Precision in Crop Farming

Sample

Donald Pigott

"Lime trees (Tilia spp.) are widely distributed and locally important members of northern temperate broad-leaved forests. In marked contrast to the largely uniform morphology of the genus its taxonomic treatment has become increasingly confused and controversial, with over one hundred species and numerous subspecies described. Using extensive data from field studies of natural populations around the world, this book clarifies the situation, proposing a revised taxonomy of 23 species and 14 subspecies. Detailed descriptions are provided for all recognised taxa and are accompanied by illustrations. Data from herbaria and cultivated trees are used to extend the analyses where appropriate and type specimens are included to stabilise nomenclature. Lime tree ecology is also considered, with an exploration of experimental and analytical data on regeneration, growth and reproduction in relation to climate and soils. Additional material includes a glossary of botanical terms and appendices of herbarium codes and relevant physical concepts"-- "Tilia is the type genus of the family name Tiliaceae Juss. (1789), and T. x europaea L. the type of the generic name (Jarvis et al. 1993). Members of Tiliaceae have many morphological characters in common with those of Malvaceae Juss. (1789) and both families were placed in the order Malvales by Engler (1912). In Engler's treatment, Tiliaceae consisted mainly of trees and shrubs belonging to several genera, including a few herbaceous genera, almost all occurring in the warmer regions. This treatment was revised by Engler and Diels (1936). The family was retained by Cronquist (1981) and consisted of about 50 genera and 700 species distributed in the tropics and warmer parts of the temperate zones in Asia, Africa, southern Europe and America. Several genera of trees, such as Apeiba in South America and Tilia itself, are of economic value for timber, and similarly the herbaceous genus, Corchorus, includes C. olitorius which is grown extensively in Bengal as the source of a brown fibre, jute, used for string, cloth ('hessian'), formerly carpet-backing and paper"--

Sample

Robert Verpoorte, A. W. Alfermann

Plant secondary metabolism is an economically important source of fine chemicals, such as drugs, insecticides, dyes, flavours, and fragrances. Moreover, important traits of plants such as taste, flavour, smell, colour, or resistance against pests and diseases are also related to secondary metabolites. The genetic modification of plants is feasible nowadays. What does the possibility of engineering plant secondary metabolite pathways mean? In this book, firstly a general introduction is given on plant secondary metabolism, followed by an overview of the possible approaches that could be used to alter secondary metabolite pathways. In a series of chapters from various authorities in the field, an overview is given of the state of the art for important groups of secondary metabolites. No books have been published on this topic so far. This book will thus be a unique source of information for all those involved with plants as chemical factories of fine chemicals and those involved with the quality of food and ornamental plants. It will be useful in teaching graduate courses in the field of metabolic engineering in plants.

Sample

Jürgen K. Mai, George Paxinos

The previous two editions of the Human Nervous System have been the standard reference for the anatomy of the central and peripheral nervous system of the human. The work has attracted nearly 2000 citations, demonstrating that it has a major influence in the field of neuroscience. The third edition is a complete and updated revision, with new chapters covering genes and anatomy, gene expression studies, and glia cells. The book continues to be an excellent companion to the Atlas of the Human Brain, and a common nomenclature throughout the book is enforced. Physiological data, functional concepts, and correlates to the neuroanatomy of the major model systems (rat and mouse) as well as brain function round out the new edition. *Adopts standard nomenclature following the new scheme by Paxinos, Watson, and Puelles and aligned with the Mai et al. Atlas of the Human Brain (new edition in 2007) * Full color throughout with many new and significantly enhanced illustrations * Provides essential reference information for users in conjunction with brain atlases for the identification of brain structures, the connectivity between different areas, and to evaluate data collected in anatomical, physiological, pharmacological, behavioural, and imaging studies.

Sample

Horst Rauchfuss, Terence N. Mitchell

"Up to now, we do not have a generally accepted theory about the origin of life and about the process of development of life, we only have a great number of - to some extent even contradictory - hypotheses. Meanwhile there came up some scientific findings beyond thought only a few years ago. Horst Rauchfuss is comparing the different theories from the view of the latest results and is giving an exciting and easy understandable insight into the present state of research."--BOOK JACKET.