Economic botany: a comprehensive study

This book offers an up-to-date account of important crops grown worldwide. It provides detailed discussion on the history of plant exploration, migration, domestication and distribution, and crop improvement. The text starts with the origin and diversification of cultivated plants, followed by discussion on tropical, subtropical and temperate crops that are sources of food, beverages, spices and medicines, as well as plant insecticides, timber plants and essential oil-yielding plants. The genetic and evolutionary aspects of different plants and their health benefits are highlighted. The book covers topics dealing with biodiversity conservation, petro-crops, ethnobotanical studies, and important sub-tropical and temperate plants that have commercial importance. The significance of major plant species under each category is described in detail. Illustrated with numerous well-labelled line diagrams and pictures, this book will be useful for students of botany, food and nutrition, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding and environmental science.

Indica-Japonica hybridisation project.

Cover; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; Chapter 1: Introduction; Energy-giving Foods and Flavourings; Plants and Home; Plant Fibres and Fabrics; Plants and Health; Plants as Colouring Materials; Plants and Beauty; Plants and Atmosphere; Plants and Perfume; Miscellaneous Products; PECTINS; GUMS; RESINS; LATEX PRODUCTS; WAXES; INSECTICIDES; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS; Origin of Cultivated Plants; The Work of Vavilov; The Future Role of Plants in Relation to Mankind; Chapter 2: Fibres and Fibre Yielding Plants; Classification of Fibres.

CLASSIFICATION OF FIBRES ON THE BASIS OF NATURE AND STRUCTUREBast fibres; Structural fibres; Surface fibres; CLASSIFICATION OF FIBRES ACCORDING TO THEIR USE; Textile fibres; Brush fibres; Plaiting and rough weaving fibres; Filling fibres; Natural fibres; Paper-making fibres; Cotton; HISTORY; SYSTEMATICS, ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION; PRODUCTION; MORPHOLOGY; AGROCLIMATIC CONDITIONS; HARVESTING; PROCESSING; COTTON UTILISATION; Flax; HISTORY AND ORIGIN; PRODUCTION; MORPHOLOGY; CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS; HARVESTING; PROCESSING; FIBRE CHARACTERISTICS; Hemp; HISTORY AND ORIGIN; PRODUCTION; MORPHOLOGY.

CULTIVATIONHARVES…