Seed

Abstract

This book provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of seed ecology This subject is of major concern to plant ecologists, as in higher plants, only through regeneration by seeds (as opposed to vegetative or clonal means) can natural selection have new genetic combinations on which to act The emphasis of the book is on elucidating the process of regeneration m the field, but laboratory studies have been included where appropriate The chapters follow in roughly chronological sequence from seed production on the parent plant through the dispersal, predation, dormancy and seed banks to germination and the establishment of seedlings in landscape The book will be invaluable for senior students and research workers in seed science and plant ecology The applications of molecular biology and molecular genetics have had a major impact on our understanding of the barley plant, and have opened the way to the application of biotechnology to manipulate and improve yield, quality and agronomic characters This major book reviews our current knowledge of the genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology of barley and how biotechnology can be used to improve crop yields and their quality for feed or in the brewing industry The book is divided into six main sections covering origin, evolution and wild relatives, basic genetics, analysis of metabolism and development, seed development, composition, germination and utilization, pathogen resistance, and biotechnology It will therefore represent a major reference volume for research workers in cereal chemistry, agronomy and plant biotechnology, who are interested in either the barley crop or in barley as a model biological system wild species of Hordeum relationships and cultivated barley