Plants in Agriculture [Paperback]

Plants in Agriculture fulfills the need for a single text that promotes a comprehensive understanding of how plants operate in agriculture. By setting plant development firmly in the context of the realities of soil, climatic, and biological conditions the authors insure that this book wil be of wide use to crop scientists, horticulturalists, and pure and applied biologists. The strengths of this book are that it synthesizes subject matter from a wide range of perspectives, from sowing to harvesting, storage, marketing, and consumption of crops. Some major aspects, such as the impact of stress on yield and the effects of growing conditions on the nutritional quality of plants are synthesized for the first time. It is also a highly practical work that integrates knowledge from other disciplines, such as soil science, human and animal nutrition, and crop protection. Finally, it chooses from cool temperate, warm temperate, tropical, and arid agriculture to highlight the universal significance of principles. Simple terms and concepts are fully explained for the uninitiated.Preface; 1. Plants as the basis of agriculture; 2. Plants and water; 3. Plants and minerals; 4. Plant strength and integrity; 5. Plant growth and development: seed and seedling; 6. Plant growth and development: the vegetative plant; 7. Plant growth and development: flower, fruit and seed; 8. Plant growth and development: environmental effects and internal control; 9. Plant variation, inheritance and breeding; 10. Vegetative propagation; 11. Crop production and yield; 12. Plants as food; Index. ...a user-friendly text that is concisely written and well-organized....I recommend this book as one suitable for undergraduate agriculture courses that follow introductory biology. Laura A. Morrison, Plant Science Bulletin In general, each chapter effectively blends botanical principles with applications to agricultural situations....will appeal to beginning students seeking a botanical grounding in thelÃ(