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Critical Reflections on Nuclear and Renewable Energy
by Way KuoThe Fukushima nuclear incident made people ponder and question nuclear safety again, resulting in decisions by certain countries to phase out nuclear power completely. Is this the right decision? Are there better ways to deal with this important issue of the 21th century? The book analyses the pros and cons of a spectrum of energies, ranging from petroleum, coal, gas to water, solar and wind energies as well as nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear incident in 2011. It maintains that we should look at nuclear energy from a rational point of view instead of being influenced by emotions or politicians' arguments. The book also examines policies that concern science and technology, energy resources, environmental protection and occupational safety, emphasizing the need to deepen the general populace's understanding of the concept of reliability.
Critical Regimes of Two-Phase Flows with a Polydisperse Solid Phase (Fluid Mechanics and Its Applications #93)
by Eugene BarskyCritical regimes of two-phase flows with a polydisperse solid phase form the basis of such widespread industrial processes as separation of various powdery materials and minerals dressing. It is impossible to describe such complicated flows analytically. Therefore, this study concentrates on invariants experimentally revealed and theoretically grounded for such flows. This approach can be compared with the situation in gases, where in order to determine principal parameters of their state, one does not need to measure the kinetic energy and velocity of each molecule and find its contribution to the temperature and pressure. These parameters are determined in a simple way for the system on the whole. A novel conception of two-phase flows allowing the formulation of their statistical parameters is physically substantiated. On the basis of the invariants and these parameters, a comprehensive method of estimating and predicting mass transfer in such flows is developed. It is noteworthy that the presented results are mostly phenomenological. Such an approach can be successfully extended to the separation of liquids, gases and isotopes. The book is intended for students and specialists engaged in chemical technology, mineral dressing, ceramics, microelectronics, pharmacology, power generation, thermal engineering and other fields in which flows carrying solid particles are used in the technological process.
Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability
by Committee on Considerations for the Future of Animal Science ResearchBy 2050 the world's population is projected to grow by one-third, reaching between 9 and 10 billion. With globalization and expected growth in global affluence, a substantial increase in per capita meat, dairy, and fish consumption is also anticipated. The demand for calories from animal products will nearly double, highlighting the critical importance of the world's animal agriculture system. Meeting the nutritional needs of this population and its demand for animal products will require a significant investment of resources as well as policy changes that are supportive of agricultural production. Ensuring sustainable agricultural growth will be essential to addressing this global challenge to food security. "Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability" identifies areas of research and development, technology, and resource needs for research in the field of animal agriculture, both nationally and internationally. This report assesses the global demand for products of animal origin in 2050 within the framework of ensuring global food security; evaluates how climate change and natural resource constraints may impact the ability to meet future global demand for animal products in sustainable production systems; and identifies factors that may impact the ability of the United States to meet demand for animal products, including the need for trained human capital, product safety and quality, and effective communication and adoption of new knowledge, information, and technologies. The agricultural sector worldwide faces numerous daunting challenges that will require innovations, new technologies, and new ways of approaching agriculture if the food, feed, and fiber needs of the global population are to be met. The recommendations of "Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability" will inform a new roadmap for animal science research to meet the challenges of sustainable animal production in the 21st century.
Critical Skills for Environmental Professionals: Putting Knowledge into Practice (Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment)
by Jennifer Pontius Alan McIntoshThis textbook focuses on a set of skills-based learning outcomes common among undergraduate environmental programs. It covers critical scientific skills and ways of thinking that bridge the gap between the knowledge-based content of introductory environmental textbooks and the professional skills students of the environment need to succeed in both their academic programs and professional careers. This emphasis on skills is gaining more traction among academic programs across the country as they shift focus from knowledge delivery to learning outcomes and professional competencies. The book features clear methodological frameworks, engaging practice exercises, and a range of assessment case studies suitable for use across academic levels. For introductory levels, this text uses guided practice exercises to expose students to the skills they will need to master. At the capstone level, this text allows students to apply the knowledge they have gained to real-world issues and to evaluate their competency in key programmatic learning outcomes. A detailed answer key with rubrics customized for specific questions and sample answers at various competency levels is available to verified course instructors. Access to these answer key resources can be obtained by contacting the Springer Textook Team at Textbooks@springer.com
Critical Space Infrastructures: Risk, Resilience and Complexity (Topics in Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality #36)
by Alexandru Georgescu Adrian V. Gheorghe Marius-Ioan Piso Polinpapilinho F. KatinaThis book introduces readers to the topical area of CSI: critical space infrastructure, which is defined as an emerging domain of systems-of-systems encompassing hardware, workforce, environment, facilities, business and organizational entities. Further, it includes unmanned air systems, satellites, rockets, space probes, and orbital stations, and involves multi-directional interactions essential for maintenance of vital societal functions (i.e., health, safety, economic and social well-being), the loss or disruption of which would have significant impact on virtually any nation. The topics covered include the main elements of CSI, CSI taxonomy, effects of CSI on other infrastructure systems, establishing quantitative and qualitative parameters, global and national effects of CSI failure, cascading disruptive phenomena, chilling effects in various fields, CSI protection, deliberate threats to space systems (e.g., electromagnetic pulse attacks), space governance, and a path forward for CSI research. Modern society is highly dependent on the continuous operation of critical infrastructure systems for the supply of crucial goods and services including, among others, the power supply, drinking water supply, and transportation systems; yet space systems – which are critical enablers for several commercial, scientific and military applications – are rarely discussed. This book addresses this gap.
Critical States at Phase Transitions of Pure Substances
by Beycan İbrahimoğlu Beycan Jr. İbrahimoğluThis book re-examines the conventional pressure-temperature phase diagrams of pure substances, taking into account a universally acknowledged, albeit often neglected, state of matter—the plasma phase. It argues that only the temperature component of the endpoint on the gas-liquid equilibrium curve is critical, not the pressure and volume, which themselves are the corresponding components of the critical temperature. The book features the compiled results of many recent experimental studies on the physical properties of benzene, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, extracting the endpoints of the liquid-solid and solid-gas equilibria and yielding the real critical pressure and volume. These discoveries highlight the position of plasma on the phase diagram and the existence of the equilibrium ionization curve along with it. Detailed knowledge of the plasma state of matter is essential not only in many fields of physics and chemistry but in engineering and industrial applications as well. This book will easily benefit researchers, engineers, and instructors who routinely interact with phase diagrams.
Critical Terms for Animal Studies (Critical Terms)
by Lori GruenAnimal Studies is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field devoted to examining, understanding, and critically evaluating the complex relationships between humans and other animals. Scholarship in Animal Studies draws on a variety of methodologies to explore these multi-faceted relationships in order to help us understand the ways in which other animals figure in our lives and we in theirs. Bringing together the work of a group of internationally distinguished scholars, the contribution in Critical Terms for Animal Studies offers distinct voices and diverse perspectives, exploring significant concepts and asking important questions. How do we take non-human animals seriously, not simply as metaphors for human endeavors, but as subjects themselves? What do we mean by anthropocentrism, captivity, empathy, sanctuary, and vulnerability, and what work do these and other critical terms do in Animal Studies? Sure to become an indispensable reference for the field, Critical Terms for Animal Studies not only provides a framework for thinking about animals as subjects of their own experiences, but also serves as a touchstone to help us think differently about our conceptions of what it means to be human, and the impact human activities have on the more than human world.
Critical Thinking in Biology and Environmental Education: Facing Challenges in a Post-Truth World (Contributions from Biology Education Research)
by Blanca Puig María Pilar Jiménez-AleixandreThis volume seeks to broaden current ideas about the role of critical thinking (CT) in biology and environmental education considering educational challenges in the post-truth era. The chapters are distributed into three sections, perspectives of a theoretical character (part I), empirical research about CT in the context of biology and health education (part II), and empirical research on CT in the context of environmental and sustainability education (part III). The volume includes studies reporting students’ engagement in the practice of critical thinking, and displays how CT can be integrated in biology and environmental education and why biology and environmental issues are privileged contexts for the development of CT. The chapters examine a range of dimensions of CT, such as skills, dispositions, emotions, agency, open-mindedness, or personal epistemologies. In addition, they explore topics such as climate change, sustainable diets, genetically modified food, vaccination, acceptance of evolution, homeopathy, and gene cloning. Concluding remarks regarding the connections between the chapters and future directions for the integration of critical thinking in biology and environmental education are presented in a final chapter.
Critical Thinking In Psychology: Separating Sense From Nonsense
by John RuscioDo your students have the tools to distinguish between the true science of human thought and behavior from pop psychology? John Ruscio's book provides a tangible and compelling framework for making that distinction. Because we are inundated with "scientific" claims, the author does not merely differentiate science and pseudoscience, but goes further to teach the fundamentals of scientific reasoning on which students can base their evaluation of information.
Critical, Transdisciplinary and Embodied Approaches in STEM Education (Advances in STEM Education)
by Pratim Sengupta Marie-Claire Shanahan Beaumie KimOver the past decade, integrated STEM education research has emerged as an international concern, creating around it an imperative for technological and disciplinary innovation and a global resurgence of interest in teaching and learning to code at the K-16 levels. At the same time, issues of democratization, equity, power and access, including recent decolonizing efforts in public education, are also beginning to be acknowledged as legitimate issues in STEM education. Taking a reflexive approach to the intersection of these concerns, this book presents a collection of papers making new theoretical advances addressing two broad themes: Transdisciplinary Approaches in STEM Education and Bodies, Hegemony and Decolonization in STEM Education. Within each theme, praxis is of central concern including analyses of teaching and learning that re-imagines disciplinary boundaries and domains, the relationship between Art and STEM, and the design of learning technologies, spaces and environments. In addition to graduate research seminars at the Masters and PhD levels in Learning Sciences, Science Education, Educational Technology and STEM education, this book could also serve as a textbook for graduate and pre-service teacher education courses.
Critical Transitions in Nature and Society (Princeton Studies in Complexity)
by Marten SchefferHow do we explain the remarkably abrupt changes that sometimes occur in nature and society--and can we predict why and when they happen? This book offers a comprehensive introduction to critical transitions in complex systems--the radical changes that happen at tipping points when thresholds are passed. Marten Scheffer accessibly describes the dynamical systems theory behind critical transitions, covering catastrophe theory, bifurcations, chaos, and more. He gives examples of critical transitions in lakes, oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, climate, evolution, and human societies. And he demonstrates how to deal with these transitions, offering practical guidance on how to predict tipping points, how to prevent "bad" transitions, and how to promote critical transitions that work for us and not against us. Scheffer shows the time is ripe for understanding and managing critical transitions in the vast and complex systems in which we live. This book can also serve as a textbook and includes a detailed appendix with equations.
Critical Transitions in Nature and Society (Princeton Studies in Complexity #16)
by Marten SchefferHow do we explain the remarkably abrupt changes that sometimes occur in nature and society--and can we predict why and when they happen? This book offers a comprehensive introduction to critical transitions in complex systems--the radical changes that happen at tipping points when thresholds are passed. Marten Scheffer accessibly describes the dynamical systems theory behind critical transitions, covering catastrophe theory, bifurcations, chaos, and more. He gives examples of critical transitions in lakes, oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, climate, evolution, and human societies. And he demonstrates how to deal with these transitions, offering practical guidance on how to predict tipping points, how to prevent "bad" transitions, and how to promote critical transitions that work for us and not against us. Scheffer shows the time is ripe for understanding and managing critical transitions in the vast and complex systems in which we live. This book can also serve as a textbook and includes a detailed appendix with equations.Provides an accessible introduction to dynamical systems theory Covers critical transitions in lakes, oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, the climate, evolution, and human societies Explains how to predict tipping points Offers strategies for preventing "bad" transitions and triggering "good" ones Features an appendix with equations
Critical Voices in Science Education Research: Narratives of Hope and Struggle (Cultural Studies of Science Education #17)
by Jesse Bazzul Christina SiryThis book is a collection of narratives from a diverse array of science education researchers that elucidate some of the difficulties of becoming a science education researcher and/or science teacher educator, with the hope that through solidarity, commonality, and “telling the story”, justice-oriented science education researchers will feel more supported in their own journeys. Being a scholar and teacher that sees science education as a space for justice, and thinking/being different, entry into this disciplinary field often comes with tense moments and personal difficulties. The chapter authors of this book break into many painful, awkward, and seemingly nebulous topics, including the intersectional nuances of what it means to be a researcher in the contexts of epistemic rigidness, white supremacy, and neoliberal restructuring. Of course these contexts become different depending on how teachers, students, and researchers are constituted within them (as racialized/sexed/gendered/disposable/valued subjects). We hope that within these narratives readers will identify with similar struggles in terms of what it means to desire to “do good in the world”, while facing subtle and not-so-subtle institutional, personal cultural, and political challenges.
Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge
by Imre Lakatos Alan MusgraveTwo books have been particularly influential in contemporary philosophy of science: Karl R. Popper's Logic of Scientific Discovery, and Thomas S. Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Both agree upon the importance of revolutions in science, but differ about the role of criticism in science's revolutionary growth. This volume arose out of a symposium on Kuhn's work, with Popper in the chair, at an international colloquium held in London in 1965. The book begins with Kuhn's statement of his position followed by seven essays offering criticism and analysis, and finally by Kuhn's reply. The book will interest senior undergraduates and graduate students of the philosophy and history of science, as well as professional philosophers, philosophically inclined scientists, and some psychologists and sociologists.
A Critique of Silviculture: Managing for Complexity
by K. David Coates Klaus J. Puettmann Christian C. MessierThe discipline of silviculture is at a crossroads. Silviculturists are under increasing pressure to develop practices that sustain the full function and dynamics of forested ecosystems and maintain ecosystem diversity and resilience while still providing needed wood products. A Critique of Silviculture offers a penetrating look at the current state of the field and provides suggestions for its future development. The book includes an overview of the historical developments of silvicultural techniques and describes how these developments are best understood in their contemporary philosophical, social, and ecological contexts. It also explains how the traditional strengths of silviculture are becoming limitations as society demands a varied set of benefits from forests and as we learn more about the importance of diversity on ecosystem functions and processes. The authors go on to explain how other fields, specifically ecology and complexity science, have developed in attempts to understand the diversity of nature and the variability and heterogeneity of ecosystems. The authors suggest that ideas and approaches from these fields could offer a road map to a new philosophical and practical approach that endorses managing forests as complex adaptive systems. A Critique of Silviculture bridges a gap between silviculture and ecology that has long hindered the adoption of new ideas. It breaks the mold of disciplinary thinking by directly linking new ideas and findings in ecology and complexity science to the field of silviculture. This is a critically important book that is essential reading for anyone involved with forest ecology, forestry, silviculture, or the management of forested ecosystems.
Critiquing Sustainability, Changing Philosophy (Routledge Studies in Sustainability)
by Jenneth ParkerTo increasing numbers of people, sustainability is the key challenge of the twenty-first century. In the many fields where it is a goal, persistent problems obstruct the efforts of those trying to make a difference. The task of this book is to provide an overview of the current state of philosophy in the context of what philosophy is, could be or should be – in relation to sustainability and the human future on Earth. The book is conceived as a contribution to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, helping to link work on philosophy and sustainability. Critiquing Sustainability, Changing Philosophy focusses on the importance of philosophical work to the formation and effectiveness of global civil society and social movements for sustainability in the context of the Anthropocene age of the Earth. It takes a transdisciplinary systems approach that challenges philosophy and concludes by proposing a greatly enhanced role for philosophy in contributing to global public reason for sustainability. This book will be of interest to philosophers, sustainability practitioners and thinkers, policy makers and all those engaged in the global movement for sustainability.
Crittercam
by Andrew EinspruchThis book is all about Crittercams and how these scientists use them to study everything the animal does.
Cro-Magnon: The Story of the Last Ice Age People of Europe
by Trenton W. HollidayDuring the Last Ice Age, Europe was a cold, dry place teeming with mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, reindeer, bison, cave bears, cave hyenas, and cave lions. It was also the home of people physically indistinguishable from humans today, commonly known as the Cro-Magnons. Our knowledge of them comes from either their skeletons or the tools, art, and debris they left behind.This book tells the story of these dynamic and resilient people in light of recent scientific advances. Trenton Holliday—a paleoanthropologist who has studied the Cro-Magnons for decades—explores questions such as: Where and when did anatomically modern humans first emerge? When did they reach Europe, and via what routes? How extensive or frequent were their interactions with Neandertals? What did Cro-Magnons look like? What did they eat, and how did they acquire their food? What can we learn about their lives from studying their skeletons? How did they deal with the glacial cold? What does their art tell us about them?Holliday offers new insights into these ancient people from anthropological, archaeological, genetic, and geological perspectives. He also considers how the Cro-Magnons responded to Earth’s postglacial warming almost 12,000 years ago, showing that how they dealt with climate change holds valuable lessons for us as we negotiate life on a rapidly warming planet.
Crocodile Undone: The Domestication of Australia’s Fauna (Animalibus: Of Animals and Cultures #15)
by Marcus Baynes-RockAcross the world, animals are being domesticated at an unprecedented rate and scale. But what exactly is domestication, and what does it tell us about ourselves? In this book, Marcus Baynes-Rock seeks the common thread linking stories about the domestication of Australia's native animals, arguing that domestication is part of a process by which late modernity threatens to undo the world.In a deeply personal account, the author tells of his encounters with crocodiles and emus behind fences, dingoes and kangaroos crossing boundaries, and native bees producing honey in his suburban backyard. Drawing on comparisons between Aboriginal and colonial Australians, Baynes-Rock reveals how the domestication of Australia’s fauna is a process of "unmaking." As an extension of late modernity, the connections that tie humans and other animals to wider ecologies are being severed, threatening to isolate us and our domesticates from the rest of the world. It is here that Baynes-Rock reveals a key difference between Aboriginal and colonial Australian modes of landscape management: while one is focused on a systemic approach and sees humans as integral to ecological integrity, the other seeks to sever domesticates from ecological processes. The question that emerges is: How might we reconfigure and maintain these connections without undoing humanity?Written in the author’s characteristically frank, passionate, and humorous style, Crocodile Undone takes the reader on a journey across both physical and philosophical landscapes. This fascinating narrative will appeal to anyone interested in the vital connections between humans and animals.
Crocodile Undone: The Domestication of Australia’s Fauna (Animalibus)
by Marcus Baynes-RockAcross the world, animals are being domesticated at an unprecedented rate and scale. But what exactly is domestication, and what does it tell us about ourselves? In this book, Marcus Baynes-Rock seeks the common thread linking stories about the domestication of Australia's native animals, arguing that domestication is part of a process by which late modernity threatens to undo the world.In a deeply personal account, the author tells of his encounters with crocodiles and emus behind fences, dingoes and kangaroos crossing boundaries, and native bees producing honey in his suburban backyard. Drawing on comparisons between Aboriginal and colonial Australians, Baynes-Rock reveals how the domestication of Australia’s fauna is a process of “unmaking.” As an extension of late modernity, the connections that tie humans and other animals to wider ecologies are being severed, threatening to isolate us and our domesticates from the rest of the world. It is here that Baynes-Rock reveals a key difference between Aboriginal and colonial Australian modes of landscape management: while one is focused on a systemic approach and sees humans as integral to ecological integrity, the other seeks to sever domesticates from ecological processes. The question that emerges is: How might we reconfigure and maintain these connections without undoing humanity?Written in the author’s characteristically frank, passionate, and humorous style, Crocodile Undone takes the reader on a journey across both physical and philosophical landscapes. This fascinating narrative will appeal to anyone interested in the vital connections between humans and animals.
Crop Breeding: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology #1145)
by Delphine Fleury Ryan WhitfordThe recent advent of molecular technologies has changed the way plant breeders identify and select their germplasm as genetic variation can now be assessed at the DNA level. Crop Breeding: Methods and Protocols presents detailed guidelines and tutorials that suit different needs and capacity from small laboratories analyzing molecular markers on a one-by-one basis to the increasingly popular high-throughput protocols for high capacity laboratories. Topics covered include breeding strategy for the selection of an ideal variety or genetic ideo type, protocols for breeders using molecular markers in selection programs and for laboratories providing molecular services to breeding programs, statistical programs and software to aid implementation of molecular data into breeding programs and methodologies that facilitate the generation of genetic diversity and its characterization. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Crop Breeding: Methods and Protocols will help in expanding the use of molecular technologies for the creation of tomorrow's crop varieties.
Crop Genetic Diversity in the Field and on the Farm
by Anthony H. Brown Toby Hodgkin Devra I. JarvisBased on twenty years of global research, this is the first comprehensive reference on crop genetic diversity as it is maintained on farmland around the world. Showcasing the findings of seven experts representing the fields of ecology, crop breeding, genetics, anthropology, economics, and policy, this invaluable resource places farmer-managed crop biodiversity squarely in the center of the science needed to feed the world and restore health to our productive landscapes. It will prove to be an essential tool in the training of agricultural and environmental scientists seeking the solutions necessary to ensure healthy, resilient ecosystems for future generations.
Crop Improvement: New Approaches and Modern Techniques
by Parvaiz Ahmad Khalid Rehman Hakeem Munir OzturkThe improvement of crop species has been a basic pursuit since cultivation began thousands of years ago. To feed an ever increasing world population will require a great increase in food production. Wheat, corn, rice, potato and few others are expected to lead as the most important crops in the world. Enormous efforts are made all over the world to document as well as use these resources. Everybody knows that the introgression of genes in wheat provided the foundation for the "Green Revolution". Later also demonstrated the great impact that genetic resources have on production. Several factors are contributing to high plant performance under different environmental conditions, therefore an effective and complementary use of all available technological tools and resources is needed to meet the challenge.
Crop Improvement: Biotechnological Advances
by Pankaj Kumar Thakur Ajay KumarCrop Improvement: Biotechnological Advances – Biomedical Science The field of biotechnology is advancing at a fast pace. The availability of low-cost DNA/genome sequencing technologies has led to the discovery and functional characterization of myriad of genes imparting stress tolerance and quality traits. The ‘omics’ group of technologies including genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics has revolutionized the agricultural biotechnology sector. The Nobel Prize-winning technology, such as the genome editing technique, is being employed to edit various gene functions in plants aiding in crop improvement. This technology may be adopted very quickly by consumers compared with the transgenic technique because the genome-edited plants have no adverse effects on the genome of the plant itself and on the environment and related species/non-target organisms. In this book, authors have attempted to compile the latest techniques of agricultural biotechnology and their applications in crop improvement. Certain chapters have been dedicated to describe the use of nanotechnology, a fast emerging new technique in the agriculture sector. Features Development, potential and safety issues in biotechnology Advances in genomics, proteomics and transcriptomics in agriculture Protein bioinformatics and its applications Genetically modified (GM) technology and its implications Genome editing in crop improvement Marker-assisted selection (MAS) in crop improvement Mutation breeding Cryobiotechnology Nanotechnology and biosensors This book includes real-world examples and applications making it accessible to a broader interdisciplinary readership. We hope that it will serve as a reference book for researchers engaged in molecular biology and biotechnology and will act as a ready reckoner for postgraduate (PG) students in the biotechnology discipline.
Crop Improvement: Sustainability Through Leading-Edge Technology
by Siti Nor Akmar Abdullah Ho Chai-Ling Carol WagstaffThe book covers the latest development in the biosciences field covering key topics in crop improvement including 'omic approaches to improving sustainable crop production, advancement in marker technology, strategies in genetic manipulation, crop quality and sustainability and plant microbe interaction detailing on proven technologies to address critical issue for agricultural sustainability which are beneficial for researchers and students. The book also includes aspects of preserving crops after harvest as this is a key factor in promoting sustainable crop quality in terms of addressing waste, choosing the appropriate packaging and moving crops through the food and industrial supply chain. An important strategy to overcome the challenges in providing food for the world population in a sustainable manner is through concerted efforts by crop scientists to embrace new technologies in increasing yield, quality and improving food safety while minimizing adverse environmental impact of the agricultural activities. Most of the proven molecular and genetic technologies in crop science have been tested and verified in model plants such as Arabidopsis and tomato. The technologies, when deployed on various plant species of importance for human nutrition and industrial applications, including cereals, vegetables, fruits, herbs, fibre and oil crops, face many challenges, not only due to their longer life cycle but many other physiological and environmental factors affecting yield and quality of plant products. Furthermore, major impacts on crop production due to catastrophic diseases and global climate change needs urgent and innovative solutions. Therefore a systematic approach, employing various leading-edge technologies that enable the functional elucidation of key pathway genes via 'omics tools, genome wide association with desired phenotypes and development of cost effective and practicable molecular tools for selection, is vital. The International Conference on Crop Improvement was held to address these and other pressing issues. This volume summarizes the keynote presentations from the meeting and highlights addition discussions that are critical to crop improvement in a challenging time.