Banana farming is the basis for commercial fruit trading. Every banana plant generates waste biomass nearly ten times the quantity of its fruits. Disposal of waste biomass is a burden for the farmers. Economical use of the waste biomass can bring financial benefit to banana farmers. Use of organic potash in lieu of inorganic potash affords higher yield and also helps to preserve the ecosphere of soil for subsequent crops. Agricultural Benefits of Postharvest Banana Plants details the use of postharvest banana plants for agriculture and trade. Eleven chapters explain both traditional and modern uses of banana plants. The reader is informed how bio-waste from postharvest banana plants (including their stems) can be used as organic potash to replace inorganic potash (muriate of potash) in fertilizer. Experimental uses of banana plant pseudo-stem juice for growing different crops along with chemical analysis of the pseudo-stems are explained in separate chapters. Isolations of potassium chloride and potassium carbonate have also been discussed in the latter part of the book. This book is an ideal handbook for professionals and trainees interested in utilizing postharvest banana plants for sustainable agriculture and trade. The information is also useful for students and teachers involved in agricultural biotechnology and traditional agriculture courses.

Mind Maps in Biochemistry presents a series of concept and knowledge maps about biochemical compounds, systems and techniques. The book illustrates the relationships between commonly used terms in the subject to convey the meaning of ideas and concepts that facilitate a basic understanding about the subject for readers. Chapters of the book cover both basic topics (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, nucleotides, enzymes, metabolic pathways, nutrition and physiology) as well as applied topics (clinical diagnosis, diseases, genetic engineering and molecular biology). Key Features i. Topic-based presentation over 16 chapters ii. Coverage of basic and applied knowledge iii. Detailed tables, flow diagrams and illustrations with functional information about metabolic pathways and related concepts iv. Essay and multiple-choice questions with solutions v. Exercises for students to construct their own mind maps, designed to improve analytical skills Mind Maps in Biochemistry is an ideal textbook for quick and easy learning for high school and college level students studying biochemistry as well as teachers instructing courses at these levels.

Natural Feed Additives Used in the Poultry Industry addresses recent information on the use of different natural feed additives in poultry nutrition. Chapters in the book focus on the growth, production, reproduction and health of poultry. Key Features: - 15 chapters contributed by more than 30 experts and scientists involved in animal and poultry nutrition, physiology, toxicology, pharmacology, and pathology - Chapters highlight the significance of a variety of herbal plant extracts and derivatives, cold pressed and essential oils, fruits by-products, immunomodulators, organic acids, probiotics, nanoparticles and their role in poultry industry instead of the growth promoter antibiotics. - Provides details about the use of antibiotic as growth promoters in poultry and the development of bacterial resistance. - Provides a holistic approach on how natural feed additives can provide an efficient solution to animal health, - Covers the main categories of poultry, including broiler chickens, laying hens, quails, geese, ducks, and turkey. - References in each chapter for further reading This handbook represents an up-to-date review of the existing knowledge on natural feed additives, both in vitro and in vivo and the basis for future research. The text is useful to students of poultry sciences, nutritionists, scientists, veterinarians, pharmacologists, poultry breeders, and animal husbandry extension workers.

With rapid progress being made in both theory and practical applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming every aspect of life and leading the world towards a sustainable future. AI technology is fundamentally and radically affecting agriculture with a move towards smart systems. The outcome of this transition is improved efficiency, reduced environmental pollution, and enhanced productivity of crops. Nondestructive Evaluation of Agro-products by Intelligent Sensing Techniques is a reference which provides readers timely updates in the progress of intelligent sensing techniques used for nondestructive evaluation of agro-products. Chapters, each contributed by experts in food safety and technology, describe existing and innovative techniques that could be or have been applied to agro-products quality and safety evaluation, processing, harvest, traceability, and so on. The book includes 11 individual chapters, with each chapter focusing on a specific aspect of intelligent sensing techniques applied in agriculture. Specifically, the first chapter introduces the reader to representative techniques and methods for nondestructive evaluation. Subsequent chapters present detailed information about the processing and quality evaluation of agro-products (e.g., fruits, and vegetables), food grading, food tracing, and the use of robots for harvesting specialty crops. Key Features: - 11 chapters, contributed by experts that cover basic and applied research in agriculture - introduces readers to nondestructive evaluation techniques - covers food quality evaluation processes - covers food grading and traceability systems - covers frontier topics that represent future trends (robots and UAVs used in agriculture) - familiarizes the readers with several intelligent sensing technologies used in the agricultural sector (including machine vision, near-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral/multispectral imaging, bio-sensing, multi-technology fusion detection) - provides bibliographic references for further reading - gives applied examples on both common and specialty crops This reference is intended as a source of updated information for consultants, students and academicians involved in agriculture, crops science and food biotechnology. Professionals involved in food safety and security planning and policymaking will also benefit from the information presented by the authors.