Genetic Engineering of Plants for Crop Improvement discusses current genetic engineering methods for plants and addresses the commercial opportunities for transgenic plants. Topics covered include Agrobacterium-mediated transformations, the use of electroporation, PEG-mediated transformation, microinjection, the microprojectile bombardment method, and the electrical discharge particle acceleration method. A concise account of the resistance of transgenic plants to insect attack, viral infection, and herbicides has also been provided. Possibilities for genetic manipulation for proteins that have superior nutritional properties are discussed, and a brief account of tests confirming the safety and commercial validity of transgenic plants is included. A valuable source of information for researchers and students in plant biotechnology, plant gene manipulation, molecular biology, and all areas of the life sciences.

The contributions of plant genetics to the production of higher yielding crops of superior quality are well documented. These successes have been realized through the application of plant breeding techniques to a diverse array of genetically controlled traits. Such highly effective breeding procedures will continue to be the primary method employed for the development of new crop cultivars; however, new techniques in cell and molecular biology will provide additional approaches for genetic modification. There has been considerable speculation recently concerning the potential impact of new techniques in cell and molecular biology on plant improvement. These genetic engineering techniques should offer unique opportunities to alter the genetic makeup of crops if applied to existing breeding procedures. Many questions must be answered in order to identify specific applications of these new technologies. This search for applications will require input from plant scientists working on various aspects of crop improvement. This volume is intended to assess the interrelationships between conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering.

"The book...is, in fact, a short text on the many practical problems...associated with translating the explosion in basic biotechnological research into the next Green Revolution," explains Economic Botany. The book is "a concise and accurate narrative, that also manages to be interesting and personal...a splendid little book." Biotechnology states, "Because of the clarity with which it is written, this thin volume makes a major contribution to improving public understanding of genetic engineering's potential for enlarging the world's food supply...and can be profitably read by practically anyone interested in application of molecular biology to improvement of productivity in agriculture."

William C. Taylor Department of Genetics University of California Berkeley, California 94720 It is evident by now that there is a great deal of interest in exploiting the new technologies to genetically engineer new forms of plants. A purpose of this meeting is to assess the possibilities. The papers that follow are concerned with the analysis of single genes or small gene families. We will read about genes found within the nucleus, plastids, and bacteria which are responsible for agri culturally important traits. Given that these genes can be isolated by recombinant DNA techniques, there are two possible strategies for plant engineering. One involves isolating a gene from a cultivated plant, changing it in a specific way and then inserting it back into the same plant where it produces an altered gene product. An example might be changing the amino acid composition of a seed pro tein so as to make the seed a more efficient food source. A second strategy is to isolate a gene from one species and transfer it to another species where it produces a desirable feature. An example might be the transfer of a gene which encodes a more efficient pho tosynthetic enzyme from a wild relative into a cultivated species. There are three technical hurdles which must be overcome for either strategy to work. The gene of interest must be physically isolated.

Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. At a time when methods of molecular biology are leading to genetically engineered crops, and when the supply of wild varieties of many crops are threatened, this series provides the most current and important information available on the subject.

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the management of nutritional deficiency using genome engineering—enriching the nutritional properties of agricultural and horticultural crop plants such as wheat, rice, potatoes, grapes, and bananas. To meet the demands of the rapidly growing world population, researchers are developing a range of new genome engineering tools and strategies, from increasing the nutraceuticals in cereals and fruits, to decreasing the anti-nutrients in crop plants to improve the bioavailability of minerals and vitamins. Genome Engineering for Crop Improvement provides an up-to-date view of the use of genome editing for crop bio-fortification, improved bioavailability of minerals and nutrients, and enhanced hypo-allergenicity and hypo-immunogenicity. This volume examines a diversity of important topics including mineral and nutrient localization, metabolic engineering of carotenoids and flavonoids, genome engineering of zero calorie potatoes and allergen-free grains, engineering for stress resistance in crop plants, and more. Helping readers deepen their knowledge of the application of genome engineering in crop improvement, this book: Presents genetic engineering methods for developing edible oil crops, mineral translocation in grains, increased flavonoids in tomatoes, and cereals with enriched iron bioavailability Describes current genome engineering methods and the distribution of nutritional and mineral composition in important crop plants Offers perspectives on emerging technologies and the future of genome engineering in agriculture Genome Engineering for Crop Improvement is an essential resource for academics, scientists, researchers, agriculturalists, and students of plant molecular biology, system biology, plant biotechnology, and functional genomics.