Genetic engineering is a powerful tool for crop improvement. The status of crop biotechnology before 2001 was reviewed in Transgenic Crops I-III, but recent advances in plant cell and molecular biology have prompted the need for new volumes. Following Transgenic Crops IV (2007) dealing with cereals, vegetables, root crops, herbs and spices, this volume, Transgenic Crops V, is devoted to fruit, trees and beverage crops. Fruit crops targeted include banana, citrus, mango, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, avocado, grape, melon, apple, Prunus spp., strawberry, and kiwifruit, while trees include walnut, rubber, eucalyptus, tropical tree legumes, Casuarina glauca and conifers. The section on beverage crops reports studies on coffee, cacao, tea, and sugarcane. This volume is an invaluable reference for plant breeders, researchers and graduate students in the fields of plant biotechnology, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, genetics, and both plant cell and molecular biology.
