways, directly it affects farmers levels of food security, income and poverty; indirectly it affects farmers’ behaviours and decisions, as well as prices and markets. On the one hand climate variability it presents farmers with risks and challenges; however during the better than average seasons it also offers opportunities for intensification and higher profits, particularly if seasonal conditions would be able to be somehow informed or predicted. Supporting farmers to identify and manage risks and opportunities has been the focus of farming systems research over decades. This requires the convergence of an improved understanding of the functioning of the climate-soil-crop system’s and it’s predictability, together with practice relevance i.e. farmers’ needs and production of actionable information. In this chapter we present a trans-disciplinary analysis based on our up to date understanding of the biophysical, behavioural and socio-economic factors driving the alternative decisions and performance of rainfed maize based cropping systems both in high income large scale - commercial, and low income smallholder - subsistence farming.
William D. Hutchison and Theresa M. Cira , University of Minnesota, USA
Economically important insect pests of maize
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Maize yields in most sub-Saharan African countries remain low, at 0.5 to 1.0 ton/ha. While some of this yield disparity can be attributed to the use of open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), much of the yield reduction is a result of numerous economically damaging insect pests. This chapter describes the main below- and above-ground pests of maize, as well as pests of stored maize products, and includes a detailed case study of management of the life cycle of the European corn borer in the United States. The chapter assesses potential future directions for research in this area and provides detailed guidance on where to find further information on the topic.
Wade E. Thomason, Bee Khim Chim and Mark S. Reiter, Virginia Tech University, USA
Zero-tillage cultivation of maize
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Zero-till cultivation of maize (Zea mays L.) is a relatively widely used production system whereby the only soil disturbance occurs with the seeding operation. The system aims to reduce erosion, improve soil physical attributes, decrease costs, and improve long-term sustainability of maize cultivation. However, positive impacts from zero-till maize cultivation do not always occur and it is important to understand which factors favour this system and which do not. This chapter will also discuss suggestions for best management of zero-till maize systems.
Tadele Tefera, International Center of Insect Physiology & Ecology (ICIPE), Ethiopia
Advances in maize post-harvest management
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
One of the key constraints to improving food and nutritional security in the developing world is poor post-harvest management, which leads to loss of grains. Improved post-harvest management at farm level is crucial, as it directly impacts on poverty alleviation, food, nutrition and income security, and prosperity for smallholder farmers. This chapter begins with an overview of post-harvest losses in maize, reviewing the prevalence and significance of the problem, as well as the types and causes of losses. It then considers the biological and socio-economic causes of post-harvest losses. Finally, we offer a discussion of how post-harvest losses can be avoided through technological interventions
Vasileios P. Vasileiadis and Maurizio Sattin, National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Agro-Environmental and Forest Biology, Italy; and Per Kudsk, Aarhus University, Denmark
Weed management of maize grown under temperate conditions: the case of Europe and the United States
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter reviews the impact of weeds on maize grown under temperate conditions, with a particular focus on the situation in the United States and Europe. It discusses current weed management systems and the herbicide resistance issues that have developed through the continuous use of herbicides. Integrated weed management techniques are recommended for achieving more sustainable maize production.
Louis Longchamps, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada; and Raj Khosla, Colorado State University, USA
Precision maize cultivation techniques
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Information and communication technologies are transforming the way maize is cultivated around the world by providing farmers with a suite of novel tools and techniques for improving crop production, enhancing input use efficiency and increasing profitability while achieving environmental sustainability. This chapter provides an overview of the current state of precision maize cultivation techniques at different stages of maize cultivation. A section on pre-planting assesses current knowledge on the spatial variability of soil properties and how it influences precision maize cultivation techniques. Subsequent sections address planting and the current state of variable-rate seeding, nutrition and various approaches for site-specific fertilizer management, irrigation and the current knowledge of precision irrigation, different aspects of precision pest control and weed management, the opportunities enabled by digital yield maps and big data management, and finally economic aspects and future prospects for precision maize cultivation.
Alam Sher
Modelling crop growth and grain yield in maize cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Drought stress, often accompanied by heat stress, is a major problem for maize cultivation, and these stresses are projected to occur more frequently and to be more severe because of global climate change. It is therefore essential to predict likely drought impacts on maize production, which largely relies on robust crop models. This chapter reviews the principles and development of existing crop models, and examines their scope in predicting the impacts of drought and heat stress under climate change. The emerging challenge for crop modelling is to improve the model’s ability to predict drought or/and heat stress impacts on the determination of kernel number and thus final grain yield in maize cultivation.
Cheryl Doss, Oxford University, UK
Women and maize cultivation: increasing productivity through gender analysis
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Gender analysis is essential in guiding the design and focus of research to ensure that women participate in and benefit from growth in the maize sector. This chapter begins by situating farmers within households and discussing why the conceptualization of households matters for agricultural research. The following section analyses the ways in which gender impacts agricultural production systems, including access to resources and decisions about inputs. The next three sections offer a detailed analysis of the impact of gender on three vital aspects of maize production: labour, processing and storage and varietal choice. The preferences of women as urban consumers are also considered. Finally, a brief discussion of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index highlights one tool for monitoring the impact of research and agricultural change on women’s empowerment.
Kaushik Majumdar, International Plant Nutrition Institute – South Asia, India; Shamie Zingore, International Plant Nutrition Institute – Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya; Fernando García and Adrian Correndo, International Plant Nutrition Institute – Latin
Improving nutrient management for sustainable intensification of maize
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Maize is an important crop worldwide for its role in ensuring food security, alleviating poverty and increasing farmer income. Maize production in the world is higher than rice and wheat because of its multiple demands for human food, animal feed, bio-fuel and from other industries using it as raw material. The unprecedented increase in area cultivated under maize has raised concern about the sustainability of maize production systems. High and sustainable production of maize requires appropriate nutrient management. This chapter explores the challenges of maize nutrient management in different geographies spanning Asia, Africa and Latin America. Through case studies, the chapter outlines improved nutrient management strategies for sustainable maize production in these diverse maize production ecologies. Future research needs to strengthen sustainable maize production were also highlighted.
Alpha Kamara , International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria
Good agricultural practices for maize cultivation: the case of West Africa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Maize is the most important staple food crop for over 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa but poor management practices and problems related to climate and soil quality mean that yields regularly fall below what is needed to feed the population. This chapter describes the effect of poor soil fertility, drought and weeds (especially Striga hermonthica) on maize yields. It then puts forward evidence-based strategies for mitigating these constraints, including nutrient management through the use of fertilizers on maize yields and approaches to weed management such as genetic engineering of tolerant and resistant maize varieties. Finally, the chapter examines ways of dealing with the challenge of drought, including improved irrigation and genetic engineering of drought-resistant maize varieties.
