Philip J. White - Böcker

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth. It is as phosphate that plants take up P from the soil solution. Since little phosphate is available to plants in most soils, plants have evolved a range of mechanisms to acquire and use P efficiently – including the development of symbiotic relationships that help them access sources of phosphorus beyond the plant’s own range. At the same time, in agricultural systems, applications of inorganic phosphate fertilizers aimed at overcoming phosphate limitation are unsustainable and can cause pollution.This latest volume in Springer’s Plant Ecophysiology series takes an in-depth look at these diverse plant-phosphorus interactions in natural and agricultural environments, presenting a series of critical reviews on the current status of research. In particular, the book presents a wealth of information on the genetic and phenotypic variation in natural plant ecosystems adapted to low P availability, which could be of particular relevance to developing new crop varieties with enhanced abilities to grow under P-limiting conditions.The book provides a valuable reference material for graduates and research scientists working in the field of plant-phosphorus interactions, as well as for those working in plant breeding and sustainable agricultural development.

A ‘textbook’ plant typically comprises about 85% water and 13.5% carbohydrates. The remaining fraction contains at least 14 mineral elements, without which plants would be unable to complete their life cycles. Understanding plant nutrition and applying this knowledge to practical use is important for several reasons. First, an understanding of plant nutrition allows fertilisers to be used more wisely. Second, the nutritional composition of crops must be tailored to meet the health of humans and livestock. Third, many regions of the world are currently unsuitable for crop production, and an understanding of plant nutrition can be used to develop strategies either for the remediation of this land or for the cultivation of novel crops. That application of knowledge of plant nutrition can be achieved through genotypic or agronomic approaches. Genotypic approaches, based on crop selection and / or breeding (conventional or GM), have recently begun to benefit from technological advances, including the completion of plant genome sequencing projects. This book provides an overview of how plant nutritional genomics, defined as the interaction between a plant's genome and its nutritional characteristics, has developed in the light of these technological advances, and how this new knowledge might usefully be applied. This is a book for researchers and professionals in plant molecular genetics, biochemistry and physiology, in both the academic and industrial sectors.

Across the world governments in mature industrial and post-industrial economies are concerned about the ageing population. Dealing directly and exclusively with the issue of older workers, this book brings together up-to-the-minute research findings by many of the leading researchers and writers in the field.The duration and quality of working lives and the timing and circustances of retirement are of growing concern, especially in those cases where employers' demands and imperatives clash with employees' wishes. The contributions in this volume focus upon various measures taken by the state and employers to foster the employment of older workers in Britain, mainland Europe, the US and Japan. The authors address key issues that will influence public policy, exploring what workers over 50 want, the impact of the ageing workforce on employer policies and the implications for governments in promoting and supporting extended working lives.The book is aimed at academics, students, policy makers and other professionals (such as training managers, HR professionals and trade unionists) interested in contemporary issues within social policy, the sociology of ageing, and human resource and diversity management. It wil also be of interest to older workers themselves.

Across the world governments in mature industrial and post-industrial economies are concerned about the ageing population. Dealing directly and exclusively with the issue of older workers, this book brings together up-to-the-minute research findings by many of the leading researchers and writers in the field.The duration and quality of working lives and the timing and circustances of retirement are of growing concern, especially in those cases where employers' demands and imperatives clash with employees' wishes. The contributions in this volume focus upon various measures taken by the state and employers to foster the employment of older workers in Britain, mainland Europe, the US and Japan. The authors address key issues that will influence public policy, exploring what workers over 50 want, the impact of the ageing workforce on employer policies and the implications for governments in promoting and supporting extended working lives.The book is aimed at academics, students, policy makers and other professionals (such as training managers, HR professionals and trade unionists) interested in contemporary issues within social policy, the sociology of ageing, and human resource and diversity management. It wil also be of interest to older workers themselves.