Biotechnological tools play a critical role in supplementing conventional approaches to the conservation, characterization, and utilization of agricultural and horticultural crops, with the ultimate goal of increasing production and productivity. The emerging field of bioinformatics is an integrated discipline that arises from the merging of biology and informatics, and it encompasses various new frontiers of science, including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.
The rapidly expanding warehouse of proteome and genome information has significant implications and applications in various areas of science, including agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and food science. Cheminformatics is a specialized field that focuses on a range of problems in the field of chemistry, including the identification of naturally occurring chemical compounds in crops that act against pests. This can help to reduce the use of chemical pesticides. Bioinformatics has transformed the discipline of life science from a purely lab-based science to an information science as well.
The book Agriculture Bioinformatics is a valuable resource that compiles 17 chapters authored by working scientists in various disciplines. In addition to theoretical information, the book provides practical and applied aspects that can help to boost the productivity and quality of crops.