Food Security in Nutrient-Stressed Environments: Exploiting Plants’ Genetic Capabilities

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. Opening Session

   1. Welcome address

      • L. D. Swindale

      Pages 1-3

   2. Government of Japan Project activities at ICRISAT 1984–1999

      • J. J. Adu-Gyamfi, O. Ito, J. Arihara, H. Nakano, C. Johansen

      Pages 5-8

3. Breeding for low-nutrient environments: Is it sustainable?

   1. Physiological traits for crop yield improvement in low N and P environments

      • Thomas R. Sinclair, Vincent Vadez

      Pages 9-23

   2. Prospects for using conventional techniques and molecular biological tools to enhance performance of ‘orphan’ crop plants on soils low in available phosphorus

      • C. T. Hash, R. E. Schaffert, J. M. Peacock

      Pages 25-36

   3. Ex-ante impact assessment and economic analysis of breeding for nutrient efficiency and alternate strategies, a conceptual model and research issues: A socio-economist’s view

      • B. I. Shapiro, D. Osborne, M. Ahmed

      Pages 37-42

   4. Breeding for low-nutrient environments: Is it sustainable?

      • J. M. Peacock

      Pages 43-46

4. Candidate mechanisms

   1. Breeding for low-nutrient environments

      • Y.-G. Zhu, C. Huang, N. K. Howes, S. E. Smith

      Pages 47-57

   2. Genetic adaptation of crop plants to low-nutrient environments: morphological and ecophysiological characteristics of adaptation

      • H. Nakano, J. J. Adu-Gyamfi, T. Nakamura

      Pages 59-66

   3. Genotypic variability and physiological characteristics of crop plants adapted to low-nutrient environments

      • J. J. Adu-Gyamfi, S. Ishikawa, T. Nakamura, H. Nakano

      Pages 67-79

   4. Physiological adaptations for nitrogen use efficiency in sorghum

      • Jerry W. Maranville, S. Madhavan

      Pages 81-90

   5. Photosynthesized carbon translocation and distribution of crops adapted to low-nutrient environments

      • K. Fujita, M. I. Chaudhary, A. Fujita, Y. Kai, M. Takayanagi, H. El Shemy et al.

      Pages 91-101

   6. Varietal differences in root growth as related to nitrogen uptake by sorghum plants in low-nitrogen environment

      • Takuji Nakamura, Joseph J. Adu-Gyamfi, Akiko Yamamoto, Satoru Ishikawa, Hiroshi Nakano, Osamu Ito

      Pages 103-110

   7. Genotypic variability in phosphorus solubilizing activity of root exudates by pigeonpea grown in low-nutrient environments

      • S. Ishikawa, J. J. Adu-Gyamfi, T. Nakamura, T. Yoshihara, T. Watanabe, T. Wagatsuma

      Pages 111-121

   8. Root cell-wall properties are proposed to contribute to phosphorus (P) mobilization by groundnut and pigeonpea

      • N. Ae, R. F. Shen

      Pages 123-131

   9. Role of soil microorganisms in improving P nutrition of plants

      • P. Gyaneshwar, G. Naresh Kumar, L. J. Parekh, P. S. Poole

      Pages 133-143

   10. Phosphorus use efficiency as related to sources of P fertilizers, rainfall, soil, crop management, and genotypes in the West African semi-arid tropics

       • A. Bationo, K. Anand Kumar

       Pages 145-154

   11. Modelling root-induced solubilization of nutrients

       • G. J. D. Kirk

       Pages 155-163

   12. Scope for genetic manipulation of mineral acquisition in chickpea

       • Yusuf Ali, L. Krishnamurthy, N. P. Saxena, O. P. Rupela, Jagdish Kumar, C. Johansen

       Pages 165-176

   13. Aluminum tolerance in nodulated N2-fixing legumes species native to two contrasting savanna sites

       • M-L Izaguirre-Mayoral, S. Flores, T. Oropeza

       Pages 177-182

Ultimate success in exploiting the genetic capabilities of plants to grow in nutrient-stressed environments of the semi-arid tropics (SAT) requires a holistic view of food systems to ensure that genetic selections for improved yields on nutrient-poor soils will actually be adopted by farmers. This book sets out to address the important issue of how physiological mechanisms of nutrient uptake can best be combined with genetic options to improve the adaptation of crops to low-nutrient availability, thereby enhancing productivity of nutrient poor soils in the semi-arid tropics. The book examines (i) the sustainability of breeding for low-nutrient environments from the viewpoint of three interrelated disciplines; physiology, breeding, and socio-economics, (ii) candidate mechanisms and physiological traits to enhance uptake and utilization efficiencies, (iii) genetic approaches for manipulation of crop plants to enhance root exudation and access nutrients in the rhizosphere, and (iv) field practices and farmers' preferences for crop varieties grown in low-nutrient environments. Finally, the role of modelling in improving nutrient efficiency in cropping systems, recommendations for future research needs and strategies were highlighted. Attended by 50 international participants, this book is the outcome of the workshop held at ICRISAT-India during 27-30 September 1999 to mark the culmination of the Government of Japan/ICRISAT Project.

• breeding
• cropping systems
• crops
• food security
• food systems
• genetic approaches
• genetic capabilities
• genetic options
• low-nutrient environments
• nutrient uptake
• nutrient-stressed
• physiology
• root exudation
• sustainability
• utilization efficiencies

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