Bennie Douglas Mayberry: An Unsung Hero...PROF1 LES Bennie Douglas Mayberry: An Unsung Hero D....

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Bennie Douglas Mayberry: An Unsung Hero D. Jordan*

HERE does it all begin W for an unsung hero like Bennie Douglas May- berry? A native Alabamian, he always knew that he wanted to study agriculture and that an education was the key to his success. Although he had meager earnings, he persevered and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocation- al Agriculture from Tuske- gee Institute in 1937. He was influenced by many of the great teachers and scientists at that time. Although George Washington Carver, the great agricultural chemist, had officially retired during Mayberry’s undergraduate years, Carver would guest lecture from time to time for other professors. Mayberry describes his experience with Carver in seminar settings as a pleasure and a privilege. He, along with other professors, served as motivators for young students like Ben- nie. One of Mayberry’s most memorable experiences as a student at Tuskegee was his early years as a student trainee with Professor Hayes. Hayes coordinated the Truck Vegetable Laboratory, which traveled around communities in Alabama (Mayberry, 1989). This experience strongly influenced Mayberry to study horticulture later in graduate school.

Before furthering his education, Mayberry was to gain much experience in the world of work. His first job was a teaching position in the Chambers County Training School in Lafayette, AL, from 1937 to 1940. In 1940, he moved to Madison County and taught horticulture at the Madison County Training School, which was owned by Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) Univer- sity. This connection led to still another position in the university, which would draw him even closer to his love of horticulture. The head of horticulture at Alabama A&M University was retiring and Mayberry became the new department head and leader of the Horticulture Demonstration Project at the college.

By this time, Mayberry was making a name for him- self as an innovative researcher and dynamic teacher

Soil and Atmospheric Sciences Dep., The School of Natural Resources, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO 6521 1. Contribution from the Mis- souri Agric. Exp. Stn., Journal Series no. 12,242. Received 12 Dec. 1994. *Corresponding author (snrdiann@mizzoul .missouri.edu).

Published in J . Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 24:71-73 (1995).

throughout the southeast. Southern University learned of his outstanding work and in 1945 invited him to become their head of horticulture in Baton Rouge, LA. This position, however, was short-lived when Professor L.A. Potts asked him to return to Tuskegee Institute as head of horticulture in 1946. Dr. F.D. Patterson, then president of Tuskegee Institute, took a special interest in May- berry’s career and encouraged him to pursue graduate study. Mayberry wanted this opportunity, but family and financial responsibilities had to be considered. Mayberry recalls this time as one of both excitement and anxious- ness. This was a rare opportunity in 1947 for a black person to pursue advanced studies, especially in agriculture. Nonetheless, through the efforts of Dr. Patterson and his department chair, he was able to obtain funds from the General Education Board for graduate study.

In 1947, Mayberry and his family journeyed to East Lansing, MI. He studied under the auspices of Profes- sor Sylvan Wittwer on a project dealing with the growth and development of vegetable crops as influenced by foliar application of sucrose and major nutrient elements (Mayberry, 1951). The two had a very warm and cordial relationship. Wittwer (1 994, personal communication) remembers those days with fondness and describes May- berry as “hard-working and a very sharp man. We had a mutual respect for each other and he achieved in all aspects of the program.” After more than 40 years, they have maintained their friendship and still write to each other each Christmas.

Although Mayberry was not the first black American to graduate with a Ph.D. in horticulture, he was certainly among only a handful of black Americans on the entire campus. Mayberry excelled in his program and he describes his graduate experience, both professionally and personally, as extremely fulfilling. When asked about the general racial climate of the Michigan campus and community, Mayberry responded, “It was very cordial at the time; I was treated in a very kind way. I was the only Negro student in the graduate program in the agricultural college at the time.”

Although Mayberry found the campus racial climate to be very tolerant, a different experience awaited him in the East Lansing community. After completing his master’s and Ph.D., Mayberry was hired as an instructor in the Horticulture Department at Michigan State, the first black person hired in the entire College of Agricul- ture. His appointment was actually history in the making. At the time, only one other black held a teaching position at the university. Dr. Hannah, then president of Michigan State University, wanted to see more black

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Yo/. 24, no. 1, 1995 71

faculty on the campus. With Mayberry’s appointment, there would be at least two faculty members, one in horticulture and one in English. Hannah, therefore, whole- heartedly encouraged and supported Mayberry’s appointment. Having accepted the offer, Mayberry decided to purchase a home for his family in the East Lansing community. It was only then that Mayberry and his family confronted racism head on. No real estate agent in East Lansing would sell a black man a home at that time. Unsuccessful in securing a home for his family and being very concerned that his preschool/elementary age chil- dren had received no exposure to any black teachers, Mayberry decided to return to Tuskegee as head of horticulture.

Back at Tuskegee, Mayberry became heavily involved in teaching and research. He was particularly concerned that some of his research benefit the local community. Several of his research projects were developed with an eye on extension. For instance, he devisd a project to improve methods for canning sweet potato and developed instructional materials in the isotope and radiation technology program in 1959 at Tuskegee (Mayberry, 1961). Very interested in nutrient management, he also designed several projects that examined the absorption and trans- location of strontium in plants and the effects of maleic hydrazide in tea (Mayberry and Ranama, 1963; Mayberry and Debose, 1963; Biswas et al., 1966, 1967).

Along with his research program, Mayberry was very instrumental in developing programs to encourage Ala- bama’s youth to pursue careers in science. He conducted the first summer institute in radiation biology and the first summer program for high-achieving high school science students at Tuskegee Institute in the late 1950s and the early 1960s.

An innovative teacher who is remembered as a wise, caring mentor, Mayberry later spearheaded the effort to establish a preforestry program at Tuskegee Institute. As was always the case, he saw a need and set out to meet it. In 1968, only three African Americans were professionally trained foresters in the USA (Mayberry, 1993). Mayberry states, “I was shocked to find only three of them were black.” Mayberry set out to change this sad, shocking statistic. He developed a preforestry program in which Tuskegee would provide students with basic science and forestry courses. After 2 years the students would transfer to a forestry program or school. Several universities nationwide participated in this endeavor- Iowa State University, Auburn University, University of Michigan, University of California-Davis-to increase the number of black foresters in the USA. Today John Yan- cey, state chief of forestry in Alabama, and the only Afri- can American state chief in the nation, is an example of the kind of graduate the Tuskegee program produced. Yancey remembers how comfortable and encouraged he felt when Mayberry approached him to enroll in Tuske- gee’s program: “1 was really considering engineering as a major, but Dr. Mayberry was so encouraging and easy to talk to that I reconsidered my decision and decided to major in forestry. I have no regrets about that decision 25 years ago.”

Mayberry’s influence extends to other foresters as well.

Glenn Blankenship, U.S. Forest Service, describes him as a “pioneer and leader who has an idea and implements it.” In September of 1993, the program celebrated its 25th anniversary on the Tuskegee University’s campus. Through this program, the number of African American foresters increased from 3 in 1968 to more than 50 in 1993.

When Mayberry first returned to Tuskegee in 1950, he had wanted to devote his time to teaching and research. But the opportunity to serve as an administrator opened and he accepted the challenge. “At the time, I really was not too fond of the idea of being a full-time administrator, but it was an opportunity to make some real changes.” As dean of the School of Agriculture, he spent the next 30 years developing strategies and policies for formula funding for Tuskegee and the 1890 land-grant institutions. In 1890, Congress passed the Morrill Act establishing land-grant colleges and universities to serve African Americans. From 1890 until the mid 1960s, funding to these universities and colleges had been minimal. Beginning in 1967, the annual appropriations of these funds was $238,000, which was divided among all 16 black land-grant institutions. Mayberry, along with other deans and administrators from other 1890 institutions, worked diligently to pursue funding from state and fed- eral agencies. Thanks to their efforts, the funds have increased over the years. For the fiscal year 1989, appropriations for research and extension at these land-grant institutions were $41 ,OOO,OOO, a substantial increase over funding just 22 years earlier (Mayberry, 1989). The hard work of Mayberry and his colleagues finally began to pay off in a significant way, allowing 1890 land-grant institutions to provide more opportunities to students, faculty, and the community.

Like his students, Mayberry’s fellow administrators (past and present) describe him as one of the greatest men- tors in the last SO years. James W. Shuford, dean of the School of Agriculture at Alabama A&M University, says that he (Mayberry) is one of the most outstanding administrators who has developed research and instructional programs in the 1890 land-grant system. George Cooper, USDA administrator and former student, further echoes that sentiment by describing Mayberry as “one of a kind” and a truly great mentor for students, young administrators, and colleagues. Many of Mayberry’s former students are successful professionals in the agricultural and natural resource fields. One of his first students, James Jay (now assistant vice provost at Michigan State), recalls Mayberry’s strong influence and encouragement: “I got my start with Mayberry in the 1950s and he was a demanding professor, but his mentoring and encouragement have continued throughout my career.”

A man also dedicated to improving life for his fellow man, Mayberry’s contributions to the community are especially noteworthy. He wrote the grant to secure the funding that established the Macon County Community Action Program and the Tuskegee Model Cities Project. His leadership as both educator and community activist extends to many international settings. He established a long-term horticultural improvement project in the Ye- men Arabic Republic and served as technical advisor on the Extension Methods project in Haiti.

72 J. Nat. Resow. Life Sci. Educ., Yo/. 24, no. 7, 1995

Although Mayberry retired in 1981 and is an emeritusprofessor and dean, he continues to contribute to the his-tory of African Americans in agriculture and naturalresources in the publication of several books (Mayberry,1991). His impact on the success of the 1890 land-grantagricultural colleges and universities has beenphenomenal. Like all heroes, his influence, by all ac-counts, is immeasurable—an eminent scholar, outstand-ing researcher, wise mentor, a compassionate civic leader,a great humanitarian. He is an unsung hero who has madea major difference in the lives of his students, colleagues,and fellow man. His vision, one that can be shared byall races, speaks to the greatness that lies in each of us:

No height is too great to ascend,You are limited only by your own hopes,aspirations, and preparation. There areno other limits.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe author wishes to express sincere appreciation to

Dr. Bennie Douglas Mayberry for granting an interview,his former students, and colleagues for sharing valuableinsight for this profile article. Dr. Shirley M. Jordan isgratefully acknowledged for timely and critical review ofthis manuscript.

Defining Soil Qualityfor a Sustainable Environment 555/4 Special Publication Number 35

It has been known for quite some time that air and water quality can be degraded by a variety of means. Unfortunately, fewpeople realize that soil quality can also be affected by various uses and management practices. Interest in soil quality has beenenhanced over the past few years as soil scientists are becoming more concerned about the role of soils in sustainable productionsystems and the linkages between soil characteristics and plant-human health.

Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment, SSSA Special Publication Number 35, contains the papers on soil qualitypresented at a recent annual meeting symposium. Emphasis has been placed on defining soil quality, identifying soil quality indices,and assessing the biological importance of soil quality. This publication serves as an excellent first step in educating scientists aboutthe concepts and significance of soil quality.

Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. J.W. Doran, D.C. Coleman, D.F. Bezdicek, and B.A. Stewart, ed. Pub-lished by the Soil Science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy. SSSA Special Publication Number 35. Softcover,244 pages, 1994. ISBN 0-89118-807-X Price: $30.00 (members' first copy: $25.00).

Please send me ________ copy(ies) of Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment.Method of payment: My Society Membership Number is _______________ Check of money order enclosed _ Bill me ($2.00 invoicing charge)__ Credit card (check one): Q Visa Q MasterCard Q Discover

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City______State/Province . Zip/Postal Code. Country.All payments must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank or add $40 U.S. to the total amount due. Advance payment and 10 percent perbook for postage is required on all orders outside the United States. Wisconsin residents add appropriate sales tax Send your order to: SSSA,ASA Headquarters Office; Attn: Book Order Department; 677 South Segoe Road; Madison, Wisconsin 53711-1086 USA.

FAX Your Order 24 Hours a Day 608-273-2021

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995 • 73

STUDENT ESSAYSThe following articles are the winning essays from the 1994 American Society of Agronomy Student Essay Contest.

The essays are published here with the understanding that the students’ advisors or other departmental faculty wouldbe asked to make editorial corrections. In fact all our professional journals have the proofreading and editorial assistanceof secretaries, colleagues, peer reviewers, and staff editors at ASA headquarters.

First Place

Russian Wheat Aphid Antixenosis to Barley Preconditionedwith Greenbug Biotype E

Chad Cummings

T HE Russum WHEAT APHID (Diuraphis noxia) (RWA)has been a pest on small grains in the western Unit-

ed States since 1986. Research has been under way sincethat time to discover the effects of this pest on small grainplants, especially wheat and barley. The greenbug(Schizaphis graminum) (GB), on the other hand, has beenin the United States since 1882. With its eight biotypes(B to I, each letter representing a biotype), this insect hasbeen subject to years of testing and has adapted quicklyto new obstacles. Plants infested with greenbugs havestunted growth and grain yield reductions (Gerloff, 1971).Plants infested with Russian wheat aphids have leafstreaking due to chlorophyll loss, leaf rolling, and lowergrain yields. Plants severely infested with either insectare ultimately destroyed and have little to no grainproduction.

Although thorough testing has been conducted onRWA feeding behavior on small grains, there are onlya few tests documenting RWA feeding interactions withGB. There are several unanswered questions as to thefeeding behavior of RWAs alone and in the presence ofgreenbugs. For instance, do RWAs feed easier on GB in-fested tissue compared to virgin tissue? If GBs have al-ready infested a field, is the field more or less likely toalso be infested by RWAs?

Since greenbugs extract phloem nutrients from theplant, RWAs may not prefer feeding upon plants thatgreenbugs have already fed upon (preconditioned plants).The tendency of an insect to not prefer feeding on plantsis called antixenosis. If a wheat or barley cultivar is resis-tant to the GB but not the RWA, and RWAs do notprefer to feed on GB preconditioned plants, it may bewise for a farmer to allow controlled GB feeding for aperiod of time to repel the RWA. On the other hand, ifthe RWA prefers to feed on plants which have been previ-ously fed upon by greenbugs, then a farmer may haveto prepare for increased chances of a RWA infestation

c/o Kevin J. Donnelly, 550 Ag Hall, Dep. of Agronomy, OklahomaState Univ., Stillwater, OK 74078 ([email protected]).

Published in J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 24:74-77 (1995).

after a GB infestation has been controlled. Therefore, thepurpose of this experiment was to discover if the RWAprefers feeding on GB preconditioned plants over virginplant tissue.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Greenhouse colonies of Russian wheat aphids and bio-type E greenbugs (GBE) were used in this experiment.The reasons for choosing biotype E were for identifica-tion purposes, since this biotype has a dark stripe downits thorax and therefore was noticeably different fi’om theRWA, and GBE is the most prevalent biotype in nature(Stoetzel, 1987).

Two cultivars of barley were used in the experimentto show not only preferences within one cultivar, but alsoto show preferences between cultivars with varying sus-ceptibility. Cultivar ’PI 366450’ was chosen because it isresistant to the RWA and it is susceptible to the GBE.Cultivar ’Post’ was used because it is resistant to the GBEand susceptible to the RWA.

The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at theUSDA-ARS, Plant Science Research Lab, Stillwater, OK.The plants were grown in natural light conditions fromNovember to January at a temperature between 24 and26 °C.

Ten pots (15 cm in diameter) were filled with a sandyloam soil. In each pot two hills of PI366450 spring barleyand two hills of Post winter barley were planted. Eachhill contained 3 or 4 seeds. The hills were arranged in asquare formation so that a hill was at each vertice. Eachsquare was arranged so that the Post entries were di-agonally from each other and the PI366450 entries werearranged similarly.

Four days after planting each pot was covered with aplastic cage (15 cm in diameter and 40 cm in height).These cages had two holes cut along their sides. The holeswere covered with cheese cloth to prevent aphids fromescaping while still enabling enough air to pass throughthe holes to allow aeration for the plants and aphids.

The plants were allowed to grow until stage 3 accord-

74 ¯ J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995

Fig. 1. For preconditioning feeding, the plants were equipped with a petri dish containing a cork sponge and clothes pin. Ten adult greenbugs were placed inside the cage, on the leaf. These aphids were allowed to feed for 48 hours.

ing to the Feekes Scale of Growth in Cereals (Feekes, 1941). This indicated that each plant had at least four or five leaves, and tillering had started in most plants. One day prior to the test each hill was thinned to one plant, so that only four plants remained in each pot. Each pot had plants that were similar in height and number of leaves.

Two of the plants were randomly chosen to be prein- fested, one Post and one PI366450 plant from each pot. These plants were equipped with petri dishes measuring 8 cm in diameter (Fig. 1). The petri dishes had two holes 1.3 cm in length cut in the sides directly opposite from each other. Sponge buffers were placed on the holes to prevent the plants from tearing. Two 27-cm cork pads were placed in the bottom of each petri dish in order to keep the plants from being suspended in air. One plant that had been chosen to be infested was placed on the cork in the petri dish. Ten adult apterous GBEs were placed on the plant. The top of the petri dish was placed over the plant to keep the GBE inside. Fourty-eight hours after infestation the top of the petri dish was taken off the plant. All GBE adults and nymphs which had been produced during the testing period were removed from the plant. The plant was then taken off of the petri dish. One 1 1-cm leaf sample was cut off of each plant (prein- fested and virgin) and placed in a IO-mL vial, filled with water.

The plants were taken into the laboratory where the remaining experiments were conducted. Each vial was placed on a vial holder which was constructed out of 1 1-cm thick Plexiglas (Fig. 2). The holders were in an L shape with magnets taped along the underside of the Plex- iglas. Section A was 3.7 by 6.6 by 0.6 cm. Section B was 3.7 by 1.8 by 0.6 cm with a semi-circular notch in the top of the 3.7-cm side. Section C was 3.7 by 3.0 by 0.6 cm with a 1.6-cm semi-circular notch cut in the center of the 3.7-cm side.

Several of these vial holders were then placed on a circular metal platform for testing aphid preference (Fig. 3). The platform was 24 cm in diameter and was painted white to prevent any favoring glare. A round wooden

Fig. 2. Vial holders were used to hold leaves steady during antixenosis testing. Each consisted of a 10 mL vial, a sponge and a Plexiglas holder pieced together with glue. Magnets were placed on the bottom of each vial to prevent the vial from slipping, which would cause the plant to tear. Ten milliliters of distilled water were placed in each vial with a preconditioned leaf.

block, 7 cm in diameter by 2.8 cm high, was placed in the center of the platform. A petri dish (100 by 15 mm) was centered on top of the wooden block. This petri dish had eight cut 0.7 by 0.8-cm slots which were spaced at even intervals around the dish. Two rubber bands were placed around the outside edge of the petri dish, one along the bottom edge of the holes and one at the top of the holes, to prevent the aphids from wandering out of the petri dish. Each leaf was placed in a slot so that approximately the same surface area was susceptible to aphid preference. The rubber bands were pushed down and up (the top and bottom rubber bands, respectively) until the slots were closed. A 4-cm petri dish was filled with green floral clay and placed in the center of the larger petri dish. Each leaf was put onto the clay and a 2.5-cm

Fig. 3. One vial of each treatment was placed on a tray around a raised petri dish. The leaves of each vial were placed in evenly spaced holes made between the top and bottom of the petri dish. Two rubber bands were placed on the bottom petri lid to seal the space between lids. The leaves were joined in the middle of the petri dish on a small disc containing potting clay. Another Plexiglas disc was placed on the leaves to hold them on the lower disc. The top of the petri dish was positioned so that no space remained to prevent aphids from escaping.

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995 75

disc was placed over the plants to hold the leaf flat dur-ing the test. Twenty adult apterous RWAs were collect-ed from the greenhouse colonies (which were reared on’Wintermalt’ barley) and put into small holding contain-ers. Each testing platform was assigned a container ofaphids. The containers were opened and RWAs werepoured onto the disc centered over the plants. The topof each petri dish was secured so that a seal was formedbetween the rubber bands and the petri dish. This testwas conducted for a 48 hour period under constant flores-cent lighting. The temperature was maintained between24 and 27 °C.

After 48 hours the top of each petri dish was removed.A scalpel was used to cut the plants at the point at whichthe plant entered the clay. Each leaf was observed andthen lifted to observe the bottom of the leaf. The num-ber of adult aphids was counted and recorded.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Russian wheat aphids preferred plants that had notbeen preconditioned over those that had been previouslyinfested by greenbugs. When averaged across both culti-vats, the results show that the Russian wheat aphidspreferred plants that had no prior infestation (Table 1).The check treatments had a mean of 4.54 aphids perplant, while the preconditioned group had a mean of 3.26aphids per plant. These results suggest that antixenosisfrom greenbug feeding may indeed exist for Russianwheat aphids.

Cultivar differences were also indicated. The Russianwheat aphids preferred PI366450 check with a mean of4.60 aphids per plant over the PI366450 preconditionedplants with a mean of 2.95 aphids per plant (Table 2).For Post, the difference was less dramatic. Under precon-ditioning circumstances, PI366450 would appear to bea better cultivar for warding off RWA infestation aftera greenbug preinfestation has occurred. In addition, ithas been selected for RWA resistance.

Several theories can be explored to help explain the an-tixenosis observed in this study. Aphids extract nutrientsOUt of the phloem. Most aphids take in amino acids whichcompose from 0.03°70 to 1070 of the total honeydew (sap-type substance excreted by aphids) taken from aphidstylets (Dadd and Mittler, 1965). Carbohydrate (mainlysucrose) amounts can vary between 507o and 5007o of thehoneydew (Mittler et al., 1970). Prosser et al. (1992)showed that the pea aphid (Acrythosiphon pisum) grewat a higher rate on plants containing an increased amountof amino acids. Minerals such as Ca, P, Zn, Mg, Fe, andK are essential food substances and can be found in theaphid honeydew. These minerals, when deficient, have

Table 1. Russian wheat aphid preference in barley preconditionedby feeding with greenbug biotype E (averaged across two cul-tivars).

Treatment No. of entries Mean no. of RWA per plant

Check 40 4.54 _+ 0.6 a*Preconditioned 39 3.26 + 0.3 b

* Lower case letters indicate the Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welch Multiple RangeQ Test rating for individual variables. Variables shown with different let-ters are considered significantly different {P > 0.05; SAS, 1985L


been shown to reduce feeding rate in aphids, reproduc-tion rate in aphids, and even aphid preference to hostplants (Ehrhardt, 1968). Therefore, after aphids extractphloem sap, there may not be sufficient amino acids ormineral nutrients for aphids, even of a different genus,to feed on the same plant. However, it would be difficultto speculate on this hypothesis without further experimen-tation.

Another area that needs further experimentation is thepossibility that chemical inhibitors given off by greenbugsmay deter other aphids from feeding on their feeding sites(Formusoh et al., 1992). Allomones are chemicals secretedby an individual of one species that have an adverse ef-fect on an individual of another species (Borror et al.,1989, p. 85-87). By producing allomones, a greenbugpopulation could easily ward off an intruding Russianwheat aphid population. Future work could even lead todevelopment of deterrents using extracted or biosynthe-sized greenbug allomones.

The fact that Russian wheat aphids prefer uncondi-tioned or virgin plants does provide some potential ap-proaches to addressing RWA infestations in the field. Ifa farmer has a field of GB preconditioned barley, ~it maynot be necessary to apply another treatment of pesticidesfor RWA since the Russian wheat aphids will not preferor feed on the barley. This will not only save the farmermoney, but will decrease the potential negative effects ofpesticides in the environment.

In conclusion, the importance of continued researchon the Russian wheat aphid is an accepted fact. This studyhas suggested that there is an interaction between the be-havior of Russian wheat aphids and prior infestation bygreenbug biotype E on barley. It should be emphasizedthat these results are preliminary; therefore, furtherstudies should be conducted on the interaction and com-munication between the Russian wheat aphid and otheraphid species such as the bird cherry oat aphid, and simi-lar studies with other crops such as wheat should be com-pleted. Also, there needs to be more research conductedto detect any differences in Russian wheat aphid fecun-dity, or reproduction, on unconditioned versus precon-ditioned plants.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Dr. James A. Webster, KeithMirkes, Chad Webb, and P. Scott Lingren of the USDA-ARS, Sitllwater, OK, for their assistance.

Table 2. Russian wheat aphid preference in barley by cultivar andpreconditioning treatment with greenbug biotype E.t

Mean no. ofCultivar Treatment No. of entries RWA per plant

PI366450 CK~: 20 4.60 -+ 0.7Post CK 20 4.48 + 0.6Post PR§ 19 3.58 -+ 0.5PI366450 PR 19 2.95 _+ 0.5

The statistics in this table were computed using the Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welch Multiple Range Q Test rating test {P > 0.05; SAS, 1985.CK = check. These entries had no preconditioning; they were used as acontrol group for comparison.PR = preconditioned. These entries were preconditioned by GBE feeding.

Second Place

Diversity of Wheat Scab Fungus Populationson a Small Spatial Scale

Denise K. Klenda

EPIDEMICS OF WHEAT SCAB caused by the fungus Fusar-ium graminearum, have occurred on cereal grains

throughout the world. Due to the excessive rainfall andhigh humidity during the summer of 1993, environmen-tal conditions were ideal for disease infection butdetrimental to crop and grain development. Consistent-ly saturated soil conditions had negative effects on rootgrowth while high humidity allowed disease causing or-ganisms to produce abundant spores. As a result, an epi-demic of wheat scab struck the Central and UpperMidwest of the United States causing disastrous crop loss-es. Estimated losses were reported in excess of $500 mil-lion for the wheat crops in North Dakota and Minnesotaalone (Bowden, 1994, personal communication). Europe,Asia, South Africa, Canada, and several other countriesalso encounter wheat scab as a common problem. Un-fortunately, little is known about how this disease isspread within the crop or between fields and few resis-tant cultivars are currently available. Understanding theimportance of controlling wheat scab, how the diseaseattacks the wheat head, and the diversity found in naturalpopulations can help scientists to develop durable con-trols for this plant disease.

Controlling wheat scab in the field is important formany reasons. Wheat scab, also referred to as headblight, is cause of concern for grain growers, livestockproducers, and cereal processors because both quantityand quality are affected. To begin, the fungus utilizes pro-tein, starch, and lipids from the kernel for growth. This

c/o John Fritz, Agronomy Dep., Throckmorton Hall, Kansas StateUniv., Manhattan, KS 66506.


makes scabby kernels 38% lighter in weight than soundkernels (Love, 1985). As a result, grain producers suffera reduction in test weight due to the presence of scab in-fected wheat in the field (Fig. 1). In addition, concernmust also be given to the presence of mycotoxins that areproduced by the fungus. Deoxynivalenol (DON) andzearalenone are the most common toxins found. Whenpresent at excessive levels, the wheat cannot be used forcommercial food or feed processing (Fig. 2). The UnitedStates Food and Drug Administration lists guidelines forDON that cannot exceed 4 parts per million in animalfeed and 1 part per million in food or food ingredients(Jones, 1991). In response to the toxins, animals fed con-taminated grain experience reduced feed intake whichlowers daily rates of gain and feed efficiency (Fig. 3). Forthese reasons, it is desirable for wheat to be kept free ofscab while in the field and during processing.

Understanding how the disease attacks the wheat headmay be an important clue to controlling this pathogen.The dispersal of inoculum from the source to the wheathead is a critical event in the disease cycle. The fungusFusarium graminearum, also known as Gibberella zeae,attacks the wheat heads by entering through the antherswhen the plant is flowering and kernels are forming. Theplant becomes less susceptible as the kernels develop andmature. Once the scab fungus has infected the plant, thestem and leaves may remain green while the head turnswhite. In many cases, only part of the head is attacked.Kernels located above the infected spikelet will becomeshrivelled once the fungus penetrates the rachis and cutsoff the nutrient supply. Mildly infected kernels, referredto as tombstones, have an ivory appearance and are smallwhen compared to healthy, sound kernels. More severe-ly infected kernels will be pink colored and shrivelled.

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995 • 77

7

O

4

3

2

49 51 53 55 57 59 61

TEST WEIGHT - Lb/BuFig. 1. Test weight versus scab percent (Jones, 1991).

63

6o

48

I

oo 5 lO 15 20 25 30

SCAB - %Fig. 2. Percent scab infected wheat versus ppm DON (Jones, 1991).

1.5 IbsIbs/day 1.5

1.25 ~ 1.25

"~-~= Feed Intake

0.75 " ~ 0.75

~..~Daily Gain0.5 0.5

0.25 0.25

0 ~ ~ r 00 1 2 3 4

Vomitoxin, ppm (incomplete feed)

Fig. 3. Effect of toxin-contaminated wheat on the performance of start-er pigs (Jones, 1991).

The scab fungus can infect wheat, corn, barley, andsorghum causing different symptoms depending on thecrop that is attacked and the climate of the area. In addi-tion, two natural populations of F. graminearum exist.They are referred to as Group l and Group 2. Group 1is found in semi-arid climates and is normally considered

a soil-borne pathogen associated with diseased crowns,roots, and basal portions of the stem. In comparison,Group 2 is found in humid climates and has evolved asan air-borne pathogen. Group 2 may cause seedling dis-ease and more commonly attacks aerial plant parts, suchas the stems, heads, or spikes, in the heading stage. Therelationship between these two populations of the fun-gus have not yet been clarified and relatively little isknown about variability within these groups (Bowden andLeslie, 1992). For example, it is not known whether fewor many strains dominate the natural population or if sex-ual recombination is possible in the field. Informationabout the pathogen diversity may aid in selection ofstrains used in screening for disease resistance.

Vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) have been usedto examine diversity and population structure in manyfungi (Bowden and Leslie, 1992). Nitrate-nonutilizing(nit) mutants used in the vegetative compatibility test areobtained from medium containing chlorate which is atoxic analog of nitrate. The nit mutants are identified byphenotyping on four different types of nitrogen mediumwhich include nitrate, nitrite, hypoxanthine, and ammo-nium. Each mutant is labeled as nitl, nit3, or NitM ac-cording to their ability to grow, positive or negative, oneach of the four types of media. To determine which iso-lates are genetically similar, nitl mutants are pairedagainst NitM (or nit3) mutants using a VCG test withnitrate medium. If the two mutants complement, they willbecome able to utilize the nitrate medium and will showa distinct line of growth where they meet. This is consid-ered a positive pair because the two nit mutants are ge-netically similar and belong to the same VCG. Theobjectives of this experiment were to determine: 1) thediversity of VCGs in a F. graminearum population ona small spatial scale and 2) if sexual recombination maybe important in the field.

Materials and Methods

This continuing research is being conducted in the PlantPathology Department at Kansas State University inManhattan, Kansas. In July of 1993, a total of 150 wheatheads were collected from two scab infected wheat fieldsfrom Brown county in northeast Kansas. In this prelimi-nary study, ten wheat heads were randomly selected fromthe same field and two kernels were removed from thetop, middle, and bottom positions of each head. The ker-nels were sterilized by dipping them in 0.5% sodiumhypochlorite (bleach) for 20-30 seconds and then rinsingthem in 70°/o ethanol for an additional 20-30 seconds.While the kernels were allowed to air dry on paper towels,it was noted whether or not symptoms of scab were vis-ible. Next, each kernel was placed on Nash-Snyder medi-um, which is selective for Fusarium, and incubated for4-5 days at 24 C with 12 hours of light and 12 hours ofdark.

After the scab fungus had grown out of the kernel andonto the medium, one sample from each position was col-lected and stored in complete medium culture tubes whichcontains complex forms of nitrogen. Twenty-six isolateswere obtained and positively identified as F. grarninea-rum. Next, these isolates were single-spored, placed on


Fusarium graminearum VCGsOn Ten Wheat Heads

(Each distinct VCG denoted by different letter)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0

Actual incidence 96% in quadratFig. 4. VCGs of Fusarium graminearum on ten wheat heads.

chlorate medium, and incubated under the same condi-tions for 1-2 weeks. The mutants obtained from the chlo-rate medium were phenotyped. One nitl and NitMmutant were identified for each isolate to be used in theVCG experiment. The experiment was performed in24-well plastic plates containing minimal medium whichhas nitrate as the only nitrogen source. The nitl mutantswere used as columns and the NitM mutants were usedas rows of the matrix which allowed for a positive con-trol down the center and a check for stability at the endof each row or column. Again, the plates were incubat-ed at 24 C with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark.Pairings which displayed a distinct line of vigorousgrowth after 14 days were considered positive and vegeta-tively compatible.

Results and DiscussionFor the ten wheat heads in this experiment, a total of

nineteen VCGs, labeled as strains A through S, werefound among the twenty-six isolates collected (Fig. 4).This suggests that diversity of VCGs of F. graminearumdoes exist on a small spatial scale. However, it is interest-ing to note that strain A appeared five times on fourdifferent heads. Furthermore, the frequent occurrence ofhigh genotypic diversity per head suggests that opportu-nities for sexual recombination exist and are important

in the field. Sexual recombination would allow morerapid adaptations to changes in agronomic practices andcultivar resistance. The long term goal for this projectis to understand the population structure ofF. graminea-rum in the field.

ConclusionScientists have been working to develop a way to con-

trol wheat scab for the last 80 years. Unfortunately, noadequate control measures have been discovered. Ourpreliminary data suggests that high genetic diversity ex-ists and that sexual recombination is likely to happen inthe field. Information of this nature will allow scientiststo develop durable resistance and biocontrol measuresagainst wheat scab. Presently, wheat cultivars show awide range of susceptibility to the scab fungus; however,early maturing wheat varieties may escape scab infectionby flowering before inoculation occurs. Epidemics haverarely been studied in the field and no one has yet inves-tigated an epidemic throughout its entire course of de-velopment (Sutton, 1982). Scientists do know that thepathogen survives on host debris of wheat, barley, andother cereals as a principal source of inoculum, and thattilling can incorporate the fungus into the soil and reduceavailable inoculum. Therefore, crop rotation, tillage prac-tices, weed and insect control, and other agronomic prac-tices may be of great value in the management of thisdisease in the future.

J. A/at. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995 • 79

Third Place

A Growing Concern: Herbicide ResistanceMichelle Franetovich

in Weeds

F~OR MA~Y Y~ARS, entomologists and plant pathologistshave been battling resistant insects and diseases. To-

day, there is a new phenomenon of resistance: herbicideresistant weeds. Herbicide resistance is emerging as a crit-ical agricultural production issue in the United States andthroughout the world. If the problem increases as expertspredict, then it will certainly become a heated politicalissue, since herbicides account for approximately 85°7oof all pesticides used on major crops in the U.S. and 65o70of the total pesticide sales (Schmuck, 1993).

An enormous increase in resistant weeds has occurredin the last 10 years. Dr. Homer LeBaron, with Ciba-GeigyCorporation, has found that within these 10 years at least58 weed species around the world are triazine-resistant(Schmuck, 1993). By 1991, 120 weed biotypes that wereresistant to triazine herbicides and 15 other herbicide fam-ilies were documented throughout the world (Gunsolus,1993). The number of resistant biotypes increases everyyear making the numbers hard to document. Triazine-resistant weeds are spreading rapidly across the U.S. andare now threatening the Corn Belt (Fig. 1) (Ritter, 1989).In the last 3 to 5 years, increasing numbers of resistantweed species have emerged, particularly to the sul-fonylureas (Schmuck, 1993).

The pigweed (Amaranthus sp.) family has gained thewidest distribution of resistance. The most severe infesta-tions of resistant pigweeds have occurred along theEastern Seaboard and in the Great Lakes regions. Theresistance occurs mainly in reduced tillage, monoculturecropping systems. In addition to pigweeds, triazine-resis-tant common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.)appears to be gaining prominence as a weed problem inrow crop agriculture across the continent. Kochia (Kochiascoparia (L.) Schrad.) is a big problem in the westernstates and is spreading east into farmland after develop-ing resistance in noncrop sites.

While most reports have highlighted the fast emergenceof triazine-resistant weeds, another concern is that ofsulfonylurea-resistance. Several cases have been report-ed in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields of the westernstates since 1987. But resistance is not only a problemin the United States. A major concern today is in Aus-tralia with the outbreak of resistant annual ryegrass (Lo-lium multiflorum Lam.) and wild oats (A venafatua L.).These species are showing resistance to some of the newerclasses of chemistry, specifically diclofopmethyl (Hoelon)and chlorsulfuron (Glean). Glean is a widely used herbi-

c/o Kevin J. Donnelly, 550 Ag Hall, Dep. of Agronomy, OklahomaState Univ., Stillwater, OK 74078 ([email protected]).


cide in the United States. If resistance develops, it couldbe a major problem for American farmers as well.

Two theories have been suggested as to how herbicideresistance occurs: The Gene Pool Theory and the,’ Selec-tion Theory. The Gene Pool Theory suggests that at somepoint in time an actual change in a plant’s genetic makeupoccurred that made the plants herbicide resistant. Themode of action of triazine herbicides is photosynthesisinhibition. In theory, due to genetic changes within thechloroplasts of triazine-resistant plants, photosynthesisis no longer inhibited. Thus, the genetically-changed weedbiotypes cannot be killed or controlled with triazine herb-icides (Ritter, 1989).

The Selection Theory, which is the most probable andmost accepted by the majority of weed researchers, is thatherbicide resistant weed biotypes always existed. Theseresistant plants, however, were not as competitive as theirsusceptible counterparts and therefore made up only asmall portion of the population (Ritter, 1989). Over time,however, they gradually increased in the population even-tually emerging as prevalent resistant biotypes (Fig. 2)(Gunsolus, 1993).

Many attributes of a herbicide can influence the de-velopment of resistance. Characteristics which may en-courage resistance are a herbicide with a single mode ofaction that is extremely active and effective in killing awide range of weed species; a herbicide which provideslong-term soil residual and season-long control of ger-minating seeds; one that is applied many times during theyear; or one that is applied frequently and over severalgrowing seasons without rotating, alternating, or com-bining with other types of herbicides. Of these, herbicidemode of action is the most important factor to take intoaccount for preventing resistance. Plants have a greaterchance of developing the ability to change the herbicideinto an unharmful substance if the same mode of actionis used over and over again.

Before the management process begins, herbicideresistance must be verified. Four ways which have beenused to determine if the weed problem is due to triazine-resistance are: herbicide bioassay, photosynthetic meas-urements, fluorescence assay, and the floating leaf discmethod (Ritter, 1989). Herbicide bioassay is the easiestof the four to perform in fields or greenhouses. One draw-back is that it takes a long time since the plants must beable to grow. This method involves applying differentrates of triazine herbicides to a population of suspectedresistant plants. For field work, only small areas are need-ed. Greenhouses are used for collected seeds;. Recom-mended testing rates are I/2X, IX, 2X, 4X, and 10X.These rates determine how resistant the population may


Fig. 1. Herbicide-resistant weed infestations have spread across the continent and are now encroaching on major portions of the Corn Belt. The dark areas represent counties with confirmed triazine-resistant weeds prior to 1985. Shaded areas show where triazine-resistant weeds have been reported between 1985 and 1989 (from Understanding Herbicide Resistance to Weeds, 1989).

be. In order to get a true picture, each treatment should be replicated three to four times. The preferred application timing is preemergence. This method does require a long growth period but it is a good technique (Ritter, 1989).

Photosynthetic measurements provide the most meaningful results since triazines inhibit photosynthesis, but these measurements require trained laboratory scientists. Extensive lab equipment is needed and it is not practical for in-field evaluation (Ritter, 1989). Fluorescence assay is a related approach requiring a fluorometer which measures and monitors photosynthesis inhibition. The fluorometer detects plants that are not affected by photosynthesis inhibitor herbicides such as the triazines. The first reported use of the fluorometer was in 1981, but it has seen limited use since then due to the high cost involved. The average price is around $2,000. Many factors, such as freshness of the plant, age of the plant, and the part of the plant used can affect the results. It is also an awkward device for field use (Ritter, 1989).

The floating leaf disc method was also introduced in 1981. This method consists of placing small core pieces or discs from plant leaves in a test tube which contains a known triazine herbicide solution. The solution is then placed under a vacuum. The vacuum is released after a few minutes, a new solution is added, and the tube is exposed to light. The triazine-sensitive discs sink to the bottom due to the lack of oxygen which was not produced due to the photosynthesis inhibitor contained in the herbicide. The resistant discs float to the top due to the oxygen produced. This has been adapted for field use since a battery operated, hand held vacuum is acceptable. Be- cause of the relative ease in performing this test and the large number of plants which can be tested, it may soon be made available to county extension agents, scouts, agribusiness personnel, and farmers (Ritter, 1989).

Once the problem is identified, it must be managed properly to reduce the possibility of an outbreak of resistance. There are five steps to managing the develop-

How Does Selection For Herbicide Resistance Occur?

I I Resistant Plant

. #

wwwww wwblvww

Herbicide I5 Used On Weeds With More Resistant Plants

w = Resistant Biotype T = Susceptible Or Wild Biotype

Fig. 2. Selection of herbicide resistance begins when a herbicide resistant biotype survives a particular herbicide application. The resistant biotype survives, matures, and sets seed. If the same herbicide continues to be applied and the resistant weeds reproduce, eventual- ly the majority of the weeds will be resistant to the herbicide (from Herbicide Resistant Weeds, 1993).

ment of herbicide resistance (Ritter, 1989). The first is prevention. Prevent the problem before it begins. Limit weed seed dispersal, have good management practices, control weed escapes, and if a problem does occur, contain it. The second is crop rotation. Avoid crop rotations with similar weed problems. This is an easy solution to what could be a major problem. Next is herbicide rotation. Avoid herbicide rotations with similar modes of action. Avoid or minimize the use of long residual herbicides with a single mode of action. Use the lowest rate

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 7, 1995 81

when possible and only use high risk herbicides in cropswhere other mixing partners, cultivation, or other weedcontrol options are available. The fourth step is controll-ing weed escapes. It is essential that triazine-resistantweeds are prevented from spreading. Timely cultivationand appropriate use of postemergence herbicides hasshown to be very successful in controlling escapes. Lastis good tillage practices. No-till fields seem to be very sus-ceptible to triazine-resistant weeds. Conventional andminimum tillage operations have been somewhat success-ful in preventing the spread of resistant weeds (Ritter,1989).

A new management tool which is in the works is herb-icide resistant crops. New varieties of cotton (Gossypi-um hirsutum (L.) Jacq.), field corn (Zea mays L.),soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), tobacco (Nicotianatabacum), and canola (Brassica napus var. annua Koch)are being developed with resistance to certain herbicides(South, 1993). A bromoxynil-tolerant cotton seed shouldenter the market by mid-1994. The seed (BXN Cotton)and Buctril, a Rhone-Poulenc herbicide, will be market-ed as a system. The corn industry has recently hadproblems with injury to the corn by the imidazolinonefamily of herbicides. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.has released an imidazolinone-resistant corn hybrid called"IR" or "IMI-CORN". It is resistant to Pursuit herbi-cide and cross-resistant to some sulfonylureas. Ciba Seedshas recently completed its first full year of commerciallymarketing '4393 RSC', which is an imidazolinone-resis-tant corn hybrid. This product may also be used in rota-tion with soybeans if there is a concern with Scepterherbicide residual. ICI Seeds, which is part of Zeneca,Inc., has four varieties of "IT" hybrids. These hybridsare imazethapyr-tolerant. Pursuit may now be applieddirectly to these varieties which are currently availablefrom the Gulf Coast to Canada. It should be noted thatnone of these varieties are 100% resistant or tolerant andnone of them are exempt from injury under stress condi-tions (South, 1993).

Six years of research by DuPont and several seed com-panies has produced a soybean that is sulfonylurea-tolerant (STS) (South, 1993). The STS soybean has amodified ALS (acetolactate synthase) enzyme which isuninhibited by sulfonylureas. The combination of theSTS soybean and sulfonylurea herbicide has been provento benefit the environment. The herbicide kills the weed

in 2 to 3 weeks while leaving the crop unaffected. TheSTS gene is now available in Asgrow, Dairyland Seed,and Stine Seeds soybeans. The STS gene popularity hasled to the development of a GTS (glyphosate-tolerant)soybean. The "Roundup Ready" gene which Monsantois marketing should be available in 1996 or 1997 (South,1993).

Herbicide resistant crops not only help farmers, butwill benefit the environment as well. Since some herbi-cides will now be able to be used in cropping systemsnever thought possible, the new crops will cut the highcosts associated with developing and registering newproducts. Environmental benefits relate primarily toreplacing older herbicides used at high rates with the new-er products which are typically used at much lower rates.However, the effects that herbicide resistant crops willhave on development of herbicide resistant weeds remainsuncertain. This approach should help slow developmentof resistant weeds by providing more options for herbi-cide rotation. However, there could be negative effects.There is a small concern that triazine-resistant weeds willhave an even bigger outbreak, since there are nowtriazine-resistant soybeans. This could occur if the farmerfocuses weed control practices primarily on triazine herb-icides. Since the crop is now resistant, the probability oftriazine-resistant weeds may increase.

Herbicide-resistant weeds have the potential to becomea tremendous problem in world agriculture if they are notrecognized and dealt with accordingly. If we as futureagriculturalists can do anything agronomically to avoid,or at least manage and delay herbicide resistance, it isdefinitely worth doing. Judicious use of herbicides shouldbe combined with other methods to keep yields up andweeds down in order for agriculture to avoid serious fu-ture weed management problems.

82 • J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995

SELECTIONS FROM THE MEDIA CENTER

To better serve you, the Journal of Natural Resources and LifeSciences Education now includes a "New Media Received" list foreach issue of the journal. Following the list are several keyreviews of books and other media that were hand-picked from thelarge number we receive. The journal continues to publish full-length reviews of media as a service to its readers and subscribers.

New Media Received

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Sixth Edition. JohnWiley & Sons, Inc.

Assessing Forest Ecosystem Health in the Inland West--Editedby R. Neil Sampson and David L. Adams. Food Products Press.$49.95. ISBN 1-56022-052-X.

Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 1993~Edited by A. Milani, M. DiMartino, and A. Cellino. Kluwer Academic Publishers.$147.50. ISBN 0-7923-2880-9.

Beyond the Biomass. Compositional and Functional Analysisof Soil Microbial Communities--Edited by K. Ritz, J.Dighton, and K.E. Giller. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. $95.00.ISBN 0-4719-5096-3.

The Biological Management of Tropical Soil Fertility--Editedby P.L. Woomer and M.J. Swift. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.$79.95. ISBN 0-4719-5095-5.

A Colour Atlas of Tomato Diseases. Observation, Identificationand Control. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Halsted Press).

Designing Educational Project and Program Evalua-tions--DavidA. Payne. Kluwer Academic Publishers. $85.00.ISBN 0-7923-9426-7.

Drought Follows the Plow. Cambridge University Press.

Dryland Forestry. Planning and Management--Peter F.Ffolliott, Kenneth N. Brooks, Hans M. Gregersen, and Allen L.Lundgren. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. $95.00. ISBN 0-4715-4800-6.

Ecology and Management of Invasive Riverside Plants. JohnWiley & Sons, Inc.

Environmental Soil Science. Marcel Dekker Inc.

Favorite Labs from Outstanding Teachers, Volume II. NationalAssociation of Biology Teachers.

Geostatistical Simulations. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Humus Chemistry. Genesis, Composition, Reactions, SecondEdition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Introduction to Insect Pest Management. Third Edition. JohnWiley & Sons, Inc.

The Law of the Land. Two Hundred Years of AmericanFarmland Policy--John Opie. University of Nebraska Press.$12.00. ISBN 0-8032-8607-4.

Learning Mathematics. Constructivist and lnteractionistTheories of Mathematical Development. Kluwer AcademicPublishers.

Non-Food Uses of Agricultural Raw Materials. Economics,Biotechnology, and Politics. The University of Arizona Press(U.S. Distributors for C*A*B Intemational).

Photosynthesis (Fifth Edition). Cambridge University Press.

Plant Breeding Reviews, Volume 12. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Plant Molecular Biology. LABFAX Series. Academic Press.

Regional Silviculture of the United States--Edited by John W.Barrett. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. $79.95. ISBN 0-4715-9817-8.

Soil Compaction in Crop Production. Elsevier Science B.V.

Soil Mechanics--John N. Cernica. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.$77.95. ISBN 0-4713-0884-6.

Soil Solution Chemistry. Applications to EnvironmentalScience and Agriculture. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in Biology. National Associa-tion of Biology Teachers.

Toxic Metals in Soil-Plant Systems--Edited by Sheila M. Ross.John Wiley & Sons, Inc. $125.00. ISBN 0-4719-4279-0.

Ultrastructural Pathology. An Introduction to Interpretation.Iowa State University Press.

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine. Clinical Pathology, ThirdEdition. Iowa State University Press.

Waterfowl Ecology and Management. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., VoL 24, no. 1, 1995 ̄ 83

~ BOOK

Plant Breeding Reviews, Volume12--Edited by Jules Janick. JohnWiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave., NewYork, NY 10158. 1994. 315 p. Hard-cover. $110.00.

The volume consists of 10 chapters andcovers a range of techniques still consi-dered experimental to classical conceptssuch as heterosis and genotype x envi-ronment interaction. The book containssubjects and examples from various eco-nomic plants including field, tree, fruit,and vegetable crops. The content in eachchapter is well organized to include per-tinent definitions, research findings,present and/or potential application ofcovered technologies, and a listing ofcited literature. Instructors of advancedplant breeding/genetics courses and stu-dents doing independent study shouldfind the volume an excellent source ofcurrent information.

The first chapter is a dedication to Dr.Robert W. Allard, a world renownedagronomist and population geneticist. Asa colleague and former student of Allard,Michael T. Clegg wrote the biographyfrom a background of professional ex-perience and personal knowledge. Thus,the reader gets many insights into Allard’sphilosophy and dedication. The tributegives an account of Allard’s many con-tributions in research, teaching, adminis-tration, and public service and ends witha listing of his publications.

The next six chapters were written onconcepts and methods that are still most-ly experimental. Chapter 2, written byArthur I. Aronson, is about Bacillus thur-ingiensis and its use as a biological insec-ticide. The author presents a thoroughreview from the isolation and characteri-zation of B. thuringiensis through theproperties of protoxins to the use of toxicgenes in plants to confer insect resistance.The chapter concludes with coverage ofthe prospects for and problems associat-ed with the use of B. thuringiensis and/orits toxin as biological control agents.

The next chapter by Rebecca Grumetcontinues the concept of improving pestresistance of plants through new tech-niques, specifically the development ofvirus-resistant plants via genetic engineer-ing. The chapter is well organized into anintroduction, characterization of virusgenes as resistant genes, techniques use-ful in obtaining resistance, and concernsabout using the technology. These con-cerns, which include genetic stability, fieldperformance, gone escape, and spread ofviruses, are carefully considered in thetext. The chapter ends with an emphasison the exciting prospects of genetic en-gineering of plant virus resistance with the

belief that environmental issues will beresolved.

Chapter 4 on carbon isotope discrimi-nation and plant breeding was written byAnthony E. Hall, Richard A. Richards,Anthony G. Condon, Graeme C. Wright,and Graham D. Farquhar. The article ex-amines the use of carbon isotope discrimi-nation as an indirect measure of planttranspiration efficiency. An in-depth re-view is given on many aspects includingtheory and evidence of association be-tween carbon isotope discrimination andtranspiration efficiency, edaphic and at-mospheric effects, genotype x environ-mental interactions, inheritance of carbonisotope discrimination, genetic associa-tions of carbon isotope discriminationand agronomic traits, and breeding mod-els and methods.

In Chapter 5, Gabor Galiba summa-rized the recent state of research in thefield of drought and frost tolerance,which has been carried out using in vitroapproaches in wheat. This is the longestchapter of the volume and covers the ex-tensive subject under five main headingsand several subheadings. Many topicssuch as the role of plant morphology,physiology, genetics, and chemical con-tent in plant response to stress are dis-cussed. In vitro methods per se are notpresently recommended by the author forwheat breeding, but the integration of cer-tain factors such as proline content or rateof proline accumulation could be a use-ful component in a selection index forstress tolerance.

Donald I. Dickmann, Michael A.Gold, and James A. Flore wrote Chap-ter 6 on the ideotype concept of crop im-provement. The main body of the text iscentered around characterizing the con-cept and giving examples from agronom-ic, tree fruit, forest tree, and multipurposetree crops. While few ideotypes present-ly exist, the authors end the article by in-dicating a need for more ideotypes to helpdefine yield and product quality moreprecisely.

DNA markers are discussed in Chap-ter 7 by Uri Lavi, Perry Cregan, TamarSchaap, and Jossi Hillel. Various DNAmarkers are described and their use in im-proving classical plant breeding metho-dology is outlined under three groupings:marker-assisted selection, gone introgres-sion, and prediction of heterosis. Signifi-cant attention is given to the use of DNAmarkers in tree crops with the conclusionthat the most likely application will bedirected toward marker-assisted selectionallowing early selection of seedlings.

The last three chapters cover subjectsof a more practical nature. In Chapter 8,Charles W. Stuber discussed the conceptof heterosis in plant breeding, its basis,its theory, and presence in various crops.

The article gives a thorough review ofresearch on the physiological and bio-chemical basis of heterosis and ends witha conclusion section that gives a resound-ing justification for the use of hybrids incrop production.

Chapter 9 is a review of artichokebreeding by Jehuda Basnizki and DanielZohary. History of artichoke includingproduction, biology, genetic resources,inheritance of important traits, andbreeding is reviewed. The advantage ofseed planted vs. vegtative propagationand the successful testing of seed plant-ed hybrids are discussed as a justificationfor shifting from vegetative propagationto seed planting in commercialproduction.

The final chapter by C.S. Lin and M.R.Binns updates the analysis and interpre-tation of genotype x environment inter-action (GE). They emphasized theimportance of detailed separation of GEinto component parts, definition of thepurpose of tests, and consideration of sta-bility vs. adaptability. Also, the article re-views recent concepts in explaining GEand the various statistical analysis of datathat help researchers understand GE andutilize trial data more effectively.

The book concludes with a subject in-dex for volume 12, a cumulative subjectindex for volumes 1-12, and a cumula-tive author index for volumes 1-12.

The book is not suitable as a course textsince the subject matter is limited to cer-tain topics. However, this volume fulfillsthe goal for diversity in Plant BreedingReviews as outlined in the Preface ofvolume 1 and comprehensively coveredthe chosen topics. It is an outstanding ref-erence for researchers and graduate stu-dents in genetics, plant breeding, andother plant science disciplines.--PAULD. LEGG, Department of Agronomy,University of Kentucky, West J~’entuckyResearch and Education Center, P.O.Box 469, Princeton, KY 42445. ̄

~ BOOK

Introduction to Insect Pest Management,Third Edition--Robert L. Metcalf andWilliam H. Luckman. John Wiley &Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, NY.10158-0012 1994. 650 p. Hardcover.$69.95.

When the first edition of this book waspublished in 1975, there was basically nocomprehensive textbook available to stu-dents and researchers that outlined in de-tail principles of an emerging sciencecalled insect pest management. Since

84 ̄ J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., VoL 24, no. 1, 1995

then, the second edition of this book ap-peared (1982) and more recently severalbooks have attempted to address thiscomplex area.

In this, the third edition, the authorshave attempted to preserve the flavor ofthe original work and at the same timeincorporate ecological theory togetherwith the most recent advances in tactics,methodology, and successes of appliedentomology. The subject matter is cov-ered by 20 contributers in 15 chapters.The first two chapters discuss the pestmanagement concept and ecological as-pects thereof. The following five chaptersaddress the role of plant resistance;parasitoids and predators; insect patho-gens; insecticides; and attractants, repel-lents, and genetic control in pest manage-ment. Other tactics, such as cultural con-trol, are dealt with as part of otherchapters. The next two chapters deal withthe quantitative basis of pest management(sampling and measuring) and systemanalysis and modeling in pestmanagement.

The next five chapters outline specificprograms that have been developed forcotton, alfalfa, corn, apples, and insectsaffecting human and animals. A finalchapter addresses pest management andthe future.

I approached the review of this bookmuch as I approach students in an insectpest management class that I teach. Whatare the important components to con-sider, and how would one go about de-veloping or refining an insect pestmanagement program if one was hiredto do so? Does this book provide the en-lightenment needed to help one addressthe challenges in doing so? In general, Ithink so.

I found the chapters to be well writtenand concise, with the more recent tech-nologies and advances incorporated intothe discussions. In fact, I found this tobe a strength of the book. A good selec-tion of case histories are presented, withclear presentation of management op-tions. The editing is superb; I found onlyone misspelled word (Columbia insteadof Colombia) and the organization logic,illustrations, and bibliographies arethorough.

I feel one limitation of the book is thelack of a separate or specific chapter onyield loss assessment or the economics ofpest control strategies. Although ad-dressed to some extent, economic decisionlevels are the keystone of insect pestmanagement programs. My experiencehas been that choosing the correct ex-perimental techniques and the problemsencountered in conducting damage lossstudies in the field are one of the mostdifficult challenges facing all researchers.For example, how does one go about

studying the effect of flies on weight gainsof cattle in a feedlot situation? What aresome of the problems commonly encoun-tered in studying insect damage-crop lossrelationships?

Aside from that, this book would beuseful to anyone who has had at leastan introductory course in entomology andwishes to become knowledgeable aboutthis area. It could be used as a textbookor one of the references for advancedundergraduates or graduate studentstaking a course in crop protectionor pest management. It would also bea worthwhile addition to any universitylibrary.--GERALD WILDE, Depart-ment of Entomology, Kansas StateUniversity, Manhattan, KS 66506-4004. ̄

~ Book

Agricultural Economics and Agribusi-ness. Sixth Edition--Gall L. Cramerand Clarence W. Jensen. John Wiley& Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York,NY 10158. 1994. 534 p. Hardcover.$62.95.

This book by Wiley, as one might ex-pect, is another well organized text. Itcontains an organization pattern thatis logical and easy to follow. To supple-ment the text there is also an instructor’smanual and a student study guide. Theinstructor’s manual contains: (i) a briefsummary, (ii) a suggested lecture outline,(iii) a list of economic terms, (iv) questions with answers, and (v) duplicatetransparencies of all graphs. A student’sstudy guide contains chapter outlines, listsof economic terms, and sample test ques-tions. The text’s chapters provide a sum-mary, chapter highlights, key terms andconcepts, review questions, and addition-al suggested readings. At the end of eachchapter there is also a biographical sketchof an individual who has made a contri-bution to the literature in agricultural eco-nomics and agribusiness.

The book’s introduction serves to givethe learner an overview of the field ofeconomics, and in particular agricultur-al economics. The book covers the struc-ture and organization of the agriculturalindustry and basic micro and macroeco-nomic principles as they apply to agricul-ture. These concepts are the basis forthe first nine chapters. Basic economicconcepts appropriate to the agriculturalindustry are presented in a clear and un-derstandable manner. All the concepts arewell illustrated with tables and graphs,and as such requires a fundamental un-derstanding of college-level mathematics.

Chapters 10 through 17 provide thelearner with a broad understanding ofsubjects that are fundamental to the func-tioning of U.S. agriculture. They includetopics s.uch as agricultural finance,agricultural marketing, rural develop-ment, international agricultural trade,world population, and food problems.

This book would be an excellent choicefor a beginning course in agricultural eco-nomics and agribusiness.--ERMAN O.UELAND, Department of AgriculturalEconomics, University of MinnesotaCrookston, Crookston, MN 56716. ¯

/~ Boor

How to Write and Publish a ScientificPaper. Fourth Edition--Robert A.Day. The Orynx Press, 4041 NorthCentral Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85102.1994.223 p. Hardcover, $25.00; Soft-cover, $16.95.

It is good to see a fourth edition ofRobert Day’s essential guide. No one whohopes to send a paper to a scientific jour-nal should be without this brief, well-written, straight-forward "how-to" ap-proach to a task all working scientistsface, sometimes with considerable trepi-dation. A reading of Day guarantees alowering of anxiety.

Although this latest update was neces-sary (as distinct from financially advis-able), no one who owns a copy of anearlier edition needs to rush out to thebookstore. Computers have certainlychanged the way scientific articles arecomposed, but the rules for their compo-sition have remained essentially the sameas they were in 1979 when the book ini-tially met its public. Look at Day’s chap-ter called "What Is a Scientific Paper?"In two of its incarnations--the first andthe latest--it is virtually the same, wordfor word. This is not self-plagarism, butgood sense. And it is good sense present-ed in plain writing:

Some of my old-fashioned colleaguesthink that scientific papers should beliterature, that the style and flair ofan author should be evident, and thatvariations in style encourage the in-terest of the reader. I disagree. I thinkscientists should indeed be interest-ed in reading literature, and perhapseven in writing literature, but thecommunication of research results ina more prosaic procedure. As Booth(1981) put it: "Grandeloquence hasno place in scientific writing."

With its straight-forward prose, goodadvice, and apt quotations, this para-

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995 ̄ 85

graph catches Day at his typical exposi-tory best. How to Write and Publish aScientific Paper begins by defining scien-tific writing and delving briefly into itsorigins. Day then initiates his main taskof defining the scientific paper and ofguiding potential authors through thewriting of its sections. He shows themhow to prepare a title, how to list authorsand addresses, how to prepare an ab-stract, how to write the introduction, thematerials and methods section, theresults, and the discussion. He completeshis discussion of the scientific paper byadvising scientists on how to state the ac-knowledgments, cite the references, de-sign effective tables, and prepare effectiveillustrations. Then he offers advice onkeyboarding the paper into the wordprocessor.

But Day doesn’t stop there. He tells thenovice where and how to submit themanuscript, and reveals how the reviewprocess works. He is especially good inpointing out to novices the best ways todeal with requests for revision and rejec-tion. He tactfully balances the needs ofeager authors against those of (often be-leaguered) editors: "Cheer up. You maysome day have enough rejection letters topaper a wall with them. You may even be-gin to appreciate the delicate phrasingthat is sometimes used." As an authorwho long ago has achieved the firstgoal--though not alas! the second--Ifound myself chuckling at this exampleof Day’s good humor, a good humor evi-dent throughout this book.

Continuing his exposition, Day goes onto describe the publishing process, and theuse of reprints to share research resultsand promote careers. Then he devotesseveral chapters to other forms of scien-tific publication: review papers, bookreviews, theses, oral reports, and posters.A chapter on ethics, rights, and permis-sions follows, a chapter that gives a sternwarning about the responsibilities ofcoauthorship: "Without question [David]Baltimore (a Nobel Laureate) was notguilty of fudging data. But apparently acoauthor was. In the fallout that fol-lowed, Baltimore lost his job as Presidentof Rockefeller University."

Day concludes the text of the book withchapters on the use and misuse of En-glish, the avoidance of jargon, and the useof abbreviations. He ends with a per-sonalized summary. Six useful appendicesfollow: selected journal title word ab-breviations, abbreviations that may beused without definition in table headings,common errors in style and spelling,words and expressions to avoid, prefixesand abbreviations for SI (Syst~me Inter-national) units, and accepted abbrevia-tions and symbols. Finally, there is a listof references and a useful index.

As I have said, little is new in this edi-tion. Why change anything that you gotright the first time? Most of the altera-tions concern copyright law and the ad-vent of computers as a means ofpreparing manuscript text, tables, graphs,and lists of references, and of checkingspelling and grammar. You won’t learnabout using any of this software fromDay; only of its existence. But Day is wellaware of the limitations of these programsas well as their strengths. As an examplehe reprints a poem "Spellbound" byJanet Minor, a Minor masterpiece noword-processing scientist should bewithout:

I have a spelling checker,It came with my PCIt plainly marks four my revueMistakes I cannot sea.I’ve run this poem threw it,I’m sure your pleased too no,Its letter perfect in its weigh,My checker tolled me so.

--ALAN G. GROSS, Department ofRhetoric, 202 Haecker Hall, 1364 EcklesAvenue, University of Minnesota, St.Paul MN 55108. n

~ BOOK

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine, ThirdEdition--J. Robert Duncan, Keith W.Prassee, and Edward A. Mahaffey.Iowa State University Press, 2121 StateAve., Ames, IA. 1994. 300 p. Hard-cover. $42.95.

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine pro-vides an overview of the field of veteri-nary clinical pathology. The third editionhas been physically improved. Unlike thefirst two editions, this edition is printedon high-quality paper and the printing isbold and of high quality. The book con-tains chapters on erythrocytes, leuko-cytes, hemic neoplasia, hemostasis, water,electrolyte and acid base disorders, pro-tein, lipid and carbohydrate disorders,liver disorders, urinary tract disorders, en-docrine disorders, and diagnostic cytol-ogy. A new chapter on laboratory qualitycontrol, test evaluation, and referencevalues has been added. The text also con-tains 28 case studies that focus on the in-terpretation of clinical laboratory data.Three color plates have been added aswell as many black-and-white pho-tomicrographs.

As in previous editions, the book iswritten in outline form. The style is briefand easy-to-read. Major strengths of thebook are the ease with which answers toclinical questions can be found, inclusion

of information about all major domesticspecies, and its many tables. Informationabout specific changes in laboratory testresults can be easily and quickly foundwithout referring to the index. The uniqueresponses of dogs, cats, cattle, and horsesare addressed in each chapter. The tablesprovide a comprehensive listing of causesof particular clinicallaboratory abnor-malities (i.e., causes of hypoglycemia,causes of neutropenia). These provide thepracticing veterinarian with a frameworkto investigate alterations in laboratory testresults.

The book suffers from a lack of detail.Throughout, it presents an outline of thematerial but provides little explanationfor the reader. This style may be trouble-some to freshman or sophomore veteri-nary students, who lack an understandingof basic mechanisms of disease, therefore,the book appears to be most useful as aquick reference for junior and seniorveterinary students and practicingveterinarians, but is less useful as a refer-ence text.

Overall, this book provided an excel-lent introduction to veterinary clinicalpathology. The comprehensive coverageof the disciplines of hematology, clinicalchemistry, and cytology as it applies toall major domestic species and relativelylow price makes it a good buy.-DOUGLAS J. WEISS, Department ofVeterinary PathoBiology, College ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Min-nesota, St. Paul, MN 55108. ̄

~ BOOK

Ultrastructural Pathology: An Introduc-tion to Interpretation, First Edition--Norman F. Cheville. Iowa StateUniversity Press, 2121 S. State Ave.,Ames, IA 50014. 1994. 946 p. Hard-cover. $132.95.

This first-edition book emphasizes theultrastructural analysis of pathologicchanges in cells and tissues that occur ina wide range of natural and experimen-tal diseases. The stated goal of Ultrastruc-rural Pathology is to bridge what is seenin the electron microscope with what thepathologist encounters in the postmortemroom, and the primary orientation is tograduate students and developing scien-tists. In reality, however, this book in-cludes a vast diversity of introductory tomore in-depth information that should beextremely useful to both beginning andadvanced scientists, regardless of theirspecific biological training and back-ground. The electron microscopic in-

86 ̄ J. Nat. Flesour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995

terpretation of pathologic changes is theprincipal theme of this book. However,it contains an unusual breadth of infor-mation that extends from basic conceptsof cell structure, function, and injury toinformation regarding a wide selection ofspecific metabolic, neoplastic, inflamma-tory, toxic, viral, bacterial, mycotic, andprotozoan diseases.

Consistent with Norman Cheville’sother ultrastructurally oriented book, CellPathology (second edition [1983], IowaState Press), Ultrastructural Pathologyfeatures extensive numbers of electronmicrographs of exquisite quality. Thesemicrographs cover a wide range of lesionsfrom natural or experimentally induceddiseases of mainly nonhuman primates,rats, and dogs, but some examples fromother domestic animals, wild mammals,birds, amphibians, and fish are included.Electron micrographs of selectedhuman lesions are also illustrated. Allelectron micrographs and diagrams areaccompanied with clear and descriptivelegends that provide excellent visual linkswith many of the more important subjectsincluded in the text. Overall, Ultrastruc-tural Pathology is written in a clear andconcise style. An appropriate list of keyreferences is included at the end of eachmajor section, and many additional refer-ences for specific neoplastic and toxico-logic diseases are provided in Appendix1 and Appendix 2. A useful glossary ofcytologic terms used in ultrastructure isalso provided near the end of the book.

Ultrastructural Pathology begins withan effective overview of normal cell struc-ture, which provides the necessary back-ground for the subsequent early sectionsdescribing changes in organelles andmatrix that arise from acute injury (i.e.,cellular degeneration), and features of celldeath (cell death and necrosis). This in-troductory information also emphasizesthe importance of knowledge concerningthe effects of different fixatives andbuffers on organelles, thus emphasizingtheir importance in the correct interpre-tation of electron micrographs. Thedescriptions of changes associated withacute cellular injury are especially wellconceptualized, beginning with well illus-trated changes in the cell surface followedby changes within the cytoplasm. Ap-propriate examples of causative factorsand disease conditions are usually givenfor each described ultrastructural altera-tion. Adaptive responses of recoveringcells (including DNA repair, synthesis ofstress proteins, the ubiquitin-mediatedproteolytic system, and chaperone pro-teins) are also introduced.

This introductory section of Ultrastruc-tural Pathology is followed by a sectionon changes associated with pathologicmetabolism and pathologic growth, and

a section of lesions associated with the ex-tracellular matrix and vascular tissue (in-cluding disorders of hemostasis,thrombosis, and an ultrastructural over-view of cells involved in immunity and in-flammation). Changes associated withpathologic metabolism include both tox-ic and hereditary metabolic diseases, andchanges associated with pathologicgrowth include examples of both neoplas-tic and non-neoplastic growth abnormal-ities. The extracellular deposition ofpathologic substances (including pig-ments, mucosubstances, immune com-plexes, mucin and mucinous substances,calcium salts, amyloid, crystals, silicates,asbestos, and urates) is included withchanges associated with the extracellularmatrix. Collagen biology and collagenfiber diseases are effectively reviewed inthe section on changes associated with theextracellular matrix, as is the subject ofcalcification (including the roles of calci-um in homeostatic regulatory mechan-isms, and the two pathologic forms oftissue calcification: dystrophic and met-astatic calcification). Information regard-ing vascular changes, including theirassociation with inflammation and vari-ous forms of glomerulopathy, is preceed-ed by an ultrastructural overview ofnormal blood vessels and their cellularand extracellular components.

The last half of the book is comprisedof sections devoted to the cytopathologyassociated with a large variety of intracel-lular infectious agents (i.e., viruses,pathogenic prokaryotes, pathogenic pro-tozoa, algae, fungi, and intracellular par-asites), and the cytopathology of a widevariety of toxic diseases. Each categoryof infectious etiologic agents is precededby a very effective overview of classifi-cation and general characteristics ofagents involved, and specific diseases arediscussed within the context of the respec-tive families, orders, or protozoangroups. The section on toxicologic pathol-ogy is organized on the basis of primarytarget organ (e.g., hepato-, cardio-,neuro-, and nephrotoxic drugs).

I found the sections pertaining to le-sions associated with a broad variety ofspecific intracellular infectious and toxicdiseases to be outstanding. These sectionsare an invaluable resource of contem-porary information that is not readilyavailable in other reference books. Thesesections provide information that will beespecially useful to both experimental anddiagnostic pathologists.

Ultrastructural Pathology is undoubt-edly a remarkable accumulation of ultra-structurally oriented information coveringa vast range of basic and applied subjectmatter. This achievement is especiallyremarkable in that this great diversity ofinformation has been accumulated and

very effectively presented by a singleauthor. This book represents a uniqueresource for graduate students who areeither initiating or refining their skillsregarding the interpretation of electronmicrographs. It also is a must for all bio-medical libraries and is an invaluableresource for all experimental, diagnostic,and toxicologic pathologists.--K.H.JOHNSON, Department of VeterinaryPathoBiology, College of VeterinaryMedicine, University of Minnesota, St.Paul, MN 55108. ¯

BOOK

Edaphos: Dynamics of a Natural SoilSystem--Paul D. Sachs. The EdaphicPress, Newbury, VT 05051. 1993. 180p. Softcover. $14.95.

In the editor’s note, Wendy Golds-worthy states that Paul Sachs’ "... sim-plification of chemistry and languagehelps the layperson to understand a sub-ject that is, all too often, kept out of thereach from him." She further states that"Paul gives his reader valuable informa-tion not just specific to gardening, but toliving life in general."

With this promise I began to read Eda-phos. Chapter 1, "Soil Evolution," pro-vides a comprehensive overview of thesoil that, as Goldsworthy promised, putscomplex chemical concepts into a layper-son’s language. It takes a very broad per-spective of the soil, relating it to mining,desertification, and the consumer’spreference to buy "food laced with tox-ins than to share some of it with anotherorganism." However, the author was notalways successful in avoiding over-simpli-fication that sometimes left the readerwith a false feeling of understanding soilscience.

In Chapter 2, "Humus: A Stable Or-ganic Matter," Sach’s description of theenergy and carbon cycles in the soil andthe role of organisms in these cycles lackstightness in its wording. For example, hestates that "Much of the carbon com-pounds contained in these residues areproteins, carbohydrates and energy..."Obviously energy is not a carbon com-pound. Later he states that "...onlythree to five percent humus will transformlifeless sand into a rich loam."

In Chapter 3, "Water," he does an ex-cellent job of explaining a complexphenomenon. Chapter 4, "The Conceptsof Pests," will make some readers un-comfortable. He makes several sweepingstatements and in some cases draws con-clusions that are broader than warranted


by the limited conditions of the ex-periment.

Chapter 5, "Composting and Preserv-ing Organic Matter," gives a gooddescription of the theory and a step-by-step procedure for composting plantmaterials. But other parts of the chapterare so general that they are useless. Thisis especially true when he tries to suggesthow much soil organic matter is enough.

In Chapter 6, "Organic vs. Inorganic,"he gives an interesting slant to the debatewhen he states that "There is also no ar-gument that plants can’t tell the differ-ence between organic and chemicalnitrogen. The controversy is essentiallyabout carbon." He describes many natur-al and manufactured sources of plantnutrients and points out the rationales bywhich various groups declare each prod-uct to be acceptable or not. In the samechapter the author states that in 1950 aton of inorganic fertilizer would boostyields by 46 tons and by 1980 that haddropped to 13 tons. He attributes thislargely to depletion of soil organic mat-ter, completely ignoring the increase insoil test levels that occurred over thatperiod.

In Chapter 7, "Testing the Soil Sys-tem," his discussion of sampling proce-dures, which nutrients to test for, andwhich labs to consider when seeking a soiltest, is well done. But the discussion ofthe interpretation and use of the soil testresults is not helpful. Significant errorsin basic chemical facts are easy to spot.Most disappointing is that after emphasiz-ing the importance of nitrogen to plantsand its role as a potential pollutant, hegives the reader no concrete guidelines asto how best to manage soil nitrogen.

In his short concluding chapter, Sachsleaves the scientific realm. He talks aboutrelationships, not only those in the soilbut those between people and nature. Itis a thought-provoking chapter, asking usto challenge what we think and to exa-mine how we arrived at our beliefs. Wehave but one planet and one opportunityto make a positive contribution.

I would have no trouble suggestingEdaphos to someone with a general in-terest in the soil. While one risks some-times leaving the reader with an erroneousunderstanding of the science of the soil,the book is easy-to-read and will hold thereader’s attention throughout. I do notsee this book as a suitable text for a scien-tific study of the soil. In fact, I would notrecommend that agricultural studentsread it until they had enough sciencebackground to recognize some of the er-rors in fact and the misleading statementsthat result from the lack of tightness inhis wording. And yet, I think somewherein their college career each student shouldread this or a similar book. It will help

them to understand points of view thatare not often presented in the most posi-tive manner. It also challenges the studentto think beyond the science of soil and notto focus merely on the soil as input in ourfood production system.--JOHN W.SCHAFER, Agronomy Department,Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011-1010. ̄

~ BOOK

Legumes: The Australian Experience--The Botany, Ecology and Agricultureof Indigenous and Immigrant Leg-umes--B.R. Davidson and H.F.Davidson. John Wiley & Sons, 605Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158.1994. 471 p. Cloth. $75.00.

An extremely detailed and almost tedi-ous recounting in the first two chaptersof the fossil history of the earliest knownlegumes in Australia may daunt manyreaders from discovering the fascinatinghistory that follows, of not only legumes,but their agriculture and managementfor commercial production. The accountof the first introductions of legumesto this island continent is based largelyon assumption and conjecture from thefossil record. However, this is used toestablish a solid foundation for an ex-tremely thorough description of all le-gume species ever known to have grownin Australia.

Important details are given of sur-rounding and compatible vegetation toeach of the legumes listed, as well as thegeographical areas where they flourish,including soil types and precipitation. Thedescription of where each legume origi-nated and how it was transported to Aus-tralia provides a rich historical back-ground to this nation’s discovery, settle-ment, and development. Considerablespace is used to describe Australian agri-culture and its farming systems, which areinteresting, but this information is notreally necessary to understanding legumesgrown in the country. A similar lengthydescription of how the country was set-tled as a penal colony, with prisonersfrom England, provides detailed back-ground, but much of this deals with topicsother than legumes.

The origin, introduction, and expan-sion of legumes throughout Australia iscovered in extreme detail. Every aspect isenumerated, whether the introductionwas inadvertent or deliberate, and howeach has affected Australian agriculture.Current management needed to make leg-umes productive such as fertilizer, animal

stocking rates, and expected yields areprovided. The economic importance andvalue of subterranean clover to Australianagriculture is emphasized with three chap-ters devoted to this single species. A dis-proportionately smaller coverage oftropical legumes in just one chapt.er po-sitions this book as one mainly of cool-season species.

Valuable descriptions are giventhroughout of nitrogen fixation by eachlegume and how native Rhizobia helpedin early nodulation. A whole chapter isdevoted to an exhaustive review of nitro-gen, nitrogen cycles, nitrogen fixation,and how nitrogen-fixing legumes benefitand co-exist with other vegetation.

This book provides valuable documen-tation of all legumes ever grown in Aus-tralia. Unfortunately, nowhere in the titledoes the word history appear, but theauthors have written more on history thananything else. This contains not only thehistory of legumes in Australia, but a his-tory of Australian settlement, societygrowth, agricultural development, andfarming management, making i! truly"The Australian Experience."

I do not recommend this as a pure bo-tanical reference book, mainly because ofmajor digressions into the history of Aus-tralian agriculture and society. It is an ex-cellent comprehensive history of legumesin Australia, and the 21-page appendix ofLeguminosae in Australia is a valuableaddition for the serious botanist. It ishighly recommended for those wishing toknow how and why legumes grow andproduce as they do in Australia. Why cer-tain species continue to flourish is clear-ly explained through differing weatherconditions and farming practices. It trulycovers the ecology, botany, and agricul-ture of legumes, with the major empha-sis on agriculture.

A word of caution to the reader con-cerning a curious mix of metric and En-glish units used throughout the book.Australia utilized both English currencyand measurements until the late 1960s.Metric currency was adopted first, fol-lowed several years later by metric meas-urements. The authors have chosen toconvert most measurements to metricunits, including those from historicalreferences. However, for some strangereason, they have continued to quoteEnglish currency, along with metric meas-urements, as in pounds per hectare(£/ha), when referring to early settlementtimes. They then change to dollar per hec-tar (S/ha) for later references. This wouldnot be nearly so confusing if other inter-mixing of units within the same chapterswere not used, such as feet and meters,as well as tonne and ton. Almost 40 pagesof references are provided, and the read-er is strongly advised to check these to

88 ̄ J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. I, 1995

establish the correct units of measure.These references are a strong point of thiswork, giving excellent documentation forstatements made and providing a valuablesource for further research.

The authors are to be commended forsuch thorough and complete coveragein detailing the history and current utili-zation of legumes in Australia. I do feela title such as, "The History of Legumesin Australian Agriculture," or somethingsimilar, would be more revealing of thecontents of this book. This publicationis ideally suited for university-levelcourses that require an understandingof historical happenings and ecologicalconditions for the survival, productivity,and profitability of legumes in a countrywith many diverse climates and growingconditions--CLIVE HOLLAND, Pio-neer Hi-Bred International, 4445 Corpor-ate Drive, W. Des Moines, IA 50266. ̄

~ BookEnvironmental Soil Science--Kim H.

Tan. Marcel Dekker, 270 MadisonAve., New York, NY 10016. 1994. 304p. Hardcover. $65.00.

This book is one of several publishedin 1994 on the general topic of "environ-mental" soil science. It provides cover-age of many of the topics that wouldtraditionally be covered in an introduc-tory soil science textbook and also pro-vides some discussion on selected topicsof environmental importance. I had somedifficulty in deciding the target audiencefor this book. The discussion is ratherbrief and general in most cases. The bookcontains a short 250 pages of text. Mar-gins are wide and type is large (great forreadability!). This might mark it as suit-ed for an introductory soil science courseor an introductory environmental sciencebook. However, in some sections a greatdeal of technical detail is provided. Theauthor sometimes omits basic definitionsin the text, and there is no glossary fora definition of terms. For instance, thediscussion is quite detailed on soil miner-als and weathering reactions and, in thesection on nitrogen reactions, chemode-nitrification (probably not a very signifi-cant soil process under most conditions)is discussed in some detail. I don’t believethe book is sufficiently clearly written, orsufficiently balanced in its presentation ofenvironmental topics, to be suitable forintroductory courses. On the other hand,it seems to lack the detail and rigor onewould desire in a text for upper-level stu-dents. About 160 references are cited inone listing for the whole book. Often I

was disappointed on looking up a refer-ence to discover that another textbookwas being cited rather than the primaryliterature.

The author is a well-known and veryproductive soil scientist who has pub-lished widely in a number of areas withinsoil chemistry and soil mineralogy. Thebook’s greatest strength, in fact, lies inthe areas of soil mineralogy and soil tax-onomy. The first chapter ("Soils and TheEnvironment") is a generally well-writtendiscussion mostly centered on soil orders.The second chapter ("Inorganic Soil Con-stituents") is a useful discussion of soilinorganic constituents and weatheringreactions in soils. The third chapter ("Or-ganic Constituents") is an equally gooddiscussion of soil organic matter and soilmicro-organisms.

After the first three chapters, thingsseem to go downhill. I think the organiza-tional structure the author has chosen isa major problem. Chapter 4 ("Gas Phasein Soils") and Chapter 5 ("LiquidPhase") include information that repeatsmaterial in earlier chapters. Since so manysoil constituents (nitrogen, for example)are readily transformed between the solid,liquid, and gaseous phases, such repeti-tion is difficult to avoid. In Chapter 4,soluble forms of important elements arediscussed but many of the mineral formsare discussed as well, leading to repetitionof material in earlier chapters. For in-stance, there is a significant discussion ofquartz and opal in the "inorganic consti-tuents" chapter and in the "liquid phase"chapter as well. For some reason, nutrientand water uptake by plants is coveredin the "gas phase" chapter. Chapter 6("Electrochemical Properties of SolidConstituents") repeats some earliermaterial on soil inorganic and organicconstituents.

The discussion of environmental prob-lems is confined mostly to Chapter 7("Soils and Crop Production"), Chapter8 ("Soilless Agriculture"), Chapter ("Biotechnology in Soil Science andAgriculture"), and Chapter 10 ("Soil andPollution"), although occasional briefdiscussion of the environmental relevanceof certain topics is included in earlierchapters. I found the coverage of environ-mental topics quirky. Information on"soilless agriculture" seems out-of-placein a book on soils. The chapter on bio-technology, though brief, was almost en-tirely devoted to tissue culture techniques,an apt topic for a plant science text, butsurprising in a soils text. Though theprevious two topics were deemed worthyof entire chapters, pollution due to fer-tilizer nitrogen and phosphorus is coveredin three paragraphs in Chapter 10. Thesection on trace metals in sewage sludgedismisses any risk due to cadmium with

essentially no discussion of cadmium soilchemistry or cadmium partitioning incrop plants. Students are unable, then, tomake their own judgments about possi-ble risks posed by cadmium in sewagesludge since the pertinent technical infor-mation is denied to them. In the same sec-tion the author suggests that aluminumin sewage sludge represents a more sig-nificant environmental and human healthrisk than does cadmium in the sludge; thisseems likely to mislead students about therisks due to sewage sludge application toland. The environmental effects of alu-minum in sewage sludge may be a veryappropriate research topic, but currentlythere is little information in the literaturethat would warrant more concern aboutalu-minum than cadmium in sludge. In gener-al, the book includes several environmen-tal issues that seem only peripherallyrelated to soil science and provides scantinformation on other issues that are cur-rently very important to soil scientists.--M. SUSAN ERICH, Department of Ap-plied Ecology and EnvironmentalScience, University of Maine, Orono, ME00469-5722. ̄

/~ Book

Plant Molecular Biology Labfax--R.R.D. Croy. Academic Press, 525 B.Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA92101-4495. 1993. 382 p. Hardcover,spiral bound. $59.95.

As the editor states in the Preface,Plant Molecular Biology Lab fax is in-tended to be used as a "companion"reference with an earlier published Mo-lecular Biology Labfax text. I concur; thistext is an advanced reference for plantscience researchers who are familiar withbasic molecular biology experimentationand protocols. This text is not a primerfor someone beginning plant molecularbiology research, nor is it an introduc-tory reference for someone seeking gener-al information about the field. It containsa wealth of information in tables, figures,and other illustrations, which is accom-panied by sufficient text for an informedreader to readily identify those portionsthat may be of importance in a givenproject or application. Because of theabundance of information, this text like-ly would be most useful for those read-ers who know in advance what specificinformation is being sought. To that end,the detailed Table of Contents and the In-dex are very helpful.

The book contains 10 chapters, con-tributed by various combinations of a to-


tal of 20 authors. Each chapter has a briefintroduction of the content of the chap-ter and sets the stage for using the infor-mation and data that are presented. Muchof the information presented in tables andillustrations was compiled from extensiveliterature reviews and searches of data-bases available before publication in1993. Thus, the lists of references follow-ing each chapter is truly impressive--almost 1300 in all.

Chapter I provides a short introductionto the anatomy, histology, and taxono-my of plants, which may not be familiarto molecular biologists lacking a plantbiology background. It includes descrip-tions of terms, illustrations of cells, tis-sues and organs, and two tables cross-listing common and Latin binomials andfamily names for approximately 200species.

Chapter 2 contains information aboutnuclear DNA and RNA extraction meth-ods for plant tissues and provides briefcomments, descriptions, and referencesfor each. Extensive listings of clonedplant genes available in databases inmid-1992 are presented in Chapter 3. Thisinformation gives the reader an indicationof which genes are available from certainplants as well as the database suppliers forfurther current information. Chapter 6 in-dudes an extensive listing of plant nucleargene introns and their splicing sequences,plus several compilations of the transpos-able elements that are best described atthe molecular level in plants.

Chapters 4, 5, and 7 cover topics per-taining to gene transfer and genetic en-gineering of plants. Transformation vec-tors, plasmid maps, reporter and selec.table marker genes and their DNA se-quences, assays and selection media andprocedures, and gene transfer proceduresand references for different plant speciesare included,

Reviews of chloroplast molecular biol-ogy and protein-targeting consensus se-quences for localization within differentsubcellular organelles are provided inChapters 8 and 9. The final chapter dis-cusses methods and strategies for analyz-ing gene expression in various planttissues. It emphasizes the use of polymer-ase chain reaction (PCR) procedures forgene expression studies.

All in all this text is appropriate anduseful, both as a day.to-day referencefor researchers working in plant molecu-lar biology and for teachers developingcourse materials, who can draw on thebackground text and specific examples forclassroom presentation.--BURLE G.GENGENBACH, Department ofAgronomy and Plant Genetics, Univer-sity of Minnesota, 1991 Buford Circle, St.Paul, MN 55108. n

/~ BOOKBiodiversity and Wheat Improvement--

Edited by A.B. Damania. John Wiley& Sons, 605 Third Avenue, New York,NY 10158. 1994. $95.00.

The cultivated species of wheat are,metaphorically speaking, genetic sponges.Both common wheat (Triticum aestivumL., 2n = 42, genomes ABBDD) and du-rum wheat (T. turgidum L., 2n = 28,AABB), buffered by their polyploid con-stitutions, are able to soak up genetic var-iation from a myriad of species. Fordecades, wheat breeders and geneticistshave taken advantage of this vast poten-tial for interspecific hybridization, to thepoint that most modern wheat cultivarscontain at least some genes from otherspecies. Thus, natural biodiversity was anessential element of wheat improvementlong before the term biodiversity wascoined.

Wheat taxonomists and geneticists wereoccupied for much of this century withsorting out relationships among the largeand sometimes bewildering array of spe-cies and genera that make up the tribeTriticae. However, a decade or so ago,wheat workers around the world focusedtheir efforts on evaluation of genetic var-iation within those species. Using mor-phological, resistance, and moleculartraits, they found that wild and primitivespecies of the Triticae harbor much moregenetic diversity than do cultivated forms,and that their usefulness as geneticresources was, if anything, greater thanhad been thought previously.

In October 1992, the InternationalCenter for Research in the Dry Areas(ICARDA) and the University of Tuscia,Italy, held a workshop designed to reviewresearch on biodiversity of wheat andrelated species and consider options forfuture research. The proceedings of thatworkshop, now published as a bookedited by A.B. Damania, make for in-teresting and informative reading.

Biodiversity and Wheat Improvementhas both the strengths and the limitationsof a published proceedings, comparedwith a monograph or textbook. For ex-ample, a monograph, in attempting tocover an entire research area, often maylack the details that make science interest-ing. In contrast, this book, while far fromcomprehensive, deals with many individu-al studies on quantification of geneticdiversity among and within species, evalu-ation of accessions for resistance to dis-eases and abiotic stresses, and transfer ofgenes from wild into cultivated wheats.It serves as an excellent collection of casestudies in the applied uses of biodiversity.

Thirty-eight chapters--the work of 87authors representing 23 countries--are

tied together by a final chapter entitled"Summary and Recommendations,"which lists 33 conclusions drawn from theworkshop as a whole. Discussions follow-ing the presentations were recorded andincluded at the ends of chapters. Thesealso lend some cohesiveness to the book;for example, there is a running discussionof the durability of resistance genes trans-ferred from alien species, relative to thatof genes found in wheat itself. This ques-tion arises in several chapters and discus-sions, with participants arguing both forand against the idea that pathogen, popu-lations will be slower to evolve virulenceagainst resistance genes derived fromalien species.

Careful editing of the volume has as-sured stylistic uniformity, but as in anyproceedings, some chapters are of great-er scientific interest than others. Especial-ly welcome are the balanced and dispas-sionate treatments of taxonomy in theTriticeae by L,A. Morrison and M.van Slageren. This has long been the sub-ject of heated debate (van Slageren re-counts the roller-coaster history oflumping and splitting in the genus Ae-gilops, for example), but these chaptersmake a good case for a flexible, utilitari-an approach. Although several authorscan’t resist speculating about the preciseorigin of wheat’s B genome--one of thelongest-running arguments in wheatgenetics--I was pleased to see that thepredominant view expressed throughoutthe book is that there are much more im-portant issues requiring our attention.

In one of several chapters on screen-ing collections of wild wheats for diseaseresistance, H.S. Dhaliwal et aL providea thorough account of efforts to evalu-ate resistance in collections held byPunjab Agricultural University. The re-sistance genes in such collections wil~ con-tinue to be needed by wheat breeders aslong as the "breakdown" of resistancegenes to new, more virulent pathogenraces remains a fact of life. However, inanother chapter, R.E. Niks and D. Rubi-ales offer one possible strategy for slow-ing or ending this "arms race": the useof species that are close enough relativesthat they can be hybridized with wheatbut are genetically distant enough to be"non-hosts" for particular diseases. Niks’and Rubiales’ hypothesis--that resistancegenes transferred from such species willbe less likely to break down--has yet tobe tested.

Fifteen chapters are by researchersfrom many countries who are using mor-phological traits, storage proteins, andDNA markers to quantify the geneticdiversity in wheat and its relatives. To-gether, they depict a huge gene pool com-prising dozens of annual species dottingthe landscape from southern Europe to

"’~* Resour, Life Sci, Educ., VoL 24, no. 1, 1995

China. Most of the species are much moregenetically diverse than cultivated wheatever was, even before the modern era ofbreeding. All of these species, along withmany perennial grasses not dealt with ex-tensively in this book, are available forwheat improvement. However, this genepool is so vast that it remains largely un-exploited despite many decades of work.

Some of the most fascinating chaptersdescribe strategies and mechanisms forutilizing these germplasm resources: C.Ceoloni et al. on chromosome engineer-ing in durum wheat (followed by a briefbut interesting discussion among work-shop participants on the philosophy ofgermplasm enhancement); A. Comeau etal. on a long-term, comprehensive pro-gram program to transfer of genes forbarley yellow-drawf virus resistance fromseveral species into wheat; and J. Valkounand O.F. Mamluk on the use of T.monococcum L. (2n = 14, AA) in germ-plasm enhancement.

Despite the good quality of many in-dividual chapters, I have to admit to be-ing perplexed over the order in which theyare presented. A typical sequence in whichto discuss germplasm issues is a chrono-logical one: (i) collection, (ii) basic search on variability, (iii) evaluation foreconomic traits, and (iv) utilization forcrop improvement. Of course, there isnothing wrong with deviating from thispattern, but I could not detect the ration-ale behind the almost total interminglingof these subjects in Biodiversity andWheat Improvement. I read the bookfront-to-back, but recommend that read-ers skip around.

The absence of chapters dealing withpests from the animal kingdom also wasunexpected. Though ranking behind dis-eases as threats to wheat production,insects, mites, nematodes, etc. are impor-tant worldwide. I also would like to haveseen a chapter documenting the extent towhich species of the Triticeae are threat-ened by habitat destruction. There arepassing references to this subject in somechapters (noting, for example, that somespecies are becoming more restrictedwhile other, weedier species are thrivingin human-dominated environments), buta more thorough treatment might havebeen expected in a book on biodiversity.

These few faults notwithstanding, sci-entists involved in the genetic improve-ment of wheat will find Biodiversity andWheat Improvement to be both interest-ing and useful; its $95 price is typicalfor books of this type. It would be a goodbook to place on reserve for use by grad-uate-level students in plant breeding orgermplasm classes. As a collection of real-world examples from one of the world’sbest-studied complexes of cultivated andwild species, it would complement the

strategies and theories being taught in theclassroom.--T.S. COX, USDA-ARS,Department of Agronomy, Throckmor-ton Hall, Kansas State University, Man-hattan, KS 66506. ̄

~ BooK

Voices From Africa: Local Perspectiveson Conservation--Edited by DaleLewis and Nick Carter. World Wild-life Fund (WWF) Publications, P.O.Box 4866, Hampden Post Office, Bal-timore, MD 21211. 1993. 216 p. Soft-cover. $19.95.

The book is a collection of essays onsouthern African views of conservationpractices by Africans since precolonialtimes. The thread running through thebook connecting the chapters is that ifyou want systems of conservation man-agement to be successful, then you mustinvolve the people most affected, i.e.,rural Africans. If one can get past the firsttwo chapters where past policies of Euro-Americans are blamed for failures, mostreaders will find the book both enlight-ening and interesting.

For convenience, the editors have putthe book together in chapter form. Theindividual papers are interspersed withAfrican leader interviews providing an in-teresting format. Some may question thevalidity of including family planningpapers in such a book; however, severalauthors provide strong evidence for cur-rent and future problems that conserva-tion faces in light of increased population.

The book, a valuable resource for Afri-can wildlife/conservation policy makersand donor organizations, can be a goodresource for development specialistsand/or graduate students studying de-velopment in the third world. Althoughthe book focuses on wildlife conservation,the primary value as seen by the revieweris the approach to development and theinvolvement by rural Africans in the de-cision making and implementationprocesses.

In that most essays printed in the bookcan stand alone, their titles and authorsare listed below:

"The Dilemma of An African Conser-vationist" by Gilson B. Kaweche, deputydirector of Zambia’s National Parks andWildlife Service and co-administrator ofthe Administrative Management Design(ADMADE) program.

"African Realities and Western Expec-tations" by M.P. Simbotwe, a consul-tant in resource management in southernAfrica.

"Conservation Issues and Problems inAfrica" by D.H.M. Cumming, directorof WWF’s Multispecies Animal Produc-tion Systems Project in Zimbabwe.

"Realities for Aspiring Young AfricanConservationists" by E.N. Chidumayo,professor of biology at the University ofZambia.

"Wildlife Conservation in Africa:There is Another Way" by Garth Owen-Smith, an ecologist with extensive fieldexperience in Namibia.

"Interview With Chief Shgikabeta,"Traditional Ruler in Luano Valley,Zambia

"The Zambian Way to Africanize Con-servation" by Dale M. Lewis, technicaladviser and training coordinator of Zam-bia’s ADMADE program, co-director ofthe Lupande Development Project inZambia, and editor of that country’s"Wildlife and Human Needs Newsletter"and the journal The Puku.

"Conservation and A Himba Commu-nity in Western Kaokoland" by MargaretJacabsohn, a Namibian social scientist.

"Maasai Rangelands: Links betweenSocial Justice and Wildlife Conservation"by Moringe S. Ole Parkipuny and Dhya-ni J. Berger. Parkipuny was member ofthe Tanzanian Parliament from theNgorongoro district from 1980 to 1989and Berger is an environmental consul-tant based in Nairobi.

"Decentralizing the Proprietorship ofWildlife Resources in Zimbabwe’s Com-munal Lands" by Marshall W. Mur-phree, director for applied studies at theUniversity of Zimbabwe.

"Interview with Honorable Chief-tainess Chiyaba (Goba Tribe)," Tradi-tional Ruler in Zambezi Valley.

"Family Planning: The NumbersGame" by Kevin Lowther, director of thesouthern regions of AFRICARE.

"Population and Conservation: Voicesof Leaders in Population Planning Poli-cies, an Interview with Moses Mukasa,"United Nations Family Planning Agency(UNFPA) Representative to Zambia.

"Community-Based Family Planning:Experiences in Zambia" by E.M.Kapambwe, project director for theMakeni Family Planning Program inZambia.

"Interview with Honorable ChiefSandwe (Nsenga Tribe)," TraditionalRuler in Luangwa Valley.

"Conservation and Development:Donor’s Dilemma" by R. MichaelWright, a WWF senior fellow.

"Redefining Conservation in AfricanTerms: The Need for African-WesternDialogue" by Ackim N. Mwenya, direc-tor of Zambia’s National Parks and Wild-life Service (NPWS) and co-administratorof that country’s ADMADE program.

I would recommend that anyone work-


ing in southern Africa or anticipatingwork there obtains a copy. In fact, I couldrecommend the book to anyone involvedin or interested in third world develop-ment.--PHILLIP W. HARLAN, 1200North Quantico Street, Arlington, VA22205. ̄

BOOKFavorite Labs From Outstanding

Teachers, Volume 2--Edited by LindaR. Sanders. National Association of Bi-ology Teachers, 11250 Roger BaconDrive no. 19, Reston, VA 22090-5202.1993. 136 p. Softcover.

This book is a collection of selectedlaboratory descriptions derived fromteachers who were recipients of the Na-tional Association of Biology Teachers’Outstanding Biology Teacher Award(1989-1992). The 21 descriptions fall intothe categories of taxonomy, genetics,variation and diversity of life, life pro-cesses, developing research and writingskills, student projects, using food in theclassroom, and botany. The exercises aredesigned for students typically in therange of grades 7 through 12. Most of thedescriptions are broken into sections of:objective, grade level, materials, proce-dure for the teacher, procedure for thestudent, helpful hints, summing up, andreferences.

Most of the descriptions are exercisesand only a few involve actual experimen-tal approach and design. In most casestechniques are described that would in-volve the students in interesting ways. Forexample, one lab uses different cookietypes to discuss genetic variation, anotheruses DNA fingerprinting concepts to solvea mystery scenario, and a third uses novelimaginary creatures called Cannamaculein taxonomic classification. Some of thelabs are good in their scientific approachand their methodology in developing crit-ical thinking (e.g., monitoring pHchanges of aquarium plants on a 24-hourbasis and predicting what plants would dowell on a variety of mythical planets).However, many of the labs seemed to betoo simplistic and overemphasize the funpart; in many cases the science seems toget lost. In these cases, the initial ideacould be used, but the teacher would needto do a substantial amount of prepara-tion to make the experience moremeaningful for the student. One such ex-ample involves a description where stu-dents bake several products using yeast,but the lab description never discusses thebiology of yeast such as fermentation andcarbon dioxide evolution. Another experi-

ment on vital capacity added few newideas in comparison to what one wouldobtain with a spirometer kit. In severalother cases the instructor would needprior knowledge to carry out the lab. Insome of these cases references are pro-vided, but in many lab descriptions noreferences are given. The instructor wouldalso need previous knowledge to over-come certain mistakes that were made inthe descriptions. For example, in an ex-ercise describing DNA fingerprintingthere is a diagram where the restrictionenzyme is shown to cut in an incorrect lo-cation and then in a subsequent figure thesupposedly three segments of nucleotidesare displayed incorrectly. In another case,a diagram showing m-RNA sequences islabeled as amino acid sequences.

This book does present some cleverideas for a secondary education biologyteacher. However, the teacher may haveto do some work to add scientific sub-stance to these ideas. The instructor willalso need to be aware that often these ex-ercises do not provide complete descrip-tions of the biology involved, and to beaccurate and knowledgeable the instruc-tor may need to do a substantial amountof outside investigation.--VAN D.GOOCH, Department of Science andMathematics, University of Minnesota,Morris, MN 56267. ¯

~ BOOK

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills inBiology--Robert D. Allen and DavidJ. Stroup. National Association of Bi-ology Teachers, 11250 Roger BaconDrive no. 19, Reston, VA 22090-5202.56 p. Softcover.

Science is not a stagnant phenomenonof regurgitating already known facts, butis rather something that dynamicallygrows with the continual synthesis of in-formation to form new ideas and con-cepts. This book emphasizes this dynamicprocess by presenting ways teachers mayhelp their students develop such criticalthinking skills by using biological exam-ples. It is not a long or comprehensivetext, but it does present many guidelines,examples, and procedures that will helpa teacher. The authors effectively utilizeup to date references and personal exam-ples in making their presentation.

Initially the authors define and describethe importance of critical thinking. It ispointed out that the content is very im-portant, but it is more important to beable to develop a student’s ability to useand apply concepts in a critical and ana-lytical way. In the first chapter some im-portant aspects of critical thinking are

defined as: "application of concepts tosolve new problems; evaluate evidencewith regard to specific hypotheses; makepredictions and report these with soundarguments; evaluate experimental de-signs; identify alternative interpretationsof data and observations; identify criti-cal assumptions; and interpret experimen-tal data and draw valid conclusions." Itis emphasized that getting one’s studentsto perform in these ways is not easy, andmany frustrations may be encounteredalong the path. Some common attemptsto develop critical thinking often "backfire;" some of these approaches are dis-cussed, the usual reason for failure ispointed out, and helpful suggestions toovercome frustration are given.

Chapters 2 through 4 give many help-ful suggestions and examples of howteachers might work with their studentsto develop critical thinking skills. It is em-phasized that it is important to presenttopics with questions rather than as a reci-tation of facts. In this way students be-come more interested in the subject whilethey develop their skills at coming to well-reasoned answers. It also helps studentsquestion all scientific data and informa-tion. The student should not simply be ex-pected to answer a question, but thatstudent must be guided in their thinkingprocess. A "line of reasoning model" ispresented as a guideline of steps a studentshould be encouraged to take in comingto conclusions. This line of reasoningmodel is also suggested for students as away that a student can evaluate the va-lidity of scientific statements that they seeand hear. It is conceded that using criti-cal thinking methodology often takesmore time to cover a subject, but whendone successfully the student will have afar better understanding of the material.

Finally, the book emphasizes the evalu-ation process. It is made clear that if onewants to develop students’ critical think-ing skills that the students must bechallenged and rewarded by using: criti-cal thinking as a major part of the evalu-ation instrument. Essays are often animportant method in this process, but itis pointed out that multiple choice ques-tions and other formats can also be justas effectively used to evaluate the criticalthinking skills of students. As usual,several examples are given.

There are some areas where the bookcould have been stronger. In particular:(i) some figures are hand-drawn and givean unprofessional appearance; (ii) thechapter titles do not always seem to ac-curately reflect the chapter contents; and(iii) there is a series of examples thatpresent the wrong answer a student mightgive and at the end of the example ananswer is presented with the implication

92 ̄ J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995

that it is the only correct answer (it seemsit should be emphasized that the answeris only consistent and it too can andshould be critically analyzed).

In summary, this book would be avaluable asset for a teacher anxious to usecritical thinking skills in their classroom.Although this book uses biological exam-ples, it would be of value to any scienceteacher. The book is not going to magi-cally provide the answers to make one ateacher of critical analysis, but it is an ex-cellent guide, it provides many useful ex-amples, it cites several more in-depth andcurrent references, and it provides manyuseful suggesitons.--VAN D. GOOCH,Department of Science and Mathematics,University of Minnesota, Morris, MN56267. ̄

~ BOOK

Teacher Self-Evaluation: Teachers inTheir Own Mirrors--Lya Kremer-Hayon. Kluwer Academic Publishers,101 Philip Drive, Assinippi Park, Nor-well, MA 02061. 1993. 227 p. Hard-cover. $75.00.

It is a timely publication during an eraof educational reform and public scruti-ny with the general public at large clam-bering for significant changes in the class-room. Combining the previous statementwith the public school financial crises oc-curring in most states, one has a viableoption for the improvement of educationat the basic level, that being the nation’sclassrooms. Most suggestions and pro-posals for fundamental changes in theclassroom are doomed for failure at theonset, as the general public and adminis-trators review the bottom line involvingthe cost of the proposed educational al-ternative. With encouragement from theadministration and taping the natural in-stinct of teachers’ desire to improve theireducational expertise for the classroom,the implementation of teacher self-evaluation programs could become a sig-nificant component of the educational re-form movement.

The format of the book evolves aroundthe review of sound classroom pedagogyand relating pedagogy to the process ofself-evaluation. Credibility is establishedby the construction of a solid foundationof acceptable classroom pedagogy andapplication of the foundation to the self-evaluation process.

Chapters 1 through 4 provide theframework for self-evaluation with Chap-ters 5 through 8 focusing on the applica-tion of self-evaluation techniques.Chapter 9 emphasizes the need for col-laboration and support for individual

classroom teachers entering this phase oftheir professional development.

Chapter 1 establishes the context inwhich self-evaluation could be studiedand applied at the present time. A pictureof the complex education world is pre-sented to set the stage for an in-depthstudy of teacher self-evaluation. A foun-dation for self-evaluation includes manyfactors that contribute to the typical class-room with factors listed and discussedbriefly. This discussion is absolutely nec-essary as teachers assess their perfor-mance in the classroom. Career teachingmodels are set forth as useful tools forself-evaluating teachers.

Chapter 2 provides insight into theconcept of pedagogical knowledge andprovides a foundation of methodology,which is the basin for evaluating teachereffectiveness.

Several models of classroom instruc-tion are presented in Chapter 3. Educa-tional models are reviewed to bringspecific reference points to the self-eval-uation proposals.

Chapter 4 was designed to focus on thespecifics of self-evaluation. Five specificmajor components were highlighted;goals, pupils, subject-matter content,achievements, and the teaching process.

Chapter 5 discussed proposed criteriafor self-evaluations. The criteria rangedfrom conservatism to constructivism. Thevarious criteria were discussed separate-ly for the various teaching components in-cluding instructional goals, subject mattercontent, pupils, teaching processes, andassessment of achievement.

Chapter 6 was devoted to presentingthe quantitative-qualitative research de-bate, with Chapters 7 and 8 discussingqualitative and quantitative methods ofevaluation, respectively.

In the opinion of the reviewer, Chap-ter 8 was viewed as the most valuablechapter. This chapter contains the highestdegree of hands-on evaluation techniques,which the individual teacher can readilygrasp and implement. This presentationis the closest the author comes to provid-ing the teacher with a checklist of activi-ties to complete in a self-evaluationapproach to analyzing and improvingone’s performance in the classroom.

Chapter 9 reflects on the need for andvalue of collaboration with one’s peersand administration. One cannot enter intothe process of self-evaluation and be to-tally successful without the support ofand assistance of those professionals whoencompass the teacher on a daily basis.

The author does not advocate that self-evaluation is a quick and easy process fora teacher to improve one’s performancein the classroom. The "quick fix ap-proach" is not proposed. On the con-trary, the author proposes that successful

and long-term improvement in teacher ef-fectiveness in the classroom is the resultof concentrated effort based on recog-nized pedagogy and related principles.

The reviewer anticipates that the bookwould be utilized to the greatest extent byindividuals who are directly responsiblefor the improvement of teachers’ perfor-mance in the classroom. It will also be ofvalue to a wide range of professionalswho are involved with improving thequality of instruction in the classroom.Principals, personnel supervisors, depart-ment chairpersons at the building, dis-trict, and state levels would find thepublication useful. University personnelassigned the responsibility for supervis-ing student teachers or students complet-ing field-based experiences would find thepublication useful in dialoguing andanalyzing students’ classroom presenta-tions as they prepare for the teachingprofession.--CLARK W. HANSON,Agricultural Education, Department ofEducational Leadership, South DakotaState University, Brookings, SD5 7007-0095. ¯

~ BOOK

Breeding For Stress Tolerance In Cool-Season Food Legumes--Edited byK. B. Singh and M. C. Saxena. JohnWiley & Sons, Baffins Lane, Chiches-ter, West Sussex PO19 1UD, UnitedKingdom. 1993. 474 p. Hardcover.$115.00.

Cool-season food legumes--chickpea,faba bean, lentil, and pea--are crops ofmajor importance on the Indian subcon-tinent, the Mediterranean region, centralEurope, the Americas, and Australia.They are a normally low input crops thatprovide a good source of protein in cereal-dominated diets. Improvements in pro-duction of cool-season food legumes havenot, however, kept pace with improvedproduction of cereal crops observed in thepost World War II period. This book pro-vides a resource to those seeking a sum-mary of the progress, current problems,and long-term constraints to improvingproduction of cool-season food legumesworldwide. The chapters are written byexperts with considerable practical ex-perience with cool-season food legumecultivar improvement and production.They represent viewpoints from differentregions with different production con-straints, so the reader has a broad over-view of factors limiting production.

The first part of the book outlines the


problems and prospects for stress resis-tance breeding in each of the fourspecies--chickpeas, faba bean, lentil, andpea. The following two parts of the bookdescribe methods and constraints as-sociated with screening for different typesof stress resistance. One part outlinesscreening methods for biotic stresses (dis-eases, nematodes, parasitic weeds, and in-sects) and the other for abiotic stressresistance (cold, heat, drought, and salin-ity). These parts contain a good deal ofdetail for those interested in pursuingrelated work, and there are also chaptersdiscussing mechanisms of stress resis-tance. The last two parts include chapterscovering the use of novel and newer tech-niques, such as molecular markers, andmore traditional approaches to improv-ing stress resistance in food legumes.

The main focus of the book centersaround traditional breeding, which in thenear term will continue to be the main-stay of cultivar improvement for cool-season food legumes. Numerous exam-ples show that success in breeding forstress resistance depends on the develop-ment of a reliable screening technique andthe existence of genetic variation. For ex-ample, specific sources of resistance todiseases such as fusarium wilt and as-cochyta blight in chickpea can be cited be-cause screening techniques have beendeveloped to target resistant genotypes.This was often the case for other diseasesdiscussed. When a reliable screeningmethod is more elusive, such as fordrought resistance, specific sources ofresistance are more difficult to identify.Or as in the case of salinity, limited genet-ic variation seems to be available forresistance breeding. The need for multi-ple stress resistance and durable resistancerepresents a considerable challenge toplant breeders, and both are discussed.

The volume is handsomely bound,clearly organized, and generally well writ-ten and illustrated. Each chapter containsa comprehensive reference list. The chap-ters are intended to be a review of. cur-rent progress more than a foray towardnew concepts and ideas. The volume doesnot appear to be intended as a text butcould be useful for instructors looking forspecific examples of breeding for stressresistance. My impression was that thebook will make an excellent referencesource for those interested in the currentstate of breeding for stress resistance incool-season food legumes. Scientists, stu-dents, and other professionals interestedin food legumes should have access to thisbook. I would encourage libraries and in-stitutes to obtain a copy.--RICHARD C.JOHNSON, USDA-ARS, WashingtonState University, 59 Johnson Hall,Pullman, WA 99164-6402. ¯

~ BOOK

Ecology and Management of lnvasiveRiverside Plants--Edited by Louise C.de Waal, Lois E. Child, P. Max Wade,and John C. Brock. Published for theInternational Centre for LandscapeEcology by John Wiley & Sons, 605Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158.1994. 217 p. Hardcover. $95.00.

Among the most challenging problemsfacing natural resource managers is themanagement and control of invasiveplants in aquatic and riparian habitats.Flooded habitats can facilitate dispersaland expansion of some invasive plantswhile limiting options for control. Tradi-tionally, the aquatic plant control litera-ture has focused on chemical andmechanical control in lakes. However, re-cent interest in landscape ecology shouldexpand our understanding of aquaticplant invasions in river systems becauseof an increased awareness of processes as-sociated with corridors. This book is anoutgrowth of a workshop initiated by theInternational Center for Landscape Ecol-ogy to explore the role of rivers andstreams as transport corridors for plantinvasions. Invasive Riverside Plants is thefirst volume of a landscape ecology ser-ies by John Wiley & Sons.

The intended purposes of the book, ac-cording to the editors, are to (i) considerwhy riparian zones of rivers are prone tocolonization by invasive plants, (ii) pro-vide a detailed account of the biology andautecology of five invasive riverine plants(Crassula helmsii, Impatiens glandulifera,Fallopia japonica, Heracleum mantegaz-zianum, and Tamarix spp.), and (iii) derstand effective and permanent controlof invasive riverine plants. Tamarix is aninvasive species of the southwestern USAand the remaining species are invaders ofriver systems of Europe. Sixteen of twentychapters are dedicated to accounts of in-dividual species. The remaining chaptersprovide a general overview of patterns ofinvasion, potential for biological control,use of glyphosphate, and cooperativemanagement strategies for the Europeanspecies. Although these general chaptersconsider multiple species, there is little at-tempt to extend what is known aboutthese species to other invasive species orto discuss general ideas about invasivespecies and their management. The exten-sive literature on globally widespread in-vasive aquatic plants such as Elodea,Pistia, Hydrilla and Myriophyllum is notmentioned, although it could haveformed the basis for an introductorychapter upon which to frame new issuesrelated to riverine plants. In particular,I.M. Johnstone’s work on the concept ofinvasion windows to explain aquatic plant

invasions provides a unifying frameworkfor both ecology and management, butis never mentioned or cited in the book.In spite of the limited scope of these fourchapters, they might have provided areasonable introduction to the book hadthey been placed together at the beginningof the book. However, most of thesegeneral chapters occur toward the end ofthe book (Chapters 3, 16, 17, and 18) af-ter more specific information has beenpresented.

Information presented on individualspecies includes literature review, anecdo-tal observations, and new research results.However, with a few exceptions theresearch reported is based on small studiesof limited scope. Descriptions of studymethods are generally of inadequate de-tail, not following standards generally ac-ceptable to scientific journals. Heracleummantegazzianum biology, ecology, andmanagement are considered in sevenchapters. One chapter is a good introduc-tion to the history and causes of invasionof the species and presents some new in-formation on the topic. The remaining sixchapters describe methods of control andmanagement. These chapters either con-sider a specific geographic region (i.e.,Ireland, Sweden, Scotland) or severalcontrol techniques (chemical, mechanical,grazing). The redundancies among thesechapter are considerable. For example,each chapter has at least one paragraphdescribing the problem of controllingHeracleum because of phytophotoderma-titis, all citing the same courses. Manychapters describe the details of the biol-ogy of Heracleum--often with incon-sistencies. For example, Chapter 8 saysthe minimum seeds per plant are 5000whereas Chapter 10 reports a minimumseed set of 50,000. This discrepancy doesnot seem to correspond to geography ofhabitat.

Five chapters present information onFallopiajaponica. Again, serious redun-dancy problems exist. Chapters 15 and 20(authored by Palmer, and Beerling andPalmer, respectively) report results fromthe same mail survey (even sharing thesame running head). In fact, Fig. 15.1 and20.2 are both the same full-page map withthe same legend. Tables 15.3 and 20.1report much of the same raw data on thestructural damage rate for Fallopia ob-tained from the authors’ survey. Fouridentical categories of type of damage ap-pear in the table, using the same responsecategories (widespread, occasionally,rare). For one damage type, the data list-ed in Table 15.3 is different from Table20.1 (although it is identical for all othertypes).

Crassula helmsii is the subject of twochapters, as is Impatiens glandulifera (onewith Fallopia); Tamarix is considered in


one chapter. One of the Crassula chap-ters provides a good overview of the his-tory of invasions of the species. Unfor-tunately, Table 1.1 is missing a columnof data. The other Crassula chapterreports a study of control methods in alake environment that was inconclusivebecause they applied herbicide too lateand at too low of doses. Impatiens is con-sidered in a very weak and superficialchapter on global climate change andanother chapter describing a small studyof interspecific competion. The chapterreviewing Tamarix describes taxonomy indetail but largely ignores the ecology ofthe species as influenced by river hydrol-ogy. The coverage of Tamarix does notreport on recent successful efforts of con-trol on the Basque del Apache NationalWildlife Refuge in New Mexico or onwhat has been reported on the expansionof Tamarix as a response to changes instreamflow. The author relies on a 1965range map to describe species distribu-tion. In addition, this chapter does notadequately address the issue that Tama-rix control is necessarily linked to watermanagement because it is a phraetophytictree.

The goal of exploring why rivers areprone to invasion is not only missed forTamarix, but for invasive species, ingeneral. Besides the obvious fact that ariver provides invasive species with a dis-persal corridor, the link between river dy-namics and species biology is completelyignored in this book. It isn’t even clearfrom the information provided which ofthese species occur in the immediatefloodplain and which occupy a broaderrange of habitats. The editors did notseem committed to a focus on riverine in-vasive species, as evidenced by their ac-ceptance of a chapter on weed control inlake habitats and another on glyphos-phate control that included Rhodonden-gron ponticum and Spartina anglica asfocal species. The lack of investigation ofriver dynamics results in management andcontrol discussions that are nonspecific toriverine habitats and do not explore anynovel ways to use water management toalter invasive species populations.

The chapters of the book are not deli-vered consistently. Some are so generalas to be of little interest to naturalresources managers who have any exper-ience with invasive species. For thoseseeking general knowledge, the lack ofline drawings or photographs of the fivefocal species will be problematic (there areonly four black-and-white halftones and24 figures throughout the volume). A fewchapters seem well-suited to managerswho may appreciate specific informationon chemical applications. Still others areoriented to an academic audience, withdetailed content of taxonomic relations

and reproductive biology and no attachedmanagement relevance. Frankly, I cannotrecommend this book for any audience.It is among the most poorly edited andproduced volumes I have encountered.The editors did not try to standardize thestyle among chapters--some is text andothers are essentially outlines. Worse,they did not provide quality control oninformation provided. They also failed toplace the chapters in any meaningful or-der or to ensure any balance in the cover-age of the species included. The index ispoor, comprised nearly exclusively of en-tries of scientific names and chemicals.Amazingly, words associated with theinvasion process, like dispersal, seed ger-mination, rhizomes, and vegetative repro-duction are not primary index entries,although these topics are covered at var-ious places in the volume.

Perhaps the greatest dilemma ofmanagement and control posed by thisbook is the publication itself. How cana collection of papers escape from aworkshop, find their way into a manu-script without editing, and become incor-porated into an unorganized, unindexedbook that sells for nearly $100.00?--SUSAN M. GALATOWITSCH,Departments of Horticultural Science andLandscape Architecture, University ofMinnesota, 305 Alderman Hall, I970 Fol-well Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108.1

~ Boor

Agricultural Price Analysis and Fore-casting--John I~. Goodwin. JohnWiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave., NewYork, NY 10158. 344 p. 1994. Hard-cover. $52.95.

This is an undergraduate, senior-leveltext in price analysis, which could alsoserve as a primer or review for mastersstudents in agricultural and resource eco-nomics. Goodwin strives to apply eco-nomic theory and mathematical examplesto solve "real problems." The text has nocommodity marketing/futures and op-tions discussion, because the author feelsthat other courses and texts have ade-quately covered these topics.

Goodwin reports in the foreword thathe has used this format for 4 years, butmention of required or recommendedprerequisites, or concurrent courses is ab-sent. While undergraduate curricula arevaried, students will likely need a statis-tics course covering linear regression,micro and macro economics, and a prin-ciples course in marketing. Given the leveland content of the text, most studentswould glean more from the course if they

have taken (or take concurrently) coursesin managerial economics, production eco-nomics, and commodity marketing.

For the well prepared student, the bookbegins with a review of production anddistribution over time and space, butthese first two chapters, at l I pages each,would need supplementation for the lessprepared student. Chapter 3 on indexingprices and Chapter 5 on simple linearregression and trend analysis are sup-plemented with examples in appendicesusing computer spreadsheets. Detailed in-structions including cell locations and cur-sor movements are supplied.

Cycles, seasonality, and their estima-tion occupy Chapters 6, 7, and 8 withmonochrome charts, text, and graphs.Graphs and text are used to review prin-ciples of supply, demand, and elasticityin Chapters 9, 10, and 11, respectively,with emphasis in basic theory, leavingpractical analysis to Chapters 12 (moregraphical) and 13 (regression oriented)."Marketing Margins and Market Struc-ture" round out the remaining Chapters14 to 17 in 55 short pages.

The text would benefit from the use ofcolor and occasionally larger graphs.Chapters start with reviews of the previ-ous chapter, rather than an overview ofwhat to expect in the current chapter. Bet-ter placement of overviews and sum-maries would be within the chapter. Thetext contains no homework, student prob-lems, glossary of terms, bibliography/references, or list of supplemental read-ings. These additions, along with lists oftables and figures, would increase the use-fulness of the text for both instructor andstudent.

The author is occasionally careless inhis wording. The phrase gimlet-eyedbanker could convey drunkenness ratherthan sharp vision. The example of studentheight and weight in Chapter 5 includeda Jane Doe who at 618 pounds and 4 feet,11 inches was "to say the least--voluptuous." (p. 64) For such a situation,this "outlier" could have been named J.Doe, the term voluptuous dropped, andthe concept would have been retained,without offense to anyone. On page 92the author states, "With 81 percent of thevariation in real prices for hen turkeys inNew York (R2 = 0.81) being explainedby the trend .... " A more appropriatephrase might have been "associatedwith," rather than "explained by." Trendseems to convey very little economic "ex-planation" to a price series. Aside fromthese editorial comments, I found the textand related graphics well organized andcoordinated.

Instructors teaching introductory priceanalysis should give this text their ownreview. The material is thoughtfully tar-geted to undergraduate seniors and in this

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. £duc., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995 ̄ 95

respect it succeeds well. With a few supplemental readings and exercises, a course based on this text would be a valuable addition to most undergraduate programs in agriculture and resource economics.- RICH ALDERFER, University of Min- nesota, West Central Experiment Station, Morris, MN 56267.

Editor’s note: Published copies of the student handbook and instructor manual were not available to the reviewer at the time of the text review. Student Hand- book: $24.95, ISBN 0-471-30446-8. In- structor Manual: ISBN 0-471-01346-3. Both are available from John Wiley & Sons.

BOOK Volatile Oil Crops: Their Biology, Bio-

chemistry and Production-Robert K.M. Hay and Peter Waterman. Long- man Scientific and Technical, Long- man Group UK Limited, Longman House, Burnt Hill, Harlow, Essex, CM20 2JE, England. 1993. 185 p. Hardcover. $115.00.

As scientists push forward the bound- aries of technology, we often rediscover the virtues of plant species that were the foundation of commerce in bygone eras. This certainly is true for current initiatives to develop New Crops for specialized commercial applications, especially those plant species that produce novel secondary metabolites.

With increased interest in natural products, herbs like parsley, thyme, basil, and lavender come again to the forefront as sources of attractants, antioxidants, and antibiotics. Unfortunately, the literature on these plants is as obscure as the commodity itself. Therefore, the opportunity to formulate ideas concerning new uses for these species and their products may be lost or delayed due to an apparent lack of prior knowledge. In that regard, the authors of this book have recognized the need to compile what is known about plants that produce volatile oils.

This work was conceived by scientists at the Scottish Agricultural College, the University of Strathclyde, and the Scot- tish Agricultural Science Agency to serve as a guide for temperate and mediterranean crop species distinguished by high- ly valued essential oils. The material is based on 385 references that provide a fairly comprehensive treatment of three large plant families: the Labiatae, Umbel- liferae, and Compositae. However, this text is not merely a review. Although proper attention is given to the historical

attributes of a diverse array of plants in those families, the authors have crafted an articulate treatise with tenaments that encompass concepts ranging from taxonomy to agricultural policy. This approach expands the audience to those interested in various aspects of plant biology, crop production, genetics, food technology, economics, and commercial product applications.

The elements of this work are presented in chapters that interlink disciplinary perspectives on at least 23 different species. Botanical interests are served by detailed plant illustrations, electron micrographs of cellular structures, taxonomic distributions, and geographic origin of plants exploited for volatile oils. Emphasis is placed on members of the mint, carrot, and daisy plant families. Physiological aspects of plant development follow with an introduction to the biochemical pathways of terpenoid synthesis. This section reveals basic information on flowering, responses to different growth temperatures, deposition, and expected yield of volatile constituents from various plant organs.

Those interested in herb production on private or commercial scale should benefit from information on fertilization, irriga- tion requirements, and cultural management practices. Throughout the text, the reader is gradually exposed to more complex instruction on the nature of volatile oils. This theme peaks midway in a chapter on the chemical properties and metabolic pathways of terpene and phenyl- propene synthesis. However, the reader is not stranded here. The authors have thoughtfully included discussion of how to analyze these compounds, replete with extraction methods. Then, another theme carries on toward the utilization of these biologically active constituents. Building upon the botanical base previously established, genetic diversity is explored among these species. This section delves into the inheritance of quantitative and qualitative traits that influence or affect expression of given oils. Evidence is presented that demonstrates the feasibility of breeding for characteristics that enhance the production of various terpenoids. The types of genetic selection criteria that may be employed are outlined effectively by the potential end uses. These are described as: attractants or deterrents, antibiotic or al- leopathic applications, antifungicidal or antiinsecticidal agents, and natural antioxidants for food products.

Although the variety and quality of oleoresins may be modified by conventional genetic manipulations, many of these plant species are amendable to transformation. This opens possibilities for more exotic extension of natural

product chemistry. These opportunities are addressed in a section devoted to molecular genetic alteration of secondary metabolite composition, including procedures for cell culture and regeneration of fertile plants. Consistent with recurrent themes, this section is augmented by consideration of the cytology and ultrastructure of the recombinant organisms. Fittingly, the final chapter presents hard- to-find information on world production, trade, and consumption statistics for volatile oils. Industrial methods for commercial products also are described, with a flow-chart that recaps aspects of product development from producers to consumer.

In summary, the authors have merged successfully a wide range of information on a rather difficulty topic into a fairly complete package. This approach will ap- peal to a broad disciplinary audience, including administrators of agricultural policy regarding new crops. Therefore, this volume should be a valuable addition to academic or research libraries. Indeed, one of my colleagues borrowed my edition, and I very nearly didn’t get it back to finish this review.-RICHARD F. WILSON, USDA-ARS and Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620.

BOOK The New Catastrophism: The Rare Event

in Geological History-Derek Ager. Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211. 1993. 231 p. Hardcover. $34.95.

Derek Ager dedicated The New Catas- trophism: The Rare Event in Geological History to “all the medical staff who kept me alive long enough to finish writing it.” Those who have the opportunity of reading this, sadly the last of Ager’s several books, will want to extent their own thanks, if silently and from afar, to that staff and others who played a role in en- suring that Ager’s words, wit, and com- mendable iconoclasm have been recorded for future generations to enjoy and ponder.

In part the personal travelogue of a life spent in pursuit of an understanding of the earth, in part a polemic directed against those who would reduce that understanding to a dry recital of facts, The New Catastrophism: The Rare Event in Geological History is an engaging look at the roles of uniformitarianism and catastrophism in defining the earth as we know it. In 13 chapters which meander

96 J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995

(as promised in the Introduction) acrossthe cultural, social, and scientific land-scape, Ager advances the central impor-tance of episodicity--be it related tothe processes of volcanism, fossilization,flooding, sedimentation, or glaciation,among others--in accounting for therecord which is captured in the rocksand landscapes of our planet. In the pro-cess, Ager wanders from Hamlet to dan-delions, from hippopotami (which hehastens to assure readers is as permissi-ble as hippopotamuses when it comes toalluding to more than one of those beasts)to the poetry of T.S. Eliot, and from theJapanese koto (a horizontal harp) to digression upon the drinking preferencesof the British and the French--indeed, heseems bent on establishing what, in ourefforts to narrow our own disciplinary fo-cus, we seem all too commonly to ignoreor to forget, namely that the connectionsbetween everything is everywhere.

In pursuit of his central thesis, Agerrepeatedly makes the point that the pro-cesses that have shaped the land, and in-deed our planet, are uniform neither intime nor in intensity; this is a point towhich most earth scientists would readi-ly subscribe. Whether the term catas-trophism is appropriately applied to theseprocesses is more open to question, how-ever. Admittedly, much of what is pre-served in the rock record bears witness toevents of relatively short duration--a vol-cano named Pinatubo, a tropical stormnamed Harold, an earthquake in Califor-nia or New Zealand clearly leave theirmarks. And, yes, in human terms theseare catastrophes--but, set within the 4.6billion-year tapestry of geologic time andevents, they also speak to the overalluniformity and continuity of earthprocesses.

The concept of uniformitarianism withwhich Ager takes issue was set out inPrinciples of Geology by Charles Lyellover 160 years ago. Lyell proposed thatthe processes that have formed the rocksand sculpted the land over geological timewere of the same type, intensity, andmethodicalness as the processes that wesee at work today. However, strict (i.e.,Lyellian) uniformitarianism has been sig-nificantly modified over the years, in partdue to our recognition that the intensityof earth processes (be they related, for ex-ample, to volcanism, flooding, or seismicactivity) varies considerably. And, indeed,in a scenario advanced by Alavarez andothers that relates the demise of thedinosaurs 65 million years ago to a cata-clysmic collision between the earth and anextraterrestrial body 5 to 10 km in di-ameter, planet-wide catastrophic eventsmay have played a significant role inshaping the history of life on earth.

Ultimately, the strength of Ager’s claim

that it is obvious to him "that the wholehistory of the Earth is one of short, sud-den happenings with nothing much inparticular in between" rests in part onsemantics: what does he mean by "sud-den," what does he mean by "nothingmuch"? Surely, we should not overlookabundant evidence that the Grand Can-yon was the work of a single river slowlycarving through rock laid down over eonsof time, or that Miocene marine limestonewas raised over 6 km to form what weknow as Mount Everest through a seriesof small (albeit, locally, catastrophic)events that occurred over millions ofyears. Indeed, let’s not forget that gentlyrippled muds of ancient tidal flats are asleast as common as cobbles of stormbeaches among sedimentary rocks. Thegeologic record provides ample evidenceof processes that have acted slowly anduniformly over time as well as evidenceof events that, indeed, have been sud-den-i.e., earth history clearly reflectsboth uniformitarian and catastrophicprocesses.

It is a bit ironic that, in the end, Agercomes down on the side of earthly(uniformitarian?) as opposed to extrater-restrial (catastrophic?) processes as more likely explanation for the demise ofdinosaurs (and roughly 75 % of all extantspecies) 65 million years ago. Ager ac-knowledges that the alleged impact of agiant meteorite or comet would seem tobe "more in line" with his philosophybut, in a final burst of fundamentalistuniformitarianism, concludes that it ismore likely that the event, like othergrand extinctions, was mediated by earth-ly, not extraterrestrial, processes. Ulti-mately, Ager’s catastrophisms wouldthemselves seem to be uniformitarian.

Whether a reflection of Ager himselfor of somewhat casual editing, there arethe odd, and occasionally annoying, mis-statements or misspellings: ThomasJefferson, for example, was not (as stat-ed in the Introduction, p. xvii) the secondpresident of the United States; and it wasPalouse, not "Pelouse" Fails (p. 21),Mount Batur, not Mount "Batan" (p.35), Ngauruhoe, not "Ngauru" (p. 160).

Would I recommend Ager to you?Most definitely! Ager’s motto was found-ed in the proclamation of Joachim Bar-rand ’c’est ce que j’ai vu’--"it is what Ihave seen." The New Catastrophism: TheRare Event in Geological History is aworthy testimony to a life spent seeingthings well. Enjoy it (as I did), thinkabout it--and about the person whosecuriosity concerning the world about himtook him across and around the globewith eyes and mind open to the wonderof it alI.--PETER M. WHELAN, Divi-sion of Science and Mathematics, Univer-sity of Minnesota, Morris, MN 56267. ̄

~ Boor

Plant Growth and Development: AMolecular Approach--Donald E.Fosket. Academic Press, 525 B Street,Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495.1994. 580 p. $49.95.

The molecular tools available todayhave revolutionized advancements inplant biology, particularly in the area ofdevelopmental biology. Despite this ex-citing time in plant developmental biolo-gy, a good introductory textbooksummarizing this subject matter from theperspective of molecular biology andgenetics has been unavailable. Fosket isto be commended for taking on themonumental task of writing a textbookin a field that is so rapidly changing.

Plant Growth and Development is agood introductory text to plant develop-mental biology. The chapters are brief,easy to read, and well illustrated with two-color diagrams and black-and-whitemicrographs. There is a summary at theend of each chapter outlining the salientpoints of the chapter, and each chapterhas a set of study questions to help thestudent outline and review the importantpoints. Throughout the book, newly in-troduced terms are defined in boldface.In future editions, since this is an in-troductory text, it might be useful to com-pile these terms with their definitions ina glossary.

Fosket devotes the first five chapters tobackground information on essential fea-tures of plant biology. Topics included inthese introductory chapters are plantstructure, genetics, and plant cell biolo-gy. These topics provide the necessarybackground for the subsequent chapters,which deal with plant developmental bi-ology in more depth. The discussion inthe chapters devoted to developmental bi-ology focus on environment and cellularsignals; signal transduction pathways; celldivision, growth and polarity; embryo-genesis and seed development; patternformation; and influence of biotic factorson plant development. The text is limit-ed to flowering plants and only mentionsferns, yeast, and algae where appropri-ate to illustrate specific points.

The major strength of the book is theemphasis on molecular biology and genet-ics and their use to advance our under-standing of plant development.Throughout the book, he provides exam-ples of how molecular genetic approacheshave been used to study, for example, cellfate, tissue differentiation, and hormonalcontrol of gene expression. Ample back-ground on the different molecular tech-niques are provided before he illustratestheir use in understanding development.

A weakness of the book is that many


of the subjects are presented too superfi-cially. For example, on the topic ofCa2+ as a second messenger, the authortalks about the sequestering of Ca2+ inintracellular membrane-bound compart-ments, but limits further discussion to se-questering of Ca2+ in the endoplasmicreticulum without mentioning other or-ganelles that are thought to be involved.He talks about using Ca2+ indicatordyes to measure cytoplasmic calciumlevels, but fails to identify by name theindicator dyes. Another example is thetopic of the transition to flowering. Therewas very limited discussion on the en-vironmental cues, the development ofcompetence to flower, and the cellular sig-nals that trigger this transition.

Despite this weakness, I found this text-book to be a good introductory text toplant developmental biology for under-graduates. However, a more compre-hensive text would be more appropriatefor graduate students.--CAROLYNZEIHER, Department of Plant Sciences,University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721. ̄

~ BOOK

Nature’s Outcasts: A New Look at Liv-ing Things We Love to Hate--DesKennedy. Storey Communications,Schoolhouse Road, Pownal, VT 05261.1993. 216 p. Softcover. $12.95.

This book can suite a wide range of au-diences ranging from upper-elementarystudents to adults. It is not meant to serveas a textbook, but the humor and factu-al information makes it enjoyable read-ing while exploring our misconceptionsand irrational fears of "nature’s out-casts." The book could be applied to theclassroom to arouse curiosity and exa-mine our misguided phobias. It alsomakes for worthwhile recreational read-ing, bedtime or otherwise. The book is

largely nontechnical; the scientific back-ground needed to understand the contentsare minimal so that, with a modicum ofhelp, upper-elementary students shouldunderstand and enjoy this book.

There are 20 chapters covering dan-delions, mosses, nettles, bats, mice, rats,starlings, and other plants and animals weusually consider pests. Each chapter in-cludes a background of why humans havecome to consider the plant or animal asundesirable, a logical discussion of thetrue characteristics of the organism, andquite often the author’s experiences withit over time; including how his thoughtshave changed from misinformed disliketo genuine love, or at least respectful ac-ceptance. It is the insight of the biologistand ecologist that is the strongest pointof the book. From his personal experi-ence, Kennedy skillfully explains how weneed to better understand and accept ourfellow creatures, and he does so withoutlecturing.

The book is well researched in both bi-ology and folklore. Illustrations are in-cluded but are not technical.--EUGENET. HOLMGREN, Morris High School,Morris, MN 56267.¯

BOOK

Waterfowl Ecology and Management--Guy A. Baldasarre and Eric G. Bolen.Wiley Publishers, 605 Third Avenue,New York, NY 10158. 1994. 609 p.Hardcover. Illus. $59.95.

The text is an excellent overview of thebiology, ecology, sociology, and politicsinvolved in the management of NorthAmerican Waterfowl populations. Thestrengths of the book lie in the author’sabilities to convey this enormous quanti-ty of information without losing thereader by bogging down in unnecessarydetail. The approach taken with this book

has made it ideal for an entry-level un-dergraduate course in waterfowl manage-ment. The reality of waterfowl manage-ment and biology is so intertwined withsocioeconomics that to truly learn aboutthis subject, a good textbook must includethese topics. Topics include water fowlpolicy and administration, wetland man-agement (including discussions on lossand restoration efforts), mortality andharvest management, as well as the bio-logical basics of feeding, breed!mg, andclassification. The detail of each topic isenough to give a general overview andleave the reader thirsty for a more special-ized course in the topics it covers.

The importance of this book as aneducational tool results from the continu-al unbiased discussion of past, current,and future management practices and therelationship with policy maker and thepublic. The conclusion touches on currentglobal issues affecting waterfowl andother species as well. There is a particu-larly poignant discussion of the future ofhunting in the USA that every student ofwildlife management should read.

The difficulty in writing a text of thismagnitude and diversity is to know whatto include and what not to. The authorshave done an excellent job with this task,with one small but glaring exception. Inthe chapter on wetlands and wetlandmanagement they discuss the percentagesof wetland loss for each state. The num-bers are shocking, but not as graphic asshowing the percentage of wetland lossfor each of the 21 major waterfowlhabitats described earlier in the book.This would be an important addition tothe second edition.

As a wildlife biologist and wildlifemanagement student, I find this text tobe an excellent choice for sophomore-ledvel four-year wildlife managementand/or ecology programs.--MAUREENGALLAGHER, U.S. Fish and WildlifeSrervice, Morris Wetland ManagementDistrict, Route 1, Box 877, Morris, MN56267. ̄

98 * J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 24, no. 1, 1995

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