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The increasing use of biotechnology for the improvement of agricultural crop species has gained momentum, and recent developments (see Crops J) have shown beyond doubt the far-reaching implications of biotechnological approaches for future agricultural research and plant breeding programs. The production of novel plants and somaclones showing resistance to pests, diseases, herbicides, and salt and the early release of disease-free as well as improved cultivars have become reality. The present volume comprises 31 chapters and deals with the impor tance, distribution, conventional propagation, micropropagation, and methods for the in-vitro induction of genetic variability in various fruits, vegetables, grasses, and pasture crops such as grapes, strawberry, brambles, red raspberry, currants, gooseberry, kiwifruit, blueberry, cran berry, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, chico ry, taro, rhubarb, lettuce, spinach, quinoa, kale, fescue, bromegrass, Ber mudagrass, napier grass, foxtail millet, turtle grass and others. (The cere als and other vegetable crops are discussed in Crops J, Vol. 2 of the series). Micropropagation of some fruit crops such as strawberry, grape, and raspberry is already being practiced on a large scale in various countries. Likewise, test-tube-derived plants of certain crops such as brassicas, let tuce, and taro and improved pastures are being utilized, while the technology for mass propagation of certain other crops is being worked out. These recent developments emphasize the urgent need to arouse awareness among horticultural scientists and plant breeders to enable them to incorporate these modern innovative approaches into routine crop improvement programs.
List of contents
Section I Fruit Crops.- I.1 Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.).- I.2 Strawberries (Fragaria spp. and Hybrids).- I.3 Brambles (Rubus spp.).- I.4 Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus).- I.5 Currants (Ribes spp.).- 1.6 Gooseberry[Ribes uva-crispa (grossularia)].- 1.7 Chinese Gooseberry, Kiwifruit(Actinidia spp.).- 1.8 Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.).- 1.9 Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.).- Section II Vegetable Crops.- II.1 Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.).- II.2 Cabbage(Brassica oleracea var.capitata L.).- II.3 Brussels Sprout(Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) and Broccoli(B. oleracea var. italica).- II.4 Cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.).- II.5 Chicory(Cichorium intybus L.).- II.6 Taro(Colocasia esculenta Schott.).- II.7 Rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum L.).- II.8 Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).- II.9 Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.).- II.10 Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) : A Potential New Crop.- Section III Grasses, Forages, and Pasture Crops.- III.1 Tall Fescue(Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and Its Hybrids.- III.2 Red Fescue(Festucarubra L.).- III.3 Smooth Bromegrass(Bromus inermis Leyss).- III.4 Big Bluestem(Andropogon gerardii Vitman), Little Bluestem[Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash] and Indiangrass[Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash].- III.5 Common Bermudagrass[Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.].- III.6 Elephant Grass, Napier Grass(Pennisetum purpureum Schum.).- III.7 Foxtail Millet[Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.].- III.8 Paspalum spp..- III.9 Turtle Grass (Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König) - A Seagrass.- III. 10 Barnyard Grasses (Echinochloa spp.): Somatic Embryogenesis and ADH Production.- III. 11 Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var.acephala, medullosa, ramosa, sabellica).- III. 12 Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), Crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) and Sainfoin(Onobrychisviciifolia Scop.).
