Applied Plant Science

‘Applied Plant Science’ bridges the gap between plant biology and studies in agriculture at a higher level, making it a readable introduction for students at (UK) Advanced Level and beyond. The reader is assumed to have a grounding in biology but no more than a rudimentary knowledge of plant structure and reproduction. Common crop plants are used to illustrate the principles of seed and vegetative plant propagation and topics like plant anatomy and physiology are brought alive through the context of commercial applications. The problems of weeds, fungi and insects are considered from both biological and agricultural standpoints. This book also takes the reader on a basic but comprehensive journey through the most recent developments in cell culture and genetic manipulation, exploring a number of potential applications for these techniques. The author recognizes the contentious issues surrounding the environmental impact of the use of many of the chemicals and techniques described in the text but the consideration of such issues in more than a cursory way remains the subject of another work. It is hoped that this volume will serve rather to inform the debate. Please be aware that this is the black and white version.