Plant Architecture and its Manipulation

About this book

Conventionally, architecture relates to buildings, embracing both art and science, and specifying both form and function. In scope, this closely matches the study of plant architecture. From an artistic perspective, we might marvel at the astonishing diversity of aesthetically pleasing plant structures, yet as scientists we know that, through natural selection, very little of form is dissociated from function.

The origins of studies of plant architecture and their influences on human existence are steeped in history, but, from a twenty-first century perspective, the field has been transformed from a discipline of observation and description into one in which complex networks of genetic, chemical and environmental factors can be directly manipulated and modelled. Arguably, manipulation of plant architecture has been one of the greatest mainstays of plant improvement - perhaps second only to the discoveries of the nutritional requirements of plants. With the advent of the `gene revolution', there are countless new opportunities for selective modification of plant architecture.

This book provides a broad coverage of our current understanding of plant architecture and its manipulation, ranging from the architecture of the individual cell to that of the whole plant. It is directed at researchers and professionals in plant physiology, developmental biology, molecular biology, genetics and biotechnology.

Contents

1. Cellular architecture - regulation of cell size, cell shape, and organ initiation Andrew Fleming, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK 2. Leaf architecture - regulation of leaf position, shape, and internal structure Julie Kang and Nancy G. Dengler, Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Canada 3. Shoot architecture I - regulation of stem length John J. Ross, James B. Reid, James L. Weller and Gregory M. Symons, School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia 4. Shoot architecture II - control of branching Colin G. N. Turnbull, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Imperial College London, Wye Campus, UK 5. Floral architecture - regulation and diversity of floral shape and pattern Elena M. Kramer, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA 6. Inflorescence architecture Anuj M. Bhatt, Department of Plant Science, University of Oxford, UK 7. Root architecture J. Lopez-Bucio, A. Cruz-Ramirez, A. Perez-Torres, J. G. Ramirez-Pimentel, L. Sanchez- Calderon and L. Herrera-Estrella, Departamento de Ingenieria Genetica, Centro de Investigacion y Estudios Avanzados, Guanajuato, Mexico 8. Woody tree architecture Frank Sterck, Silviculture and Forest Ecology Group, Department of Environmental Science, University of Wageningen and Research Center, Netherlands 9. Plant architecture modelling - virtual plants and complex systems Christophe Godin, INRIA, Montpellier, France and Evelyne Costes and H. Sinoquet, INRA, Montpellier, France 10. Applications of plant architecture Nick Battey, School of Plant Sciences, University of Reading, UK References Index

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