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Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Nano-Delivering Plant Biostimulants and Anti-Pathogenic Agents

    • 1st Edition
    • Jen-Tsung Chen
    • English
    Nano-Delivering Plant Biostimulants and Anti-Pathogenic Agents examines the role of nanotechnology in strengthening plant disease resilience. The book examines the development and application of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in plant protection, emphasizing their capacity to boost plant immunity and target specific pathogens. It also covers the latest breakthroughs in nanoparticle synthesis, characterization, and mechanisms of action in plant–pathogen interactions.The text further explores the integration of nanoparticles with biostimulants, including plant growth regulators (PGRs) and growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs), as well as the emerging use of nanobiofertilizers. It emphasizes how these advanced nanodelivery systems can optimize the efficiency of plant disease management strategies, including pest control and antimicrobial delivery.Finally, the volume addresses key topics such as the use of silver, metalloid, and carbon nanomaterials for disease prevention and plant protection. It also delves into the regulatory and ethical considerations surrounding nano-agrobiotechnolo... offering critical insights into its safe and sustainable application. This book serves as an essential resource for those exploring innovative, nanotechnology-drive... solutions in agriculture.
  • Biological Processes in the Food Industry

    Unit Operations and Processing Equipment in the Food Industry
    • 1st Edition
    • Seid Mahdi Jafari + 1 more
    • English
    Biological Processes in the Food Industry, a volume in the Unit Operations and Processing Equipment in the Food Industry series, explains the processing operations and equipment necessary for biological production of different food ingredients and nutraceuticals including upstream and downstream techniques. These processes and unit operations are very important in the manufacture of products such as enzymes, colouring pigments, vitamins, microbial lipids and proteins. Divided in three sections, “Basics of food biological processes”, “Biological processing operations”, and “Application of biological processes in the food industry”, all chapters emphasize basic texts relating to experimental, theoretical, computational, and/or applications of food engineering principles and the relevant processing equipment to biological unit operations. Written by experts in the field of food engineering, in a simple and dynamic way, this book targets industrial Engineers working in the field of food processing and within food factories to make them more familiar with the food processing operations and equipment.
  • From Conventional to Artificial Intelligence-Based Agriculture

    • 1st Edition
    • Vivek Sharma + 2 more
    • English
    From Conventional to Artificial Intelligence-Based Agriculture explores the evolving landscape of agriculture as it transitions from traditional practices to advanced, AI-driven solutions. With AI and machine learning revolutionizing industries worldwide, their impact on agriculture is becoming increasingly significant. These technologies are not only aiding in climate modeling but also opening new possibilities for precision farming, enabling more accurate crop health diagnostics, efficient resource management, and timely intervention strategies.By integrating conventional agricultural knowledge with cutting-edge AI tools, farmers and researchers can better assess soil conditions, predict optimal planting windows, monitor nutrient dynamics, and understand market trends with greater precision. This convergence of tradition and technology supports more resilient, productive, and sustainable agricultural systems, paving the way for a smarter and more food-secure future.
  • Advances in Sheep Welfare

    • 2nd Edition
    • Drewe Ferguson + 3 more
    • English
    Advances in Sheep Welfare, Second Edition provides a detailed reference on advancements in sheep welfare. The book contains the most current knowledge on breeding practices, animal affective states, management strategies, farming and production practices, and the role of society and consumers in shaping the welfare debate. In addition to updating all chapters from the previous edition, completely new chapters are included on behavioral assessments of sheep welfare, the impact of climate change, and drivers of change for sheep producers. Stakeholders across the wool, dairy, and sheep meat supply chains will also benefit from this resource.The book brings together a team of international experts to create the definitive resource on sheep welfare. It will serve as a key reference for researchers, instructors, and students at the post-graduate level who are interested in animal agriculture, especially those who study sheep and issues of animal welfare.
  • Aquatic Food Webs in the Anthropocene

    Impact of Stressors of Emerging Concern
    • 1st Edition
    • Mirco Bundschuh
    • English
    Aquatic Food Webs in the Anthropocene: Impact of Stressors of Emerging Concern addresses a variety of anthropogenic factors and their impacts on aquatic food webs. It provides readers with an overview of cutting-edge research on known and emerging anthropogenic drivers of trophic transfers in aquatic ecosystems, bringing diverse topics together to offer new perspectives on food web dynamics. Each chapter has been written by a leading expert on the pollutant or stressor in question, ensuring global coverage of emerging contaminants, light pollution, pesticides, wastewater, brownification, salinization, changing temperatures, invasive species, and their relative impacts to aquatic food webs. The concluding chapter discusses the applications of emerging research covered in this work, including the potential for effective resource management and restoration of food webs under stress. Aquatic Food Webs in the Anthropocene: Impact of Stressors of Emerging Concern provides a critical reflection on current knowledge of how anthropogenic drivers affect aquatic food webs. It is a unique resource for researchers, academics, and the wider set of stakeholders that deal with aquatic community ecology. This book is an indispensable “go-to” resource for those who would like to develop and refresh their knowledge on aquatic ecology and food web dynamics and drivers.
  • Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene

    • 2nd Edition
    • Michael I Goldstein + 2 more
    • English
    Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene, Second Edition, Six Volume Set, once again provides a topical-based synthesis of the unprecedented rise of humanity’s ecological footprint, the result of exponential population growth, coupled with run-away consumption of the planet’s finite ecosystem services. This new edition captures our current understanding of the actual effects of human population growth on the world’s resources, whether climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, soil erosion, poor air quality, or undrinkable water.Since publication of the first edition, the Anthropocene has been even more widely debated among scientists, humanists, conservationists, industry leaders, politicians and others over precisely when it began, what to call it, if it should be an official geological epoch, whether it can be contained in time, and how it will affect future generations. Sustainability has been a growing issue for the Earth's ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Humans are now using up the world's natural resources at an unsustainable rate. This is causing huge problems for the natural ecosystems, agricultural systems, and water supplies, especially in the Global South. Climate change research, through field observation and remote sensing, has enabled improved understanding of its effects, allowing us to project future effects and the adaptation measures they require. These are essential topics - all of which are fully covered in the encyclopedia.Given the high degree of public and media attention on these topics, a revised edition is timely. With over 200 concise and focused chapters written by leading scholars in the field, this reference work is uniquely positioned to make this knowledge accessible to a wide, global audience.
  • Food Industry 5.0

    Components, Opportunities, and Challenges
    • 1st Edition
    • Abdo Hassoun
    • English
    Abdo Hassoun, CEO at Sustainable AgriFoodtech Innovation & Research (SAFIR)Food Industry 5.0: Components, Opportunities, and Challenges examines the evolving paradigm in the agri-food sector, focusing on a human-centric, resilient, and sustainable future. Building on the integration of physical, digital, and biological advances characteristic of Food Industry 4.0, this book emphasizes how Industry 5.0 advances these foundations by prioritizing social and environmental sustainability through multidisciplinary approaches. It addresses the growing need for a comprehensive understanding of enabling technologies and their applications, filling a critical gap for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, guiding the transition toward more inclusive and sustainable food systems.This book is structured in three parts. Part I outlines the core principles of Food Industry 5.0, including enhancing human-centricity, fostering resilience in food systems, and mapping a pathway to sustainability. Part II explores the evolutionary trajectory from Industry 4.0 to 5.0, covering advancements such as the shift from weak artificial intelligence to artificial superintelligence, the expansion from the Internet of Things to the Internet of Everything, the emergence of cooperative robots and advanced drones, and innovations in 4D food printing and beyond. Part III evaluates whether Industry 5.0 represents a current trend or a future opportunity, discussing challenges in adopting enabling technologies and suggesting directions for future research and implementation.This book provides valuable insights for researchers and food specialists engaged in multidisciplinary innovation within agriculture and the food industry. It serves as a rich resource for professors and lecturers developing advanced curricula that integrate digital, physical, and biological sciences. Moreover, this book is an essential guide for policymakers and regulatory authorities aiming to establish frameworks that emphasize human well-being, sustainability, and collaborative innovation.
  • Methods in Consumer Research, Volume 1

    Theoretical and Practical aspects
    • 2nd Edition
    • Gaston Ares + 1 more
    • English
    Methods in Consumer Research, Volume 1: Theoretical and Practical aspects, Second Edition, brings together the world’s leading experts in global consumer research who provide a fully comprehensive state-of-the-art coverage of advances in methods in consumer science.The new edition, thoroughly revised and updated, touches on the latest developments in consumer behavior. It includes a theoretical overview of consumer behavior, followed by a detailed description of qualitative techniques, including coverage of focus groups, projective techniques, ethnography, and social media. Quantitative methods are also addressed from both an explicit and implicit perspective. A section specifically delves into physiological measurements, such as eye-tracking, facial reading, and fMRI.In conjunction with the second volume, which covers specific applications, this book is an invaluable reference for academics working in the fields of sensory and consumer science, psychology, marketing, and nutrition. Through examples of the methodologies being applied throughout, it serves as a practical guide to practitioners in both the public and private sector.
  • Non-Native Species

    Understanding the Impacts on Ecosystems and Societies
    • 1st Edition
    • Andrei Alyokhin
    • English
    Presently, virtually no areas on Earth remain sheltered from the arrival and establishment of non-native plants, insects, and animals, in large part due to human activities. Failure to address this issue may have dire consequences, including disruption of vital ecological processes, loss of agricultural, forestry, and fishery resources, and even serious disease epidemics within human populations. At the same time, most non-native species are not invasive, and attempts to eradicate them may themselves result in environmental, economic, and even social damage. Non-Native Species: Understanding the Impacts on Ecosystems and Societies provides a comprehensive introduction to the issues surrounding invasion biology, which is a prominent, but sometimes controversial, area of applied biology. It will cover the mechanisms of natural and human-mediated biological invasions, their consequences from ecological, economic, political, and ethical perspectives, and discuss management options available for prevention and/or mitigation of the negative impacts of invasive species.Written by an entomologist who studies invasive insects and plants and has spent over 20 years teaching a course on biological invasions, Non-Native Species: Understanding the Impacts on Ecosystems and Societies offers anecdotes, insights, and case studies from the author’s own work and research. This book is an ideal reference for early career researchers with an interest in invasion ecology, or an ideal course companion for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels enrolled in courses on invasive species, non-native species, or biological invasions, particularly those who plan to major, minor, or concentrate in entomology.
  • Emerging Technologies in Yield Optimization and Production of Biomass Feedstock

    • 1st Edition
    • Yogesh K. Ahlawat
    • English
    Emerging Technologies in Yield Optimization and Production of Biomass Feedstock offers a comprehensive evaluation of biomass feedstock, exploring its diverse productions and the challenges of enhancing transformation efficiency in bioenergy species. The book explores the challenges of bioenergy through case studies, covering various stages: cultivation, harvesting, pre-processing, conversion, and utilization. In each stage, the book explains how to maximize efficiency in yield optimization and production of biomass feedstock using innovative solutions to ensure economic benefits and environmental sustainability. It discusses the molecular farming approach, emphasizing the importance of improving transformation efficiency in bioenergy species.The book then reviews species like algae, switchgrass, corn, poplars, and sugarcane, assessing their potential and stressing the need for appropriate species selection to optimize bioenergy transformation processes. Users will also find new methods for gene delivery, transformation, and regeneration, and their applications in modifying bioenergy species for enhanced traits. Additionally, the book covers synthetic biology tools like biosensors, genetic circuits, and pathway engineering, explaining how these tools can be used to further enhance transformation efficiency in bioenergy species.