The Best Crop Science eBooks for Beginners

For introductory courses in plant science. Thorough foundation in plant cultivation suitable for learners of all levels. Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants is the premier resource on the basic principles of ecological relationships and their impact on cultivation. Comprehensive and engaging, Plant Science addresses all relevant topics, from the fundamentals of botany to complex cultivation strategies and sustainability concerns.

The breadth of topics covered by this text make it ideal for most plant science courses, including the combined agronomy-horticulture curricula that universities are increasingly adopting. The 6th edition has been updated with a wealth of new information, images, and features, and now draws a stronger connection between natural, agricultural, and horticultural ecosystems.

Dive deep into the lush world of plants with Crop Physiology, the ultimate guide to mastering the intricacies of crop growth and development. Unlock the secrets behind the science that drives plant vitality and agricultural abundance. This comprehensive book is meticulously structured to offer an in-depth exploration of every aspect of crop physiology, ensuring you walk away with a robust understanding of plant growth mechanisms. Begin your journey with an engaging introduction to the significance of understanding plant growth, essential development stages, and key concepts in crop physiology.

Navigate through the cellular world as you uncover the mysteries of photosynthesis, respiration, and cell division—all vital processes that fuel plant life. Transition seamlessly into the realm of nutrient dynamics, where soil-plant relationships, root functions, and nutrient uptake mechanisms come to life. Understand how plants manage their water needs, the mechanics of water transport, and techniques for maximizing water use efficiency, crucial for thriving crops. Delve into the world of growth regulators and hormones, discovering how auxins and cytokinins drive growth and cell division. The exploration continues with genetics and plant breeding, offering contemporary techniques and genomic strategies that spearhead crop improvement. Environmental influences on crop growth are decoded, providing insights on light, temperature, and stress responses, while comprehensive sections on seed germination and vegetative growth dissect the factors behind seedling vigor and leaf development. The book also tackles the complexities of reproductive development, elucidating flower and fruit set, as well as the determinants of crop yield and biomass accumulation. Master the essentials of nutrient management, from fertilization techniques to deficiency solutions. Address plant health with thorough discussions on disease management and integrated pest control strategies. Finally, keep pace with groundbreaking research and practical applications, through case studies and sustainable agriculture practices. Crop Physiology is more than just a textbook; it's your gateway to a flourishing garden or farm, packed with actionable knowledge for both novice enthusiasts and seasoned agriculturalists.

“Compared to other books that primarily focus on plant phenotyping applications, this book provides an in-depth analysis of plant traits and the critical needs for high throughput phenotyping. In addition, the book is the result of collaborative contributions of broad participation from well-recognized international institutions in plant phenotyping. In summary, this book is a great reference for beginner and expert readers to learn and expand their knowledge about plant phenotyping technologies.

It is particularly helpful to readers with no breeding background to explore in-depth information about the origins, concepts, and insights of plant phenotyping in a systematic way.” (Book Review Published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture – Dr Jianfeng Zhou, University of Missouri, Columbia). Plant phenotyping is rapidly developing technology that involves the quantitative analysis of structural and functional plant traits. It is widely recognised that phenotyping needs to match similar advances in genetics if it is to not create a bottleneck in plant breeding. Advances in plant phenotyping for more sustainable crop production reviews the wealth of research on advances in plant phenotyping to meet this challenge, including new technologies such as optical and thermographic sensors, as well as alternative carrier systems such as field robots and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The book details the use of plant phenotyping to analyse traits such as crop root functionality, yield performance and disease resistance. Edited by a world-renowned researcher in plant science, Advances in plant phenotyping for more sustainable crop production will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in plant science, as well as those in computing and engineering science with a research focus on computer vision, data mining and image-based plant phenotyping. The book will also be a key resource for plant breeders, government and private agencies involved in advocating for a more sustainable agriculture, agricultural engineers, as well as suppliers of agricultural technology.

Olive culture is growing rapidly, and expanding all over the world outside traditional centres of olive growth and production. Olives are not only a significant food source, but also contribute to human health and are becoming popular in health-conscious diets far beyond their Mediterranean origins. Reviewing an extensive array of literature from both a theoretical and practical perspective, this comprehensive guide deals with all aspects of olive culture, from its history, origins and traditional techniques to the latest horticultural procedures and basic physiology.

The book's accessible and broadly illustrated format makes it an indispensable text for students, interested individuals and both active and amateur horticulturists.