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This work is the first compilation of comprehensive deliberations on botany, cytogenetics and sex determination, genetic resources and diversity, classical breeding, molecular markers and genome sequence resources, and application of omics technology including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics resources in the multipurpose medicinal plant seabuckthorn. The book also presents a detailed narrative on antioxidative, radioprotective nutraceutical, and medicinal applications of seabuckthorn products. A detailed treatment has been included on analytical techniques and processing technologies. Altogether, the book contains about 300 pages over 17 chapters contributed by globally reputed experts on the relevant field in this important plant species. This book will be useful to the research students, teachers, and scientists in the academia and private sector engaged in horticulture, genetics, breeding, molecular biology, biotechnology, and breeding. The book will also be a useful source for workers involved in the development of plant-based medicines, nutraceuticals, therapeutics, and cosmeceuticals and extension workers involved in the development of rural farmers and small-scale industries.

The earth's biodiversity is a degree of ecosystem health which is vital to ecology and environmental sustainability. The microbial world is the largest unexplored reservoir. The agro-ecosystem enriched with rhizosphere implicit abundant and species-rich component of microbial diversity. Its global exploration designs a worldwide framework for agricultural sustainability adjoining benefits in its conservation.Agricultural sustainability requires a major share from ecosystem management which is better paid by microbial diversity and conservation. Diversity of bacteria influences plant productivity providing nutrient convenience from soil instead altering per se community and diversity in the rhizosphere where they may influence mechanistic competent and antagonistic micro-flora. The potential species among the diversity are therefore, essential subjective to their maintenance for use around the globe. Microbial population in agro-ecosystem is influenced by stresses, reduce functionality as a component. It is therefore, important to explore secrets of planned strategy so as to unravel the microbial diversity and conservation in agricultural development. Microorganisms are minute, pervasive in nature and alleged as disease host instead tiny recognize as employee of agro-ecosystem, indulge in agricultural development and potential contributor in world of ecological and economical wealth creation. This step pertinently would help to launch scientific motivation needed to support the refrain of microbial diversity and conservation.

With one volume each year, this series keeps scientists and advanced students informed of the latest developments and results in all areas of the plant sciences.The present volume includes reviews on genetics, cell biology, physiology, comparative morphology, systematics, ecology and vegetation science

Plants collaborate with many micro-organisms in the rhizosphere to form mutualistic associations. One of the best examples is the mycorrhizal symbio­ sis between plants and fungi. Here, fungi support plants with mineral nutri­ ents and other services and the fungi, in turn, receive photosynthates from the autotrophic plants. Mycorrhizal associations are common in almost all eco­ systems and 80% of all land plants associate with these mutualistic soil fungi. There is an increasing awareness among biologists, ecologists and mycolo­ gists that mycorrhizal associations need to be considered in order to under­ stand the ecology and evolution of plants, plant communities and ecosystems. In the last decade, many advances and breakthroughs have been made in mycorrhizal ecology. We aim to summarise these advances in this Volume, with special emphasis given to the ecological function of the mycorrhizal symbiosis. This Volume is divided into six sections. The first section gives an intro­ duction to the mycorrhizal symbiosis and discusses the progress that has been made in understanding the ecological function of this association. The second section deals with the eco-physiology of mycorrhizal plants. It also covers the influence of global changes on the symbiosis. The third section dis­ cusses the influences of mycorrhizal fungi on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. It also discusses factors that influence the diversity and structure of mycorrhizal fungal communities. The fourth section shows the multi­ trophic nature of the mycorrhizal symbiosis.

Research on decomposer communities of terrestrial ecosystems for a long time has focussed on microbial biomass and gross turnover parameters. Recently, more and more attempts are made to look beyond the biomass, and more specifically determine functions and populations on a smaller scale-in time and space. A multitude of techniques is being improved and developed. Garland and Mills (1991) triggered a series of publications on substrate utilization tests in the field of microbial ecology. Despite several promising results for different applications in different laboratories, many problems concerning the assay and the interpretation of results became evident. After individual discussions on the approach with colleagues from various laboratories we started to plan a workshop on the matter. The response on our first circular was extraordinary, and instead of a small workshop it became a meeting with almost 150 participants. The meeting was named'Substrate use for characterization of microbial communities in terrestrial ecosystems'(SUBMECO) and was held in Innsbruck, Austria, from Oct. 16-18, 1996. The very focussed scope attracted enthusiastic advocates of the approach, and also serious critics. Some of the topics concerned improvements of current inoculation and incubation techniques, ranging from sample pre-treatment, inoculum density and incubation temperature to statistical data handling. New methods for calculating microbial diversity were proposed, as well as bootstrap methods that allow statistics with many variables on a relatively low number of replicates.

Das Buch gibt einen Einblick in systemische Verknüpfungen, denen der Anbau von gentechnisch veränderten Pflanzen in Deutschland unterliegen würde. Es thematisiert Verknüpfungen, die sich zwischen ökologischen und sozialen Systemzusammenhängen herstellen lassen. Bisherige Betrachtungen widmeten sich dem Thema entweder aus ökologischer Perspektive oder thematisieren (agrar-)politische Zusammenhänge. Das Buch resultiert aus einem Forschungsprojekt, in welchem das BMBF die Erforschung sozialökologischer Wechselwirkungen gefördert hat.

Recently. there has been tremendous progress in the genetic transformation of agricultural crops, and plants resistant to insects, herbicides, and diseases have been produced, field tested and patented. Transgenic Crops I compiles this information on cereals, grasses, legumes, and oilseed crops. It comprises 25 chapters and is divided into two sections: I. Cereals and Grasses: wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum, pearl millet, triticale, Agrostis spp., Cenchrus ciliaris, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca arundinacea, Lolium spp., and sugarcane. II. Legumes and Oilseed Crops: Arachis hypogaea, Brassica juncea, Brassica napus, Cicer arietinum, Glycine max, Gossypium hirsutum, Helianthus annuus, Lens culinaris, Linum usitatissimum, Sinapis alba, Trifolium, and Vicis narbonensis.This book is of special interest to advanced students, teachers, and research workers in the field of plant breeding, genetics, molecular biology, plant tissue culture, and plant biotechnology in general.

Cotton is a multipurpose crop and produces lint, the most important source of fiber used in the textile industry, oil, seed meal, and hulls.Twenty-three chapters on various aspects of in vitro manipulation and other biotechnological approaches to the improvement of cotton are arranged in six sections. Special emphasis is placed on interspecific hybridization, somaclonal variation, transgenic cotton resistant to insects and herbicides, and re-engineering of fiber. This book is of special interest to advanced students, teachers, and research workers in the field of cotton breeding, genetics, tissue culture, molecular biology, and plant biotechnology in general.

Bioaugmentation, biostimulation and biocontrol approaches using microbial inoculants, biofertilizers, biochemicals and organic amendments improve soil biology, fertility and crop productivity by providing plant growth-promoting nutrients and suppressing soil-borne diseases and plant-parasitic nematodes. Our knowledge of microbial diversity and its function in soils has been increased tremendously due to the availability of a wealth of data gained through recent advances in the development of molecular methods and metagenomics for the evaluation of microbial diversity and functions in the rhizosphere environment of soil. Chapters dealing with the application of biofertilizers and organic amendments are contributed by experts – authorities in the area of soil science including microbiology and molecular biology – from academic institutions and the industry.