Annals of Botany 90: 545, 2002
© 2002 Annals of Botany Company
Khachatourians, G.G., McHughen, A., Scorza, R., Nip, W.K. and Haui, Y.H. eds. Transgenic plants and crops
Transgenic plants and crops
Khachatourians GG, McHughen A, Scorza R, Nip W-K, Haui YH, eds. 2002.
New York: Marcel Dekker.
US$ 225.00 (hardback). 849 pp.
Readers of this journal may ask themselves whether the world really needs another multi-author volume on transgenic crops. Indeed, I asked the same question myself when invited to review this new volume. The literature on the topic is immense and it is necessary to do something different to attract purchasers and readers. In the present case the authors have attempted to provide almost encyclopedic coverage, with 55 chapters running to almost 850 large format pages. This was clearly a monumental task and it is necessary to ask whether the venture has succeeded. The answer, as with most multi-author volumes, is yes and no. The coverage is certainly wider than that of any other volume on the topic that I have encountered, ranging from general principles through specific technologies, intellectual property and public perception to detailed accounts of specific crops. Consideration of the latter gives an intriguing indication of the current interest in transgenic technology and perceived benefits, as they include a wide range of fruits (e.g. kiwi, papaya, cranberry, melon), vegetables (e.g. asparagus, pepper, onion, pulses) and grain crops (cereals, oilseeds). However, there is considerable variation in the scope of coverage of individual species, with some chapters focusing on specific technologies and targets, and others giving wider accounts of the biotechnology of the crop and traits of importance. The coverage of the major cereal, legume and oilseed crops that dominate world agriculture is also less extensive than I would have expected, with soybean being a notable omission. This may reflect the fact that few of the authors come from the multinational biotechnology companies that are responsible for much of the research on these crops.
Despite these criticisms, the volume represents an impressive achievement. Although many of the topics are covered in more detail elsewhere, it may well prove to be the best initial source of information for many researchers and students, fully justifying the cost of $225.
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