Advances in Seed Science and Technology for More Sustainable Crop Production: 120 (Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science)

“The editors of this excellent book, Dr Julia Buitink and Dr Olivier Leprince, are two world-renowned seed scientists. They have brought together a fantastic team of experts for the ten book chapters with topics covering the broad and diverse field of seed science, providing the latest technological advances and bridging the fundamental and applied research relevant for supporting a more sustainable crop production. In summary, this is a highly attractive and comprehensive book into advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production, written by world experts. It is a valuable source of information for advanced-level university students, academic and industrial researchers, and other professionals across a wide range of plant science disciplines and beyond in seed sector agencies. The attractive format of the chapters with many excellent colour figures and extensive lists of relevant literature are beneficial for university-level teaching and industrial workshops. This illuminating book addresses the key challenges facing seed science and deserves high recommendation.” (Book Review by Professor Gerhard Leubner, Royal Holloway University of London, UK – Published in Seed Science Research)

With the continued effects of climate change threatening the security of the global food system, there is a greater emphasis on ensuring successful crop establishment as a means of optimising agricultural production.

Advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production considers how an improved understanding of seed quality, germination and seedling emergence can address this challenge. The book reviews the development of new techniques to ensure seed quality control, including seed phenotyping, as well as the role of genetic and environmental factors in determining seed longevity.

In its comprehensive exploration of seed science and technology, the book highlights how an informed understanding of seed biology can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change on seed quality and consequently crop production.

Dr Julia Buitink is a Research Director at IRHS (the Research Institute of Horticulture and Seeds) within INRAE (the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment). Dr Buitink is President of the International Society for Seed Science (ISSS). She is internationally renowned for her research on regulatory networks involved in the acquisition of seed vigour during development.

Dr Olivier Leprince is Professor of Plant Physiology at L’Institut Agro - Rennes Angers, France. Professor Leprince is a world-leading expert on the seed desiccation tolerance, longevity and vigour. He is ISSS Regional Representative for Western Europe and Scandinavia and Associate Editor of Seed Science Research.

Kent J. Bradford is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis. Originally from Texas, he earned his B.S. in Biochemistry and M.S. in Horticulture from Michigan State University and his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from the University of California, Davis. He founded the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center in 1999 and served as its director until 2019. He received a Fulbright Scholar award in 1999 to teach in Argentina and the Career Seed Science Award from the Crop Science Society of America in 2002. He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003, and received the faculty Award of Distinction from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis in 2007. He served as Interim Director of the UC Davis World Food Center in 2017-2018 and Associate Director in 2019-2020. He was advanced to Distinguished Professor at UC Davis in 2013 and retired as Emeritus in 2019.