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Horticultural reviews, vol. 18. J. Janick (Ed.), John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, USA, 1997, 379 pp., hardback, ISBN 0-471-57334-5, ISSN 0163-7851.
Scientia Horticulturae 74 (1998) 313±321
Book Reviews Horticultural reviews, vol. 18. J. Janick (Ed.), John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, USA, 1997, 379 pp., hardback, ISBN 0-471-57334-5, ISSN 0163-7851. Volume 18 of Horticultural Reviews is dedicated to Norm Looney of Summerland Research Centre in British Colombia. The dedication is appropriate because of Norm's leadership in pomology research over many years, which focused on one of the central themes of horticulture, that of plant growth regulators and apple production. It is doubly appropriate because his achievements provide a fitting preface to the current diversification of horticultural science illustrated in this volume. Four of the chapters in volume 18 target horticultural groups of varying familiarity. Chapter 1 addresses water relations of cut flowers and is written by Wouter van Doorn of the Agrotechnological Research Institute at Wageningen. The approach builds on previous reviews in the area of cut flower physiology, in particular the contributory factors to xylem blockage across a number of genera. Tissue culture of ornamental flowering bulbs, written by Kiu-Weon Kim of Yeungnam University in Korea and A. De Hertogh of North Carolina State University, is a broad-ranging review including both dicot and monocot geophytes and covering micropropagation, virus elimination and breeding. Chapters 6 and 7 are co-written by Avinoam Nerd and Yosef Mizrahi of BenGurion University, Israel with Park Nobel of University of California, Los Angeles an additional author for Chapter 6. Both chapters provide useful information on cacti, as crops rather than as ornamentals, with emphasis on fruit production. Cactus fruit have long been cultivated locally, but only recently have gained international attention. Chapter 6 documents the range of uses, which includes animal feed, vegetables, fruit crops and interesting industrial uses such as providing a food source for cochineal insects for dye production. The chapter is illustrated with excellent photographs of the edible fruit, essential in view of their still limited market penetration. Chapter 7 enlarges on the important aspects of reproductive biology of the edible fruit-bearing cacti. The remaining three chapters all address areas of generic research which are important for horticultural production. Chapter 3 is written by Melvin Oliver of USDA, Texas and Derek Bewley of University of Guelph and documents new work using transformation to investigate the phenomenon of desiccation-tolerance. While most such plants are not considered to be horticultural, the potential value of the trait to the industry is clear, and the authors point out that most plants have desiccation-tolerant pollen and seeds. A more physiological approach is taken to light tolerance in plants by Barbara Demmig-Adams, William Adams and Stephen Grace of University of Colorado in Chapter 4. A recent and 0304-4238/98/$19.00 # 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved PII S 0 3 0 4 - 4 2 3 8 ( 9 8 ) 0 0 1 1 5 - 0
314
Book Reviews
significant finding that the xanthophyll cycle is important in acclimatisation of leaves to light stress may have future application in improving plant productivity and efficiency. The third generic area of major relevance to horticulture is that of acquired resistance to disease, addressed by Ray Hammerschmidt of Michigan State University and Jennifer Smith Becker of UC Riverside. The potential advantages of broad-based resistance are obvious, and the authors consider the literature from the perspective of achievements to date with horticultural crops. The success of Volume 18 of Horticultural Reviews stems from the decision of the editor to consider horticulture in its broadest sense, for the present and into the future. The bulk of the industry will long depend on the familiar fruits, vegetables and ornamentals, but of equal importance are diversification of crops and the contribution of genetic, physiological and pathological research which underpins horticultural production.
PII S0304-4238(98)00115-0
Margaret Sedgley Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology, Waite Campus, The University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA 5064,
Australia
Blueberries: a century of research. Robert E. Gough and Ronald F. Korcack (Eds.), 245 pp. The book contains the papers presented during the 7th North American Blueberry Research-Extension Workers Conference in July 1994. The studies on growing and breeding blueberry have began in the USA in early years of the 20th century. However, the results were not extended abroad. Just recently this valuable plant has been introduced to commercial plantations in Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Australia as well as in some countries in South America. For that reason extension of the results is a valuable contribution. In six sections, the authors report on currently conducted investigations on new variety breeding and frost and spring frost resistance. Hancock and co-authors pay much attention to future breeding, predicting great success of interbreeding experiments. Draper describes the history of new variety creation referring to numerous authors. Ballington continues this fascination with new species, including ones with large fruit and others highly resistant to drought. The second part of the book deals with the results concerning introduction of new species highly resistant to high soil pH and suggests their usefulness as rootstocks for varieties requiring low pH. Other authors report preliminary results on selection of genes responsible for frost resistance, length of rest period and other features. The third part contains results of work connected with virus diseases and transgenic breeding aiming to increase plant resistance to viral and fungal diseases. Another part describes the investigations on little known pests which appeared on blueberry plantings in Florida; damages caused by herbicides applied against dog-wood; beneficial effect of bark mulching and costs of nursery material and establishing a plantation.
Book Reviews Horticultural reviews, vol. 18. J. Janick (Ed.), John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, USA, 1997, 379 pp., hardback, ISBN 0-471-57334-5, ISSN 0163-7851. Volume 18 of Horticultural Reviews is dedicated to Norm Looney of Summerland Research Centre in British Colombia. The dedication is appropriate because of Norm's leadership in pomology research over many years, which focused on one of the central themes of horticulture, that of plant growth regulators and apple production. It is doubly appropriate because his achievements provide a fitting preface to the current diversification of horticultural science illustrated in this volume. Four of the chapters in volume 18 target horticultural groups of varying familiarity. Chapter 1 addresses water relations of cut flowers and is written by Wouter van Doorn of the Agrotechnological Research Institute at Wageningen. The approach builds on previous reviews in the area of cut flower physiology, in particular the contributory factors to xylem blockage across a number of genera. Tissue culture of ornamental flowering bulbs, written by Kiu-Weon Kim of Yeungnam University in Korea and A. De Hertogh of North Carolina State University, is a broad-ranging review including both dicot and monocot geophytes and covering micropropagation, virus elimination and breeding. Chapters 6 and 7 are co-written by Avinoam Nerd and Yosef Mizrahi of BenGurion University, Israel with Park Nobel of University of California, Los Angeles an additional author for Chapter 6. Both chapters provide useful information on cacti, as crops rather than as ornamentals, with emphasis on fruit production. Cactus fruit have long been cultivated locally, but only recently have gained international attention. Chapter 6 documents the range of uses, which includes animal feed, vegetables, fruit crops and interesting industrial uses such as providing a food source for cochineal insects for dye production. The chapter is illustrated with excellent photographs of the edible fruit, essential in view of their still limited market penetration. Chapter 7 enlarges on the important aspects of reproductive biology of the edible fruit-bearing cacti. The remaining three chapters all address areas of generic research which are important for horticultural production. Chapter 3 is written by Melvin Oliver of USDA, Texas and Derek Bewley of University of Guelph and documents new work using transformation to investigate the phenomenon of desiccation-tolerance. While most such plants are not considered to be horticultural, the potential value of the trait to the industry is clear, and the authors point out that most plants have desiccation-tolerant pollen and seeds. A more physiological approach is taken to light tolerance in plants by Barbara Demmig-Adams, William Adams and Stephen Grace of University of Colorado in Chapter 4. A recent and 0304-4238/98/$19.00 # 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved PII S 0 3 0 4 - 4 2 3 8 ( 9 8 ) 0 0 1 1 5 - 0
314
Book Reviews
significant finding that the xanthophyll cycle is important in acclimatisation of leaves to light stress may have future application in improving plant productivity and efficiency. The third generic area of major relevance to horticulture is that of acquired resistance to disease, addressed by Ray Hammerschmidt of Michigan State University and Jennifer Smith Becker of UC Riverside. The potential advantages of broad-based resistance are obvious, and the authors consider the literature from the perspective of achievements to date with horticultural crops. The success of Volume 18 of Horticultural Reviews stems from the decision of the editor to consider horticulture in its broadest sense, for the present and into the future. The bulk of the industry will long depend on the familiar fruits, vegetables and ornamentals, but of equal importance are diversification of crops and the contribution of genetic, physiological and pathological research which underpins horticultural production.
PII S0304-4238(98)00115-0
Margaret Sedgley Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology, Waite Campus, The University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA 5064,
Australia
Blueberries: a century of research. Robert E. Gough and Ronald F. Korcack (Eds.), 245 pp. The book contains the papers presented during the 7th North American Blueberry Research-Extension Workers Conference in July 1994. The studies on growing and breeding blueberry have began in the USA in early years of the 20th century. However, the results were not extended abroad. Just recently this valuable plant has been introduced to commercial plantations in Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Australia as well as in some countries in South America. For that reason extension of the results is a valuable contribution. In six sections, the authors report on currently conducted investigations on new variety breeding and frost and spring frost resistance. Hancock and co-authors pay much attention to future breeding, predicting great success of interbreeding experiments. Draper describes the history of new variety creation referring to numerous authors. Ballington continues this fascination with new species, including ones with large fruit and others highly resistant to drought. The second part of the book deals with the results concerning introduction of new species highly resistant to high soil pH and suggests their usefulness as rootstocks for varieties requiring low pH. Other authors report preliminary results on selection of genes responsible for frost resistance, length of rest period and other features. The third part contains results of work connected with virus diseases and transgenic breeding aiming to increase plant resistance to viral and fungal diseases. Another part describes the investigations on little known pests which appeared on blueberry plantings in Florida; damages caused by herbicides applied against dog-wood; beneficial effect of bark mulching and costs of nursery material and establishing a plantation.