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Throughout history, humankind has pursued means to improve the yield of crop plants through selective plant breeding and hybridization. Today, genetic manipulation provides a powerful tool for directing plant breeding. But how is genetic manipulation implemented? What benefits can it offer? And what are the broader issues surrounding the use of this technology?
The second edition of Plant Biotechnology: the genetic manipulation of plants presents a balanced, objective exploration of the technology behind genetic manipulation, and the application of this technology to the growth and cultivation of plants. The book describes the techniques underpinning genetic manipulation in a clear, lucid manner, and makes extensive use of case studies to illustrate how this influential tool is used in practice. Key themes and strategies are developed using appropriate case studies, which place the science behind plant biotechnology in its broader agricultural context.
1. The organisation and expression of plant genes; 2. Plant tissue culture; 3. Techniques for plant transformation; 4. Vectors for plant transformation; 5. The genetic manipulation of herbicide tolerance; 6. The genetic manipulation of pest resistance; 7. Plant disease resistance; 8. Reducing the effects of viral diseases; 9. Strategies for stress tolerance; 10. The improvement of crop yield and quality; 11. Molecular farming/'pharming'; 12. Science and society: the public acceptance of GM crops; 13. Beyond GM crops
This volume is a well-written textbook, and hence a learning and teaching aid, rather than an academic treatise...The book contains an excellent selection of case studies, it is clearly written with many figures, line diagrams etc ... buy a copy and enjoy reading the real facts. Book Reviews 2004. "Quite simply this is a superb book and a valuable resource for all those with an interest in the genetic modification of plants, either as students of the science or potential consumers of the produce...and I defy anyone not to be drawn to the one [case study] on the development of the flatulence-free baked bean! In short a great book, well worth the money." Microbiology Today, Vol.31 February 2004, p45.
