Agricultural sustainability: progress and prospects in crop research

Front Cover......Page 1
Agricultural Sustainability......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Contributors......Page 14
Foreword......Page 16
Preface......Page 18
I. Agricultural Biodiversity, Organic Farming, and New Crops......Page 20
1. Introduction......Page 22
3. Agrobiodiversity: A Conceptual Framework......Page 23
3.1 Genetic Agrobiodiversity......Page 24
3.2 Species Agrobiodiversity......Page 25
3.4 Limitations of the OECD Definition of Agrobiodiversity......Page 26
4.1 Functional Biodiversity: A Plethora of Definitions......Page 27
4.2 Functional Agrobiodiversity: A Methodological Approach......Page 28
5.1 Genetic Agrobiodiversity......Page 30
5.2 Species Agrobiodiversity......Page 31
5.3 Ecosystem Agrobiodiversity......Page 33
6.1 What Could Favor Functional Agrobiodiversity?......Page 34
6.2 What Could Hinder Functional Agrobiodiversity?......Page 35
References......Page 36
1. Introduction......Page 40
2. Soil Fertility and Organic Farming in the Tropics—Challenges and the Way Forward......Page 42
3. Plant Breeding Strategies for Organic and Low External Input Farming......Page 45
4. Functional Biodiversity and Pest Management in Organic Farming......Page 49
5. Agricultural Innovation—The Need for Transdisciplinary Research and Development......Page 52
6. Outlook......Page 56
References......Page 57
1. Introduction......Page 66
2. Origin, Genetics, and Breeding......Page 67
3. Water and Salt Stress......Page 68
5. Galactomannan Properties, Biosynthesis, and Degradation......Page 69
6.1 Medicinal Uses......Page 71
7. Biotechnology for Guar Gum Modification......Page 74
References......Page 75
II. Effective Management of Resources (Nutrients and Water) and Crop Modelling......Page 80
1. Introduction......Page 82
2.1 Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)......Page 83
2.2 Water–N Relationship......Page 84
2.3 Crop Rotations......Page 85
2.5 No-Tillage Systems......Page 86
3.1 Pre- and Post-Anthesis Water Use and N Uptake......Page 87
3.2.1 Source and Method of N Application......Page 88
3.2.2 Amount of N......Page 89
3.2.3 In-Season Application of N......Page 90
4. Targeting Crop Sustainability......Page 91
References......Page 92
1. Introduction......Page 96
2.1.1 Legumes in Crop Rotation......Page 98
2.2 Crop Species/Cultivars......Page 99
2.4 Intercropping Non-Legumes with Legumes......Page 100
2.5 Mixed Farming (Dairy, Beef Cattle or Swine, and Cropping) Systems......Page 102
3. Agricultural Organic Amendments......Page 103
3.1 Compost/Manure......Page 104
3.2 Green Manure......Page 106
4.2 Thin Stillage, Distiller Grain (Byproduct of Ethanol), Fish Food Additive, and Glycerol (Byproduct of Biodiesel)......Page 108
4.3 Wood Ash (Byproduct of Forest Industry)......Page 109
5.1 Phosphate Amendments......Page 110
5.2 Lime, Gypsum, and Elemental S......Page 111
5.3 Biological Fertilizers/Biofertilizers (Microbial Products/Inoculants)......Page 112
5.3.3 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Inoculants......Page 113
6. Summary of Research Findings, Gaps, and Future Needs......Page 114
7. Conclusions......Page 116
References......Page 117
1. Introduction......Page 122
2. The Development of Water Scarcity for Irrigation......Page 123
3.2 Shift in Cropping Patterns......Page 125
3.4 Degradation of Ground Water Quality......Page 127
3.6 Energy Subsidies for Farmers......Page 128
5. Improving Management of Water Resources......Page 130
5.1 Reducing Water Losses from Canal Networks......Page 131
5.3 Artificial Recharge of Groundwater......Page 132
5.4.1 Laser Leveling......Page 133
5.4.3 Rice Transplanting Date......Page 134
5.4.4.1 Rice......Page 135
5.4.5 Irrigation Method......Page 136
5.4.6 Mulch......Page 137
5.5 Rainfall Forecasting......Page 138
6. Conclusions......Page 139
References......Page 140
1. Introduction......Page 146
2.2 Ceres Wheat......Page 149
2.3 DSSAT (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer)......Page 151
2.4 SALUS (System Approach to Land Use Sustainability)......Page 152
2.5 NDICEA (Nitrogen Dynamics in Crop Rotation in Ecological Agriculture)......Page 153
2.6 Rhizome: A Model of Clonal Growth......Page 154
2.7 LINTUL (Light Interception and Utilization Simulator)......Page 155
2.7.1 Light Use Efficiency and Biomass Production......Page 156
2.7.4 Soil–Crop Nitrogen Balance......Page 157
2.7.7 Nitrogen Stress......Page 158
2.8.2 Tillage Parameters......Page 159
2.9 SPAC (Soil Plant Atmosphere Continuum)......Page 160
References......Page 162
III. Molecular, Biotechnological, and Industrial Approaches for Enhancement of Crop Production and Quality......Page 168
8 Biotechnological Approaches for Increasing Productivity and Sustainability of Rice Production......Page 170
1. Advances in Rice Biotechnology......Page 171
2. Approaches for Increasing Yield Potential of Rice......Page 172
2.1 Developing Hybrids with Higher Yield Potential......Page 173
2.2 Introgression of Yield-Enhancing Loci/Wild-Species Alleles......Page 174
2.3 Pyramiding of Cloned Genes/QTLs for Yield-Related Traits......Page 175
2.4 C4 Rice—Modifying Photosynthetic Systems to Raise Yield......Page 176
3. Mapping Genes/QTLs and Marker-Assisted Breeding in Rice......Page 177
3.1 Breeding Against Biotic Stresses......Page 178
3.2.2 Drought Tolerance......Page 180
3.2.3 Salt Stress, Heat Stress, and Phosphorus Deficiency Tolerance......Page 181
3.2.4 Increased Elongation Ability under Deep-Water Conditions......Page 182
4. Broadening the Gene Pool of Rice Through Wide Hybridization......Page 183
5. Role of Anther Culture in Rice Breeding......Page 184
6. Genetic Engineering Approaches for Sustainable Rice Production and Enhanced Nutritional Qualities......Page 186
7. Advances in Functional Genomics Support Rice Breeding......Page 189
References......Page 190
1.1 Magnitude and Causes of Micronutrient Malnutrition......Page 196
2. Biofortification: A New Tool to Reduce Micronutrient Malnutrition......Page 198
2.1 Conventional and Molecular Breeding Approaches for Biofortification......Page 199
2.2 Genetic Engineering Approaches......Page 202
2.3 Physiological and Molecular Basis for Micronutrient Accumulation in Grains......Page 203
2.5 Bioavailability of Micronutrients......Page 205
2.5.1 Lowering Phytic Acid in Grains and Products......Page 206
2.5.2 Animal Feed Trials and Cell Line Studies......Page 207
4. Conclusion......Page 208
References......Page 209
1. Introduction......Page 216
2. Nutrient Composition of Rice Fractions......Page 217
2.1 Macronutrients......Page 218
2.2 Micronutrients......Page 219
3. Health Problems in Rice Core Regions......Page 220
4. Rice Processing......Page 221
4.1 Drying......Page 222
4.3 Rice Milling......Page 224
4.3.2 Abrasive Milling or Whitening......Page 225
4.3.3 Friction Milling or Polishing......Page 228
4.3.4 Sorting and Grading......Page 229
5.1 Rice Brokens—Case Study: Reconstituted Rice......Page 231
5.2 Rice Bran......Page 232
6. Future Scenarios of Nutrient-Focused Rice Processing......Page 235
Acknowledgements......Page 236
References......Page 237
1. Cool Season Food Legumes......Page 240
2.1 Protein-Based Detection Methods......Page 242
2.2 Molecular Methods in Plant Virus Detection......Page 245
3.1 Utilization of Non-Host Resistance......Page 246
3.2 Screening Germplasm for Host Resistance to Develop Virus Resistant Cultivars......Page 248
3.3 Mode of Inheritance of Resistance......Page 250
4. Molecular Tools for Accelerating Virus Resistance Breeding......Page 251
4.1 Molecular Markers......Page 252
4.2 Genetic Linkage Maps......Page 253
4.3 Towards Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) for Virus Resistance Breeding......Page 254
4.4 Potential of Comparative Genomics for CSFLs......Page 256
References......Page 258
IV. Expert Advice on Policy and Developmental Aspects......Page 264
12 Talking Agricultural Sustainability Issues—an Interview with Dr. Gurdev Khush......Page 266
13 Economics and Politics of Farm Subsidies in India......Page 272
1. Consumer Subsidies......Page 273
2. Agricultural Subsidies......Page 275
3. Policy Prescriptions......Page 279
1. The Issue......Page 282
2. Strengths and Weaknesses of Public, Private, and Ngo Sectors......Page 283
4. Mechanism(S) for Establishing Public, Private, and NGO Partnership......Page 284
5. Policy Support......Page 286
2. Effective Communication—Foundation for a Good Start......Page 288
3. Start on a Low Scale and Build Confidence in the Community Before Expanding......Page 289
5. Overcoming our Own Inhibitions for Expansion......Page 290
6. Expansion was Required to Conquer Opposition from Within the Company......Page 291
8. Research and Development Support for Quick Expansion......Page 292
10. Meeting Quality Goals......Page 296
12. Synergy with Other Organizations......Page 299
Acknowledgements......Page 300
References......Page 301
Index......Page 302