Plant Biology and Bio-Technology

Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. Applications of Biotechnology to crops: Benefits and risks. 3. Role of biotechnology in medicinal plants. 4. The role of biotechnology in plants crops and forest trees. 5. The role of biotechnology in developing plant resources in deserts environment. 6. Agricultural biotechnology : Farm-level, Market, and policy considerations. 7. What is biotechnology and how is it used in agriculture. 8. Plant genetic resources for agriculture, plant breeding and biotechnology. 9. Plant breeding: Induced mutation technology for crop improvement. 10. Plant biotechnology importance for agriculture development. 11. Effects of biological control agents and exotic plant. 12. Need for a global strategy in plant biotechnology. 13. Biological control of plant pathogens. 14. Plant biotechnology helps quest for sustainability. 15. Developing Microbe-Plant interactions for applications in plant-growth promotion and disease control. 16. The Role of Root Exudates in Rhizosphere interactions with Plants. Bibliography. Index.

Biotechnology is a relatively recent term that appeared for the first time around 1960. Its origin is the Greek word Bio meaning life, and Technology, which appeared in the French language in 1656 meaning the study of tools, machines and raw materials. Although the etymology is fairly precise, its definition is a little more wide-ranging, and even subjective at times. The use of living organisms and their products for commercial purposes is a broad definition. The first wine and bread makers could have been described as biotechnologists before the term was coined. A more restricted understanding of the term biotechnology would link it to the achievements of the last sixty years, including all in vitro culture genetics, such as gene cloning, sequencing and genetic engineering.