Intro; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; Contributors; Dedication: Guglielmo Costa; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1 Recent Advances in Sexual Propagation and Breeding of Garlic; I. Introduction; II. Horticultural Diversity and Genetic Resources; III. Life Cycle and the Flowering Process; A. Seed and Seedling Development; B. Annual Life Cycle and Florogenesis; C. Environmental and Genetic Control of Flowering; IV. Fertility Barriers; A. Morphology and Anatomy of the Individual Flower; B. Environmental and Genetic Control of Male Sterility; V. Unlocking Variability by Sexual Reproduction.

A. Morphological Variability in Seedling PopulationsB. Environmental Regulation of Seedling Development; C. Molecular Markers in Variable Garlic Populations; VI. Concluding Remarks; Literature Cited; Chapter 2 Control of Fruit Tree Vigor Induced by Dwarfing Rootstocks; I. Introduction; II. Biological Complexity of Grafted Fruit Trees and Rootstock-Scion Interactions; A. Effects of Size-Controlling Rootstocks on Vegetative Growth; III. Physiology of the Dwarfism Induced by Rootstocks in Fruit Trees; A. The Semi-incompatibility Theory; B. The Water Relations Theory; C. The Nutritional Theory.

D. The Hormonal/Signaling TheoryE. The Carbohydrate Reserve Theory; F. The Competition/Architecture Theory; G. Other Possible Contributions to the Rootstock-Induced Dwarfing Mechanism; IV. Conclusions; Literature Cited; Chapter 3 Turmeric: Botany and Production Practices; I. Introduction; A. History; B. World Production; II. Botany; A. Origin and Distribution; B. Taxonomy; C. Morphology; D. Floral Biology; E. Cytology; III. Biochemistry; A. Oleoresin; B. Curcuminoids; C. Volatile Oil; D. Turmerones; E. Medicinal and Pharmacological Potential; F. Adulteration Detection.

IV. Plant Genetic Resources and BreedingA. Genetic Diversity; B. Breeding Methods; V. Biotechnology; A. Tissue Culture; B. Microrhizomes; C. In Vitro Conservation; D. Molecular Markers; E. Applied Genomics; VI. Horticultural Management; A. Environmental Requirements; B. Propagation; C. Planting; D. Plant Spacing; E. Irrigation; F. Mulching; G. Plant Nutrition; H. Weed Management; I. Earthing Up (Hilling); J. Shade; K. Cropping Systems; L. Harvest and Yield; VII. Postharvest Processing; A. Curing, Drying, and Polishing; B. Grading, Packing, and Storage; VIII. Future Prospects; Literature Cited.

Chapter 4 Fruit Thinning: Advances and TrendsI. Introduction; A. How Fruit Load Is Physiologically Established in Trees; II. Thinning; A. What Is Thinning, and Why Is It Necessary in Fruit Crops?; B. Different Thinning Methods; C. Decision Support Systems: Modeling for More Precise Applications; III. Abscission Physiology; A. The Activation of the Abscission Zone; B. The Origin of the Abscission Signal within the Fruit: Apple as a Case Study; IV. Future Perspectives; A. Development of New Thinning Tools; B. Climate Change; C. Research Network; Literature Cited.