Practical Statistics and Experimental Design for Plant and Crop Science

Comprehensive and thorough development of both probability and statistics for serious computer scientists; goal-oriented: «to present the mathematical analysis underlying probability results» Special emphases on simulation and discrete decision theory Mathematically-rich, but self-contained text, at a gentle pace Review of calculus and linear algebra in an appendix Mathematical interludes (in each chapter) which examine mathematical techniques in the context of probabilistic or statistical importance Numerous section exercises, summaries, historical notes, and Further Readings for reinforcement of content

Durable commodities are the raw products from which food can be made and are the staples on which most humans rely; with but a few exceptions they are the seeds of plants. Volume 1 of this ground-breaking book series (details below) explains how crops should be dried, handled, protected from pests and stored by smaller holders or large-scale enterprises. This second volume presents a series of case studies on how durable crops are actually stored and marketed. The compilation of this three-volume work has been supported and is endorsed by the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Greenwich, U.K. The editors of this comprehensive and thorough book are well known and respected in the world of post-harvest science and technology. They have drawn together 36 expert contributors from Europe, North America, Asia, Australasia, South America and Africa to provide a huge wealth of information on major world crops including rice, maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, beans, cowpea, oilseeds, peanuts, copra, coffee, cocoa, dried fruit and nuts, and dried fish. Crop Post Harvest, Volume 2 is an essential purchase for cereal technologists, food scientists and technologists, agricultural scientists, entomologists, post-harvest crop protection specialists and consultants, commercial growers, shippers and warehousing operatives, and personnel of packaging companies. Researchers and upper-level students in food science, food technology, post-harvest science and technology, crop protection, applied biology, and plant and agricultural sciences will find a huge amount of great use within this landmark publication and the three-volume series as a whole. All libraries in research establishments and universities where these subjects are studied and taught should have several copies of each on their shelves.

World-wide losses of crops, post-harvest, through microbial action, pests, diseases and other types of spoilage amount to millions of tons every year. This essential handbook is the first in a three-volume series which covers all factors affecting post-harvest quality of all major fruits, vegetables, cereals and other crops. Compiled by members of the world-renowned Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich, Chatham, UK, the comprehensive contents of this landmark publication encourage interactions between each sector of the agricultural community in order to improve food security, food safety and food quality in today’s global atmosphere. Through the carefully compiled and edited chapters, internationally respected authors discuss ways to improve harvest yield and quality, drawing on their many years’ practical experience and the latest research findings, applications and methodologies. Subjects covered include: an introduction to the systems used in post-harvest agricultural processes, physical and biological factors affecting post-harvest commodities, storage issues, pest management, food processing and preservation, food systems, the latest research and assimilation of this work, and current trade and international agreements. An invaluable glossary showing important pests, pathogens and plants is also included. Crop Post-Harvest: Science and Technology Volume 1: Principles and Practice is a must-have reference book which offers the reader an overview of the globalisation of post-harvest science, technology, economics, and the development of the storage and handling of perishable and durable products. Volumes 2 and 3 will go on to explore durables and perishables individually in more detail, with many case studies taken from around the globe. This 3-volume work is the standard handbook and reference for all professionals involved in the harvesting, shipping, storage and processing of crops, including agricultural and plant scientists, food scientists and technologists, microbiologists, plant pathologists, entomologists and all post harvest, shipping and storage consultants. Libraries in all universities and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught should have multiple copies on their shelves

Evidence grows daily of the changing climate and its impact on plants and animals. Plant function is inextricably linked to climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. On the shortest and smallest scales, the climate affects the plant’s immediate environment and so directly influences physiological processes. At larger scales, the climate influences species distribution and community composition, as well as the viability of different crops in managed ecosystems. Plant growth also influences the local, regional and global climate, through the exchanges of energy and gases between the plants and the air around them. Plant Growth and Climate Change examines the major aspects of how anthropogenic climate change affects plants, focusing on several key determinants of plant growth: atmospheric CO2, temperature, water availability and the interactions between these factors. The book demonstrates the variety of techniques used across plant science: detailed physiology in controlled environments; observational studies based on long-term data sets; field manipulation experiments and modelling. It is directed at advanced-level university students, researchers and professionals across the range of plant science disciplines, including plant physiology, plant ecology and crop science. It will also be of interest to earth system scientists.

Living organisms are subject to fluctuating environmental conditions. Whereas most animals are able to move away from unfavourable conditions, plants are sessile and so must cope with whatever comes their way. Of all the environmental cues that challenge the developing plant, light can probably be considered to be the most important. In addition to its key role in plant metabolism, and hence almost all life on Earth, where it drives the process of photosynthesis, light energy also acts to regulate plant growth and development. Light quantity, quality, direction and diurnal and seasonal duration regulate processes from germination, through seedling establishment to the architecture of the mature plant and the transition to reproductive development. These developmental responses of plants to light constitute photomorphogenesis. This volume is designed to provide the reader with state-of-the-art accounts of our current knowledge of the major classes of higher plant regulatory photoreceptors and the signal transduction networks that comprise plant developmental photobiology. Consideration is also given to the ways in which knowledge of plant photoreceptors and their signalling networks can be exploited, for instance to improve the quality and productivity of commercially-grown plants. The book is directed at researchers and professionals working in plant molecular biology, plant physiology and plant biochemistry.

In recent years, nanocomposites have captured and held the attention and imagination of scientists and engineers alike. Based on the simple premise that by using a wide range of building blocks with dimensions in the nanosize region, it is possible to design and create new materials with unprecedented flexibility and improvements in their physical properties. This book contains the essence of this emerging technology, the underlying science and motivation behind the design of these structures and the future, particularly from the perspective of applications. It is intended to be a reference handbook for future scientists and hence carries the basic science and the fundamental engineering principles that lead to the fabrication and property evaluation of nanocomposite materials in different areas of materials science and technology.

Plants are subjected to a variety of abiotic stresses such as drought, temperature, salinity, air pollution, heavy metals, UV radiations, etc. To survive under these harsh conditions plants are equipped with different resistance mechanisms which vary from species to species. Due to the environmental fluctuations agricultural and horticultural crops are often exposed to different environmental stresses leading to decreased yield and problems in the growth and development of the crops. Drought stress has been found to decrease the yield to an alarming rate of some important crops throughout the globe. During last few decades, lots of physiological and molecular works have been conducted under water stress in crop plants. Water Stress and Crop Plants: A Sustainable Approach presents an up-to-date in-depth coverage of drought and flooding stress in plants, including the types, causes and consequences on plant growth and development. It discusses the physiobiochemical, molecular and omic approaches, and responses of crop plants towards water stress. Topics include nutritional stress, oxidative stress, hormonal regulation, transgenic approaches, mitigation of water stress, approaches to sustainability, and modern tools and techniques to alleviate the water stress on crop yields. This practical book offers pragmatic guidance for scientists and researchers in plant biology, and agribusinesses and biotechnology companies dealing with agronomy and environment, to mitigate the negative effects of stress and improve yield under stress. The broad coverage also makes this a valuable guide enabling students to understand the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of environmental stress in plants.

This book provides an overview of the science and technology of chocolate manufacture from cocoa production, through the manufacturing processes, to the sensory, nutrition and health aspects of chocolate consumption. It covers cocoa cultivation and production with special attention paid to cocoa bean composition, genotypic variations in the bean, post-harvest pre-treatments, fermentation and drying processes, and the biochemical basis of these operations. The scientific principles behind industrial chocolate manufacture are outlined with detailed explanations of the various stages of chocolate manufacturing including mixing, refining, conching and tempering. Other topics covered include the chemistry of flavour formation and development during cocoa processing and chocolate manufacture; volatile flavour compounds and their characteristics and identification; sensory descriptions and character; and flavour release and perception in chocolate. The nutritional and health benefits of cocoa and chocolate consumption are also addressed. There is a focus throughout on those factors that influence the flavour and quality characteristics of the finished chocolate and that provide scope for process optimization and improvement. The book is designed to be a desk reference for all those engaged in the business of making and using chocolate worldwide; confectionery and chocolate scientists in industry and academia; students and practising food scientists and technologists; nutritionists and other health professionals; and libraries of institutions where food science is studied and researched. an overview of the science behind chocolate manufacture covers the whole process from cocoa production, through manufacturing, to the nutrition and health aspects of chocolate consumption focuses on factors that influence chocolate flavour and quality, and that provide scope for process optimization and improvement.

Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 17 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.

Bioelectrochemistry: Fundamentals, Experimental Techniques and Application, covers the fundamental aspects of the chemistry, physics and biology which underlie this subject area. It describes some of the different experimental techniques that can be used to study bioelectrochemical problems and it describes various applications of biolelectrochemisty including amperometric biosensors, immunoassays, electrochemistry of DNA, biofuel cells, whole cell biosensors, in vivo applications and bioelectrosynthesis. By bringing together these different aspects, this work provides a unique source of information in this area, approaching the subject from a cross-disciplinary viewpoint.