Plant Biotechnology and Agriculture

As the oldest and largest human intervention in nature, the science of agriculture is one of the most intensely studied practices. From manipulation of plant gene structure to the use of plants for bioenergy, biotechnology interventions in plant and agricultural science have been rapidly developing over the past ten years with immense forward leaps on an annual basis.

This book begins by laying the foundations for plant biotechnology by outlining the biological aspects including gene structure and expression, and the basic procedures in plant biotechnology of genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. It then focuses on a discussion of the impacts of biotechnology on plant breeding technologies and germplasm sustainability. The role of biotechnology in the improvement of agricultural traits, production of industrial products and pharmaceuticals as well as biomaterials and biomass provide a historical perspective and a look to the future. Sections addressing intellectual property rights and sociological and food safety issues round out the holistic discussion of this important topic.

Preface

1. Introduction: The scope of plant biotechnology and its impact on agriculture
2. Introduction to basic procedures in plant biotechnology
3. Breeding biotechnologies
4. Plant germplasm
5. Controlling plant response to the environment: Abiotic stress
6. Controlling plant response to the environment: Biotic stress
7. Biotechnological improvement of yield and quality traits
8. Plants as factories for industrial products, pharmaceuticals and biomaterials
9. Plants and crop residues for bioenergy
10. Commercial, legal and public aspects
11. Prospects, limitations and sociological considerations of agricultural plant biotechnologies
12. Concluding remarks

Appendices

Index