Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry
23 primary works • 25 total works
Book 1
Biotechnology has come to a stage where, by replacing some of the age old practices of breeding, it can produce novel and improved plants and animals that can better serve human beings and their purposes. The techniques of cellular and subcellular engineering, such as gene splicing and recombinant DNA, cloning, hybridomas and monoclonal anti bodies, production of human insulin, protein engineering, industrial fermentation, artificial insemination, cryopreservation and ovum trans fer, plant tissue culture and somatic hybridization, nitrogen fixation, phytomass production for biofuels etc have advanced greatly in the past decade, due to the availability of better equipment and the consolida tion of knowledge. Product orientation has removed biotechnology from the area of pure academic interest to one of utility where the final product is a spur to action. Businesses have started pouring money into projects, which has aided greatly in improving equipment, information exchange, and arousing the interest and imagination of the public. The common goal of science, industry and the public opens wide vistas and great hopes for biotechnology. The business of biotechnology addresses itself to issues of factory farming, technology transfer, joint ventures, international cooperation and to specific topics as well as the produc tion of diagnostic kits. Industry is particularly concerned with the phar maceutical field and microbial biotechnology from which profitable return§ can accrue. Commercial interests have led to better management practices and systematisation.
Book 2
Production of food to meet the demands of an ever-increasing human population in the world is the major task and challenge to agriculture today. The conventional methods of plant breeding alone can no longer cope with the situation. The success of any crop improvement program depends on the extent of genetic variability in the base population, but due to denuding of forests and agricultural land, the naturally occurring pool of germplasm is being depleted. An urgent need is therefore ap parent to create new variability and increase the genetic base of agricul tural crops. Agricultural biotechnology has progressed to a stage in the produc tion of plants where specific characteristics to improve their yield, ap pearance, disease-resistance, nutritional quality and adaptation to ad verse soil conditions can be built into the seed. This concept of built-in quality implies a continuous scientific endeavour to improve plant char acters using a wide range of possibilities, and it also implies a scrutiny of the materials and methods available in the world today.
Book 3
Deals with biotechnological approaches incorporated into po- tato improvement progammes. These methods have far-reaching implications for the synthesis of improved, disease- resist- ant and nutritious cultivars of potato.
Book 5
'frees contribute a major part of fuel, fodder and fruit, and are an im of bioenergy. They are now needed in large numbers more portant source than ever before for afforestation and social forestry, so that fast-grow ing and multipurpose trees assume great importance. After extensive in discriminate deforestation and rapid depletion of genetic stocks, efforts are now being made to evolve methods for clonal mass propagation of improved and elite trees. Production of short-duration trees with a rapid turnover of biomass, and induction of genetic variability through in vitro manipulation for the production of novel fruit and forest trees, which are high-yielding and resistant to pests and diseases, and trees which display increased photosynthetic efficiency are in demand. These objectives are well within the realm of horticultural and forest biotech nology. Some of the recent advances, such as the regeneration of com plete trees from isolated protoplasts, somatic hybridization, and the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in various tree species have opened new vistas for the genetic engineering of fruit and forest trees. This book is a continuation of the earlier volume Trees I, and presents 31 chapters on fruit, forest, nut and ornamental trees, such as avocado, pineapple, crabapple, quince, pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, date palm, oil palm, cacao, rubber, maple, sweet-gum, poplars, birches, Chinese tallow, willows, oaks, paper mulberry, rhododendrons, Scots pine, Calabrian pine, Douglas-fir, redwood, ginkgo, cycads and some flowering trees.
Book 6
This volume comprises 31 chapters on biotechnology of various vegetables, fruits, grasses and forage crops and deals with the importance, distribution, conventional propagation, micropropagation, review of the tissue culture work and recent advances in the in-vitro technology. These biotechnological approaches have far-reaching implications for the mass propagation, induction of genetic variability, and the early release of improved cultivars.
Book 8
Plant Protoplasts and Genetic Engineering I
by Professor Dr. Y. P. S. Bajaj
Published 8 December 2011
Isolated protoplasts are a unique tool for genetic manipulation of plants. Since the discovery of a method for the enzymatic isolation of pro-· toplasts by Professor E. C. Cocking in 1960, tremendous progress has been made in this very fascinating area of research. I have witnessed the struggle in the 1960's and early 1970's, when obtaining a clean prepara tion of protoplasts was considered an achievement. I also shared the pioneering excitement and enthusiasm in this field during the 2nd Inter national Congress of Plant Tissue Culture held at Strasbourg in 1970, where Dr. I. Thkebe of Japan presented his work on the induction of division in tobacco protoplasts. This was followed by my participation in three international conferences devoted to plant protoplasts held in 1972 in Salamanca (Spain) and Versailles (France), and then in 1975 in Nottingham (England). The enthusiasm shown by plant scientists at these meetings was ample proof of the bright future of protoplast technology, and it became evident that protoplasts would playa major role in plant biotechnology, especially in genetic engineering. Since then we have never looked back, and now the methods for isolation, fusion, and culture, as well as regeneration of somatic hybrids, have become routine laboratory procedures for most plant species. Currently the focus is on cereal and tree protoplasts. In order to bring about any genetic manipulation through fusion, in corporation of DNA, and transformation, the regeneration of the entire plant through manipulation of protoplasts is a prerequisite.
Book 9
Plant Protoplasts and Genetic Engineering II
by Professor Dr. Y. P. S. Bajaj
Published 29 August 1989
Genetic engineering through DNA recombinants and the in vitro manipulation of isolated protoplasts has recently attracted much atten- tion in agricultural biotechnology, and has greatly advanced during the last 5 years. In an earlier book, Plant Protoplasts and Genetic Engineer- ing I, methods for the isolation, fusion and culture of protoplasts were reviewed and the regeneration of complete plants from isolated pro- toplasts of rice, potato, soybean, linseed, cabbage, chicory, lettuce, but- terbur, orchids, citrus and some other tree species, and interspecific and intergeneric somatic hybrids in Lycopersicon, Petunia, Nicotiana, Solanum, Glycine, Citrus, Brassica, Medicago and Trifolium spp. were discussed. The present volume, Plant Protoplasts and Genetic Engineering II, deals with some of the newer techniques such as microinjections, elec- trofusion, flow cytometry, uptake and integration of DNA, nuclei, iso- lated chromosomes by plant protoplasts and the subsequent regeneration of transgenic plants.
The literature on the DNA recombinants and genetic transformation, both Agrobacterium-mediated and direct gene transfer in agricultural crops and trees, such as poplars, is reviewed, and the uses of cytoplasts and miniprotoplasts in genetic manipulation are highlighted.
The literature on the DNA recombinants and genetic transformation, both Agrobacterium-mediated and direct gene transfer in agricultural crops and trees, such as poplars, is reviewed, and the uses of cytoplasts and miniprotoplasts in genetic manipulation are highlighted.
Book 10
Legumes and oilseed crops are a rich source of protein and energy. The major objectives in grain-legume breeding are to increase grain yield, protein quantity and quality and digestibility, and to decrease toxic fac- tors, seed hardness and cooking time. Similarly, oilseed crops such as brassicas and peanut share somewhat similar genetic improvement goals, but suffer from susceptibility to a number of pathogens and diseases. In spite of the best efforts through conventional breeding, their yield has been virtually static, with no significant breakthrough. The lack of genetic variability in the base population has been considered to be a major limiting factor for the slow progress made in the improvement of these crops. The desired goals can be achieved by incorporating addi- tional genetic variability in the existing germplasm. The protein and oil contents which are genotypically oriented can be enhanced further by suitable crosses. In this regard, progress made during the last decade, in the area of in vitro manipulation and recombinant DNA technology, holds promise for the improvement of these crops. Among the oilseed crops, Brassica spp.
, soybean and sunflower have been well studied, wherein haploids, somaclones, somatic hybrids, cybrids and transformed plants have been produced. Oilpalm is one of the best examples where micropropagation is being commercially prac- ticed. Regarding legumes, though there is extensive work on forages, such as Medicago and Trifolium, much needs to be done on food legumes.
, soybean and sunflower have been well studied, wherein haploids, somaclones, somatic hybrids, cybrids and transformed plants have been produced. Oilpalm is one of the best examples where micropropagation is being commercially prac- ticed. Regarding legumes, though there is extensive work on forages, such as Medicago and Trifolium, much needs to be done on food legumes.
Book 11
Somaclonal Variation in Crop Improvement I
by Professor Dr. Y. P. S. Bajaj
Published 17 October 1990
Genetic erosions in plant cell cultures, especially in chromosome number and ploidy level, have now been known for over 25 years. Until the mid -1970ssuch changes were consideredundesirable and thereforediscarded because the main emphasis wason clonal propagation and genetic stability of cultures. However, since the publication on somaclonal variation by Larkin and Scowcroft (1981) there has been a renewed interest to utilize these in vitro obtained variations for crop improvement. Studies conduc- ted during the last decade have shown that callus cultures, especially on peridical subculturing over an extended period of time, undergo morpho- logical and genetic changes, i. e. polyploidy, aneuploidy, chromosome breakage, deletions, translocations, gene amplification, inversions, muta- tions, etc. In addition, there are changes at the molecular and biochemical levelsincluding changes in the DNA, enzymes,proteins, etc. Suchchanges are now intentionally induced, and useful variants are selected.
For instance in agricultural crops such as potato, tomato, tobacco, maize, rice and sugarcane, plants showing tolerance to a number of diseases, viruses, herbicides and salinity, have been isolated in cell cultures. Likewise induction of male sterility in rice, and wheat showing various levels of fer- tility and gliadin, have been developed in vitro. These academic excercises open new avenues for plant breeders and pathologists. Another area of tremendous commercial importance in the pharmaceuti- cal industry is the selection of cell lines showing high levels of medicinal and industrial compounds. Already high shikonin containing somaclones in Lithospermum are being used commercially.
For instance in agricultural crops such as potato, tomato, tobacco, maize, rice and sugarcane, plants showing tolerance to a number of diseases, viruses, herbicides and salinity, have been isolated in cell cultures. Likewise induction of male sterility in rice, and wheat showing various levels of fer- tility and gliadin, have been developed in vitro. These academic excercises open new avenues for plant breeders and pathologists. Another area of tremendous commercial importance in the pharmaceuti- cal industry is the selection of cell lines showing high levels of medicinal and industrial compounds. Already high shikonin containing somaclones in Lithospermum are being used commercially.
Book 12
Haploid plants have the gametophytic number of chromosomes. They are of great importance, especially in studies on the induction of muta tions and also for the production of homozygous plants, they are needed in large numbers. The conventional methods employed by plant breeders for their production are cumbersome, time-consuming, laborious and rather inefficient. Sometimes it may take years to produce a pure line. However, with the introduction of in vitro techniques, especially anther culture for the induction of androgenesis, it has become increasingly evi dent that these methods considerably accelerate the production of haploids for plant breeding programs. During the last decade, in vitro-produced haploids have been incor porated into breeding programs of many agricultural crops, and positive results have been obtained especially with rice, wheat, potato, barley, maize, asparagus, sunflower, brassica, tobacco, etc. Among these, rice and wheat are the best examples in which a number of improved varieties have been released. In wheat, the breeding cycle can be shortened by three or four generations when the pollen haploid breeding method is used instead of conventional cross-breeding. The release of the wheat varieties Jinghua 1 and Florin is a typical example of what can be achieved with other crops. Taking these developments into considera tion, the present volume, Haploids in Crop Improvement I, was compil ed.
Book 13
Wheat, which is the second most important cereal crop in the world, is being grown in a wide range of climates over an area of about 228 945 thou sand ha with a production of about 535 842 MT in the world. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ) accounts for 80% of the wheat consumption, howe ver, it is attacked by a large number of pests and pathogens; rusts and smuts cause enormous damage to the crop and reduce the yield drastically in some areas. The major breeding objectives for wheat include grain yield, earliness, resistance to lodging and diseases, spikelet fertility, cold tolerance, leaf duration and net assimilation rate, fertilizer utilization, coleoptile length, nutritional value, organoleptic qualities, and the improvement of charac ters such as color and milling yield. The breeding of wheat by traditional methods has been practiced for centuries, however, it has only now come to a stage where these methods are insufficient to make any further breakthrough or to cope with the world's demand. Although numerous varieties are released every year around the world, they do not last long, and long-term objectives cannot be realized unless more genetic variability is generated. Moreover, the intro duction of exotic genetic stocks and their cultivation over large areas results in the depletion and loss of the native germplasm pool.
Book 14
Rice is the most important cereal crop which feeds more than half the population of the world. It is being grown in more than 144. 641 million ha with a production of over 468. 275 million tons (in 1988). Rice is attacked by a large number of pests and diseases which cause an enormous loss in its yield. Therefore, the major objectives in rice breeding are the development of disease resistance, tolerance to insects, adverse soil water, and drought; and improvement of quality including increased protein content. Tremendous efforts being made at the International Rice Research Institute have resulted in the release of improved varieties. It is estimated that the world's annual rice production must increase from 460 million tons (in 1987) to 560 million tons by the year 2000, and to 760 million tons by 2020 (a 65% increase) in order to keep up with the population growth (IRRI Rice Facts 1988). To achieve this gigantic goal, new strategies have to be evolved. Since the success of any crop improvement program de pends on the extent of genetic variability in the base population, new techniques need to be developed not only to generate the much needed variability but also for its conservation. In this regard the progress made in the biotechnology of rice during the last 5 years has amply demonstrated the immense value of innovative approaches for further improvement of this crop.
Book 16
After the 1986 and 1989 volumes, this is the third volume on biotechnology for propagation of trees. Comprising 28 chapters contributed by international experts the book deals with fruit, ornamental, and forest trees, such as Black cherry, Sour cherry, Pomegranate, Loquat, Ficus, Yellow poplar, Horse chestnut, Judas tree, Linden tree, Saskatoons, Taiwan sassafras, Plane-tree, Rattans, Bamboos, Engelmann spruce, White spruce, Larches, Hinoki cypress, Western redcedar, and various types of pines, i.e. Jack, Carribean, Eldarica, Slash, Egg-cone, Maritime, Ponderosa, Eastern white, Loblolly pine. Trees III is an excellent reference book for scientists, educators, and students of forestry, botany, genetics, and horticulture, who are interested in tree biotechnology.
Book 17
Presented here is another classic from this series and deals with general aspects of micropropagation of plants for commercial exploitation. It includes chapters on setting up a commercial laboratory, meristem culture, somatic embryogenesis, factors affecting micropropagation, disposable vessels, vitrification, acclimatization, induction of rooting, artificial substrates, cryopreservation and artificial seed. Special emphasis is given on modern approaches and developing technologies such as automation and bioreactors, robots in transplanting, artificial intelligence, information management and computerized greenhouses for en masse commercial production of plants.
Book 18
Second in the series, High-Tech and Micropropagation, this work covers the micropropagation of trees and fruit-bearing plants, such as poplar, birches, larch, American sweetgum, black locust, Sorbus, sandalwood, Quercus, cedar, Persian walnut, date palm, cocoa, Citrus, olive, apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, Japanese persimmon, grapevine, strawberry, and raspberry. The importance and distribution of conventional propagation and in vitro studies on individual species are discussed. In particular detail, the transfer of in vitro plants to the greenhouse or the field, and the prospects of commercial exploitation are examined. The book will be of use to advanced students, research workers and teachers in horticulture, forestry and plant biotechnology in general, and also to individuals interested in industrial micropropagation.
Book 19
Presenting the state of the art of tissue culture and in vitro propagation of vegetable and tuber crops, medicinal and aromatic plants, fibre and oilseed crops, and grasses, this book complements the previous two volumes on High-Tech and Micropropagation, which concentrated on special techniques (Vol.17) and trees and bushes of commercial value (Vol.18). The specific plants covered here include asparagus, lettuce, horse radish, cucumber, potato, cassava, sweet potato, artichoke, yams, cardamom, fennel, celery, thyme, leek, mentha, turmeric, lavender, agave, yucca, cotton, jute, sunflower, ryegrass, zoysiagrass, and various species of Aconitum, Artemisia, Camelia, Centaurium, Digitalis, Dioscorea, Glehnia, Levisticum, Parthenium, and Pinella. The book is of use to advanced students, teachers and research workers in the field of pharmacy, horticulture, plant breeding and plant biotechnology in general, and also to individuals interested in industrial micropropagation.
Book 22
Plant Protoplasts and Genetic Engineering III
by Professor Dr. Y. P. S. Bajaj
Published 5 November 1993
In continuation of Volumes 8 and 9 (1989) on in vitromanipulation of plant protoplasts, this new volume dealswith the regeneration of plants from protoplasts and genetictransformation in various species of Agrostis, Arabidopsis,Atropa, Brassica, Catharanthus, Datura, Cucumis, Daucus,Digitalis, Duboisia, Eustoma, Festuca, Helianthus, Hordeum,Kalanchoe, Linum, Lobelia, Lolium, Lotus, Lycium,Lycopersicum,Mentha, Nicotiana, Pelargonium, Pisum, Pyrus,Salvia, Scopolia, and Solanum.These studies reflect the farreaching implications of protoplast technologyin geneticengineering of plants. They are of special interest toresearchers in the field of plant tissue culture, molecularbiology, genetic engineering, and plant breeding.
Book 23
Plant Protoplasts and Genetic Engineering IV
by Professor Dr. Y. P. S. Bajaj
Published 14 December 1993
In continuation of Volumes 8, 9, and 22 on in vitro manipulation of plant protplasts, this new volume deals with the regeneration of plants from protoplasts and genetic transformation in various species of Actinidia, Amoracia, Beta, Brassica, Cicer, Citrus, Cucumis, Duboisia, Fragaria, Glycine, Ipomoea, Lactuca, Lotus, Lycopersicon, Manihot, Medicago, Nicotiana, Petunia, Phaseolus, Pisum, Prunus, Psophocarpus, Saccharum, Solanum, Sorghum, Stylosanthes, and Vitis. These studies reflect the far-reaching implications of protoplast technology in genetic engineering of plants. They are of special interest to researchers in the field of plant tissue culture, molecular biology, genetic engineering, and plant breeding.
Book 24
27 chapter cover the distribution, economic importance, conventional propagation, micropropagation, tissue culture, and in vitro production of important medicinal and pharmaceutical compounds in various species of Ajuga, Allium, Ambrosia, Artemisia, Aspilia, Atractylodes, Callitris, Choisya, Cinnamomum, Coluria, Cucumis, Drosera, Daucus, Eustoma, Fagopyrum, Hibiscus, Levisticum, Onobrychis, Orthosiphon, Quercus, Sanguinaria, Solanum, Sophora, Stauntonia, Tanecetum, Vetiveria, and Vitis. Like the previous volumes 4, 7, 15, and 21 in the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants series, the volume is tailored to the need of advanced students, teachers, and research scientists in the area of plant biotechnology andbioengineering, pharmacy, botany and biochemistry.
Book 28
The series of books on the biotechnology of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants provides a survey of the literature, focusing on recent information and the state of the art in tissue culture and the in vitro production of secondary metabolites. This book, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants VII, like the previous six volumes published in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1994, is unique in its approach. It comprises 28 chapters dealing with the distribu- tion, importance, conventional propagation, micro propagation, tissue culture studies, and the in vitro production of important medicinal and pharmaceutical compounds in various species of Aesculus, Althaea, Baptisia, Berberis, Beta, Bowiea, Camp to theca, Chrysanthellum, Citrus, Claviceps, Coleonema, Dianthus, Dunaliella, Epimedium, Euphorbia, Forsythia, Gomphrena, Larix, Lobelia, Medicago, Papaver, Phytolacca, Pueraria, Santalum, Santolina, Sapium, Tabebuia, and Tripterygium. This book is tailored to the needs of advanced students, teachers, and research scientists in the field of pharmacy, plant tissue culture, phytochemistry, biochemical engineering, and plant biotechnology in general. New Delhi, July 1994 Professor Y. P. S.
BAJAJ Series Editor Contents I Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Horse Chestnut): In Vitro Culture and Production of Aescin P. GASTALDO, A. M. CAVIGLIA, and P. PROFUMO (With 7 Figures) 1 General Account ...1 ...2 In Vitro Culture Studies ...4 3 Summary and Conclusions ...10 4 Protocol...11 References ...11 II Althaea officinalis L. (Marshmallow): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Biologically Active Compounds I. IONKovA and A. W. ALFERMANN (With 10 Figures) 1 General Account...13 ...2 Biotechnological Approaches...21 .
BAJAJ Series Editor Contents I Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Horse Chestnut): In Vitro Culture and Production of Aescin P. GASTALDO, A. M. CAVIGLIA, and P. PROFUMO (With 7 Figures) 1 General Account ...1 ...2 In Vitro Culture Studies ...4 3 Summary and Conclusions ...10 4 Protocol...11 References ...11 II Althaea officinalis L. (Marshmallow): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Biologically Active Compounds I. IONKovA and A. W. ALFERMANN (With 10 Figures) 1 General Account...13 ...2 Biotechnological Approaches...21 .