Darwinian Agriculture

Darwinian Agriculture
Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Total Pages : 269
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780691173764
ISBN-13 : 0691173761
Rating : 4/5 (761 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Darwinian Agriculture by : R. Ford Denison

Download or read book Darwinian Agriculture written by R. Ford Denison and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016-08-16 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harnessing evolution for more sustainable agriculture As human populations grow and resources are depleted, agriculture will need to use land, water, and other resources more efficiently and without sacrificing long-term sustainability. Darwinian Agriculture presents an entirely new approach to these challenges, one that draws on the principles of evolution and natural selection. R. Ford Denison shows how both biotechnology and traditional plant breeding can use Darwinian insights to identify promising routes for crop genetic improvement and avoid costly dead ends. Denison explains why plant traits that have been genetically optimized by individual selection—such as photosynthesis and drought tolerance—are bad candidates for genetic improvement. Traits like plant height and leaf angle, which determine the collective performance of plant communities, offer more room for improvement. Agriculturalists can also benefit from more sophisticated comparisons among natural communities and from the study of wild species in the landscapes where they evolved. Darwinian Agriculture reveals why it is sometimes better to slow or even reverse evolutionary trends when they are inconsistent with our present goals, and how we can glean new ideas from natural selection's marvelous innovations in wild species.


Darwinian Agriculture Related Books

Darwinian Agriculture
Language: en
Pages: 269
Authors: R. Ford Denison
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2016-08-16 - Publisher: Princeton University Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Harnessing evolution for more sustainable agriculture As human populations grow and resources are depleted, agriculture will need to use land, water, and other
Understanding Agriculture
Language: en
Pages: 84
Authors: National Research Council
Categories: Education
Type: BOOK - Published: 1988-02-01 - Publisher: National Academies Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book responds to the widespread recognition among experts that our educational system needs to change in order to provide the skills and knowledge necessar
Traditional Arid Lands Agriculture
Language: en
Pages: 391
Authors: Scott E. Ingram
Categories: Social Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2015-04-02 - Publisher: University of Arizona Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Traditional Arid Lands Agriculture is the first of its kind. Each chapter considers four questions: what we don’t know about specific aspects of traditional a
Systems Research for Agriculture
Language: en
Pages:
Authors: Laurie E. Drinkwater
Categories: Agricultural systems
Type: BOOK - Published: 2016-06-01 - Publisher: Department of Agriculture

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Understanding Food Systems
Language: en
Pages: 373
Authors: Ruth MacDonald
Categories: Technology & Engineering
Type: BOOK - Published: 2017-05-25 - Publisher: Academic Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Understanding Food Systems: Agriculture, Food Science, and Nutrition in the United States explores the complex and evolving system from which the United States