Chickens are now the most scientifically engineered of livestock. How have the methods used by geneticists differed from those employed by domestic breeders over time? Art and Science in Breeding details the relationship between farm practices and agricultural genetics in poultry breeding from 1850 to 1960. Margaret E. Derry traces the history and organization of chicken breeding in North America, from craft approaches and breeding as an 'art,' to the conflicts that had emerged between traditional and scientific methods by the 1940s. Derry assesses links between the 'scientific' revolution of chicken farming and the development of corporate breeding as a modern, international industry. Using poultry as a case study for the wider narrative of agricultural genetics, Art and Science in Breeding adds considerable knowledge to a rapidly growing field of inquiry.

"Noel Kingsbury reveals that even those imaginary perfect foods are themselves far from anything that could properly be called natural, rather, they represent the end of a millennia-long history of selective breeding and hybridization. Starting his story at the birth of agriculture, Kingsbury traces the history of human attempts to make plants more reliable, productive, and nutritiousa story that owes as much to accident and error as to innovation and experiment. Drawing on historical and scientific accounts, as well as a rich trove of anecdotes, Kingsbury shows how scientists, amateur breeders, and countless anonymous farmers and gardeners slowly caused the evolutionary pressures of nature to be supplanted by those of human needs and thus led us from sparse wild grasses to succulent corn cobs, and from mealy, white wild carrots to the juicy vegetables we enjoy today. At the same time, Kingsbury reminds us that contemporary controversies over the Green Revolution and genetically modified crops are not new, plant breeding has always had a political dimension."--Publisher's description.

There are still many unknowns in the breeding of Thoroughbreds, but the international research coalition known as the Equine Genome Project is facilitating many new exciting discoveries. Dr. Matthew Binns is a leader of the project, an enterprise set up to map the equine genome, and with racing historian and bloodstock authority Tony Morris has written this important book on the theory, practice, art and science of Thoroughbred breeding. This long-awaited book describes how man came to express pedigree and to develop theories about it, and how practical breeders behaved in the light of their understanding. IT explains why many theories--including some still widely granted credibility today--are fallacious, examines the very real progress in knowledge since the principles of genetics were discovered, and focuses on the exciting developments of the last few years, when eminent geneticists have applied their expertise to the subject of the Thoroughbred. It has been the authors' endeavor to present the information in a form that may be readily understood by anyone who shares a love of the Thoroughbred and a fascination with what makes him what he is. Packed with absorbing history and cutting-edge science, this is a fascinating and illuminating book.

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. Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. The emphasis of the series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops.

Plant breeders have long sought technologies to extend human control over nature. Early in the twentieth century, this led some to experiment with startlingly strange tools like x-ray machines, chromosome-altering chemicals, and radioactive elements. Contemporary reports celebrated these mutation-inducing methods as ways of generating variation in plants on demand. Speeding up evolution, they imagined, would allow breeders to genetically engineer crops and flowers to order. Creating a new food crop or garden flower would soon be as straightforward as innovating any other modern industrial product. In Evolution Made to Order, Helen Anne Curry traces the history of America’s pursuit of tools that could intervene in evolution. An immersive journey through the scientific and social worlds of midcentury genetics and plant breeding and a compelling exploration of American cultures of innovation, Evolution Made to Order provides vital historical context for current worldwide ethical and policy debates over genetic engineering.

Plant Breeding and Cultivar Development features an optimal balance between classical and modern tools and techniques related to plant breeding. Written for a global audience and based on the extensive international experience of the authors, the book features pertinent examples from major and minor world crops. Advanced data analytics (machine learning), phenomics and artificial intelligence are explored in the book's 28 chapters that cover classical and modern plant breeding. By presenting these advancements in specific detail, private and public sector breeding programs will learn about new, effective and efficient implementation. The insights are clear enough that non-plant breeding majoring students will find it useful to learn about the subject, while advanced level students and researchers and practitioners will find practical examples that help them implement their work. - Bridges the gap between conventional breeding practices and state-of-the-art technologies - Provides real-world case studies of a wide range of plant breeding techniques and practices - Combines insights from genetics, genomics, breeding science, statistics, computer science and engineering for crop improvement and cultivar development

Die Pflanzenzucht enthält Elemente individueller und kultureller Selektion - ein Prozeß, den die langerwartete zweite Auflage hinsichtlich sowohl einzelner Pflanzen als auch kompletter Populationen unter die Lupe nimmt. Im Zuge der Aktualisierung des Stoffes wurden neue Themen aufgenommen: moderne Gewebekulturtechniken, molekularbiologische Verfahren, Aspekte der Wechselwirkung zwischen natürlicher und menschlicher Selektion und zwischen Genotyp und Umwelt sowie eine Reihe von Techniken zur Ertragssteigerung in ungünstigen Anbaugebieten. (05/99)

Brighter zinnias, fragrant carnations, snappier green beans Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener makes it easier than ever to breed and grow your own varieties of vegetables and flowers. This comprehensive and accessible guide explains how to decide what to breed, provides simple explanations on how to cross plants, and features a basic primer on genetics and advanced techniques. Case studies provide breeding examples for favorite plants like daffodils, hollyhocks, roses, sweet corn, and tomatoes.