Seed production - whether for human or animal food, for industrial use or for crops - is heavily dependent on the unique biology of seeds. In the first two instances, we are drawing on the seed constituents - the reserves of carbohydrates, protein and triacylglycerol - while in the last we are reliant on the seeds' viability, vigour and capacity for germination. This volume provides a broad, up-to-date coverage of seed technology and its underlying biology in the light of recent advances in plant molecular biology. Possibilities for biotechnological exploitation are highlighted throughout.
The value of seeds; Seed proteins; Seed carbohydrates; Seed oils and their metabolic engineering; The wheat grain: new research developments and approaches to improvement; Barley biotechnology; Molecular farming using seeds as hosts; Commercial seed treatment technology; Seed priming; Seed substitutes from the laboratory; Keeping seeds alive; References; Index.