© 2019 • 232 pages, illustrated (37 color and 7 B&W), index
Hardcover • $75.00 • ISBN 978-1-621823-12-4

Agriculture plays a vital role supporting human life on Earth but faces significant challenges to feed the growing population.

Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology examines the molecular bases of plant traits and addresses how this knowledge can be used to develop crops that are resilient to a changing environment. The contributors review recent advances in our understanding of plant plasticity, circadian rhythms, stomatal development, inflorescence architecture, symbiotic phosphate acquisition, and specialized plant metabolism and discuss how this knowledge might be used to boost yields, improve tolerance to pathogens and environmental stress, and enhance nutritional content. The book also discusses the development and socioeconomic impact of deployment of genetically improved submergence-tolerant rice. The generation of blight-resistant American chestnut trees—the first bioengineered plant developed with the goal of ecological restoration—is also described. This volume is therefore an essential read for all plant biologists, geneticists, and engineers interested in addressing agricultural and environmental challenges.

Preface

Developing Blight-Tolerant American Chestnut Trees

William A. Powell, Andrew E. Newhouse, and Vernon Coffey

Engineering Disease-Resistant Cassava

Z.J. Daniel Lin, Nigel J. Taylor, and Rebecca Bart

Mechanisms and Impact of Symbiotic Phosphate Acquisition

Chai Hao Chiu and Uta Paszkowski

BT Brinjal in Bangladesh: The First Genetically Engineered Food Crop in a Developing Country

Anthony M. Shelton, Md. J. Hossain, Vijay Paranjape, Md. Z.H. Prodhan, Abul K. Azad, Rituparna Majumder, Sayed H. Sarwer, and Md. A. Hossain

Circadian Rhythms in Plants

Nicky Creux and Stacey Harmer

The Sweet Side of Plant-Specialized Metabolism

Thomas Louveau and Anne Osbourn

Plant Inflorescence Architecture: The Formation, Activity, and Fate of Axillary Meristems

Yang Zhu and Doris Wagner

Many Facets of Dynamic Plasticity in Plants

Xiaodong Yang and Sally A. Mackenzie

Sub1 Rice: Engineering Rice for Climate Change

Kyle Emerick and Pamela C. Ronald

The Role of Dwarfing Traits in Historical and Modern Agriculture with a Focus on Rice

Ángel Ferrero-Serrano, Christian Cantos, and Sarah M. Assmann

Stomatal Development and Perspectives toward Agricultural Improvement

Hitoshi Endo and Keiko U. Torii

How do Strigolactones Ameliorate Nutrient Deficiencies in Plants?

Kaori Yoneyama

Index