Throughout history, humankind has pursued means to improve the yield of crop plants through selective plant breeding and hybridization. Today, genetic manipulation provides a powerful tool for directing plant breeding. But how is genetic manipulation implemented? What benefits can it offer? And what are the broader issues surrounding the use of this technology? The second edition of Plant Biotechnology: the genetic manipulation of plants presents a balanced, objective exploration of the technology behind genetic manipulation, and the application of this technology to the growth and cultivation of plants. The book describes the techniques underpinning genetic manipulation in a clear, lucid manner, and makes extensive use of case studies to illustrate how this influential tool is used in practice. Key themes and strategies are developed using appropriate case studies, which place the science behind plant biotechnology in its broader agricultural context. Online Resource Centre: The Online Resource Centre features the following materials: For lecturers: BL Figures from the book, available to download For students: BL Hyperlinks to the primary literature articles cited in the book to facilitate access to original research papers BL Case studies BL News updates - surveys of significant developments in the field help maintain the currency of the resource BL Web links library