Challenge of Plant and Agriculutral Sciences to the Crisis of Biosphere on the Earth in the 21st Century

For contribution to the growth and advancement of emerging fundamental science and technology, the first Toyota Conference was organized in 1987 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Toyota Motor Corporation. Since then, this convergence has been held every year, dealing with a broad range of subjects in different fields. In this conference, dozens of Japanese and foreign experts spend four days and three nights living together, discussing a common theme. Participants have consistently praised this format, which encourages deeply involved discussions and fresh insights. Each Toyota Conference is planned and executed independently by a third-party organizing committee under the sponsorship of Toyota Motor Corporation, and its secretariat is placed in Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. One essential idea for the 21st century is “sustainable development.” Agriculture has a vital role for this development. Many people are optimistic about plants'ability to cleanse and protect the environment; for example, to help prevent global warming by fixing carbon monoxide with photosynthesis. Furthermore, experts forecast the global population topping 10 billion by the middle of the next century. If all these people are to enjoy meaningful lives, we must find environmentally friendly ways to produce sufficient supplies of safe foods and adopt the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture. In view of this issue, the theme chosen for the 12th Toyota Conference was the “Challenge of Plant and Agricultural Sciences to the Crisis of Biosphere on the Earth in the 21st Century.” Fifty-six researchers from sixteen countries have considered this theme, conducting lively discussions not only covering scientific subjects like biotechnology but also addressing social and economic issues. COVER......Page 1 TITLE PAGE. Challenge of Plant and Agricultural Sciences to the Crisis of Biosphere on the Earth in the 21st Century......Page 2 Copyright ©2000 EUREKAH.COM......Page 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 4 EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS......Page 12 FOREWORD......Page 15 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE 12TH TOYOTA CONFERENCE......Page 16 TOYOTA CONFERENCES......Page 18 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 20 PREFACE......Page 21 SECTION I. Introduction to the Challenge: Guide for the Book......Page 22 SECTION II. Prospects of Supply and Demand for Food: Research Strategies for the Coming Century......Page 23 CHAPTER 1. Food Shortage in the 21st Century and Its Implications for Agricultural Research......Page 24 CHAPTER 2. Prospects for Grain Demand and Supply in the 21st Century......Page 48 CHAPTER 3. Agricultural Science In India—Shaping for the Future......Page 57 CHAPTER 4. Setting Priorities for Agricultural Research: Theory and Experience......Page 69 CHAPTER 5. Sustainable Agriculture and Strategies in Rice Breeding......Page 80 SECTION III. The Present Situation of Biological Production and the Approach to the Sustainable Production in Arid Lands......Page 88 CHAPTER 6. Drylands and Global Change: Rainfall Variability and Sustainable Rangeland Production......Page 89 CHAPTER 7. Sustainable Water Management and Agriculture......Page 103 CHAPTER 8. Crop and Resource Management for Improved Productivity in Dryland Farming Systems......Page 114 CHAPTER 9. Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture in Arid Lands: Kazakstan Case Study......Page 122 CHAPTER 10. Distribution and Amelioration of Alkali Soils in Northeast China......Page 128 SECTION IV. Conservation and Contribution of Plant Genetic Resources......Page 137 CHAPTER 11. Integrated Plant Genetic Resources Management Systems for Sustainable Agriculture......Page 138 CHAPTER 12. Genebank Management of Crop Genetic Resources......Page 151 CHAPTER 13. Biodiversity Conservation Ex Situ and In Situ Conservation: A Case in Turkey......Page 163 CHAPTER 14. Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: Status and Future Prospects......Page 170 SECTION V. Improvements of Plant Function with Conventional Methods and Biotechnology......Page 182 CHAPTER 15. Engineering Carbohydrate Metabolism in Transgenic Plants......Page 183 CHAPTER 16. Super-RuBisCO for Improving Photosynthesis......Page 192 CHAPTER 17. Molecular Physiology of Nitrogen Recycling in Rice Plants......Page 200 SECTION VI. Environmental Adaptation and Generation of Resistant Plants......Page 214 CHAPTER 19. Stress Tolerance in Crops—How Many and Which Genes?......Page 215 CHAPTER 20. Improving Drought, Salt and Freezing Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Plants......Page 231 CHAPTER 21. Characterization of Salt Inducible Genes from Barley Plants......Page 239 CHAPTER 22. Transgenic Rice: Development and Products for Environmentally Friendly Sustainable Agriculture......Page 245 CHAPTER 23. Plant Programmed Cell Death and Environmental Constraints—Adenylate Homeostasis and Aerenchyma Formation......Page 255 SECTION VII. Biotechnology of Woody Plants......Page 265 CHAPTER 24. Molecular Tools for Capturing the Value of the Tropical Rain Forest......Page 266 CHAPTER 25. Improvement of a New Transformation Method: MAT Vector System......Page 273 CHAPTER 26. Formation and Characterization of Transformed Woody Plants Inhibiting Lignin Biosynthesis......Page 281 CHAPTER 27. Tolerance of Acacia Mangium to Acid Soil......Page 287 CHAPTER 28. Developing a Mass Propagation System for Woody Plants......Page 294 CHAPTER 29. Advances in Conifer Tree Improvement Through Somatic Embryogenesis......Page 308 BACK COVER......Page 315