Contents: Preface. 1. Gene cloning and transformation/H.P. Singh and V.A. Parthasarathy. Fruits crops: 2. Banana/Sukhada Mohandas. 3. Mango/Maneesh Mishra, Shubhendu Seal and Ramesh Chandra. 4. Papaya/Maneesh Mishra and Ramesh Chandra. 5. Guava/Anju Bajpai, M. Muthukumar and Ramesh Chandra. 6. Citrus/B.N. Hazarika, A.N. Tripathi and A. Talukdar. 7. Grape/Anuradha Upadhyay. 8. Apple/Nazeer Ahmed, J.I. Mir, M.K. Verma, Shabir H. Wani and Wajida Shafi. 9. Pear/Nazeer Ahmed, J.I. Mir, M.K. Verma, Shabir H. Wani and Wajida Shafi. 10. Peach/Nazeer Ahmed, J.I. Mir, M.K. Verma, Shabir H. Wani and Wajida Shafi. 11. Plum/Nazeer Ahmed, J.I. Mir, Shabir H. Wani and Wajida Shafi. Vegetables crops: 12. Tomato/M. Manamohan and R. Asokan. 13. Capsicum/J.B. Mythili and M. Manamohan. 14. Brinjal/Vageeshbabu S. Hanur. 15. Cucurbits/M. Manamohan, N. Prakash and G. Sharath Chandra. 16. Onion and garlic/J.B. Mythili. Floriculture plants: 17. Rose/C. Aswath, D.C. Lakshmana Reddy and Anuradha. 18. Orchids/C. Aswath and D.C.. Lakshmana Reddy. 19. Chrysanthemum/C. Aswath. 20. Gerbera/C. Aswath and Kanupriya. 21. Carnation/C. Aswath. Tuber and root crops: 22. Potato/S.K. Chakrabarti, D. Pattanayak and S.K. Pandey. 23. Tropical tuber crops/C. Mohan and M. Unnikrishnan. 24. Plantation crops and spices: Oil palm/P.K. Mandal and M. Jayanthi. 25. Cocoa/M.K. Rajesh, Anitha Karun and V.A. Parthasarathy. 26. Tropical spices/K. Nirmal Babu, J.K. George, A.I. Bhat, D. Prasath and V.A. Parthasarathy. Index.

With the increase in our knowledge and competency in molecular biology especially in isolation and cloning of important and useful genes of agronomic interest and development of useful transgenics, it is expected that biotechnology will play a major role in increasing the production and productivity of crop species and help in crossing the yield barriers. The transgene studies carried out world over in many laboratories for the past three decades have led to development of many interesting breakthroughs, notable among them in the recent past are post transcriptional gene silencing and small interfering RNA (siRNA). In addition, improvement of nutritional factors in horticultural crops and use of plant systems for developing and harvesting plant bodies and pharmaceutically important products and compounds will come a long way to make horticulture to take its rightful place in human development and progress. Besides primary metabolites, plants produce drugs, pesticides, dyes flavors and fragrances. Metabolic engineering of plants has shown its potential both in basic research and as a tool of modern plant breeding. Designer crops can produce valuable enzymes, proteins and antibodies.

In this volume, volume 5 of the series, the available information on gene cloning and transgenic development in horticulture crops has been compiled and it is hoped that this would be very useful to students and researchers in the field of biotechnology of horticulture crops. (jacket)