Conceived with the aim of sorting fact from fiction over genetically modified (GM) crops, this book brings together the knowledge of 30 specialists in the field of transgenic plants. It covers the generation and detection of these plants as well as the genetic traits conferred on transgenic plants. In addition, the book looks at a wide variety of crops, ornamental plants and tree species that are subject to genetic modifications, assessing the risks involved in genetic modification as well as the potential economic benefits of the technology in specific cases. The book's structure, with fully cross-referenced chapters, gives readers a quick access to specific topics, whether that is comprehensive data on particular species of ornamentals, or coverage of the socioeconomic implications of GM technology. With an increasing demand for bioenergy, and the necessary higher yields relying on wider genetic variation, this book supplies all the technical details required to move forward to a new era in agriculture.

Generation and Analysis of Transgenic Plants

Plant Nuclear Transformation
Plastid Transformation
Concepts of Marker Genes for Plants
Precise Breeding Through All-Native DNA Transformation
Gene Silencing in Plants: Transgenes as Targets and Effectors
Breeding with Genetically Modified Plants
Detection of Genetically Modified Plants in Seeds, Food and Feed
Selected Characters of Transgenic Plants and Their Application in Plant Production
Drought Stress Tolerance
Herbicide Resistance
Insect and Nematode Resistance
Metabolic Engineering
Pharmaceuticals
Biopolymers
Engineered Male Sterility
Transgenic Plants in Breeding and Crop Production
Cotton
Triticeae Cereals
Fruit Crops
Maize
Ornamentals
Potato
Rapeseed/Canola
Rice
Sugarcane
Soybean
Vegetables
Risk Assessment and Economic Applications
Regulatory Oversight and Safety Assessment of Plants with Novel Traits
Environmental Impact of Genetically Modified Maize Expressing Cry1 Proteins
Benefits of Transgenic Plants: A Socioeconomic Perspective
Risk Assessment and Economic Applications - the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: GMO Approval and Import on a World-Wide Scale
Public Perceptions of Modern Biotechnology and the Necessity to Improve Communication.