The year is 2245, and the world has undergone explosive growth in multiple industries. The age of Virtual Reality came long ago, opening up new fields for people to enjoy and seek employment. There were even those that chose to sacrifice their physical bodies, becoming digital existences that lived within internet communities.

The remarkable story of the Global Seed Vault--and the valiant effort to save the past and the future of agriculture: Now updated with a new chapter by the author and photos from recent improvements in the facilities. Closer to the North Pole than to the Arctic Circle, on an island in a remote Norwegian archipelago, lies a vast global seed bank buried within a frozen mountain. At the end of a 130-meter long tunnel chiseled out of solid stone is a room filled with humanity's precious treasure, the largest and most diverse seed collection ever assembled: more than a half billion seeds containing the world's most prized crops, a safeguard against catastrophic starvation. The Global Seed Vault, a visionary model of international collaboration, is the brainchild of Cary Fowler, renowned scientist, conservationist, and biodiversity advocate. In SEEDS ON ICE, Fowler tells for the first time the comprehensive inside story of how the "doomsday seed vault" came to be, while the breathtaking photographs offer a stunning guided tour not only of the private vault, but of the windswept beauty and majesty of Svalbard and the enchanting community of people in Longyearbyen. With growing evidence that unchecked climate change will seriously undermine food production and threaten the diversity of crops around the world, SEEDS ON ICE offers a personal and passionate reminder that we shouldn't take our reliance on the world of plants for granted--and that, in a very real sense, the future of the human race rides on this frozen and indispensable biodiversity.

Lavishly illustrated second volume of the Big Book of Buds, showcasing more of the greatest marijuana strains available today. Variety descriptions contain information on taste, potency, quality of high and suitable uses thereof. With incredible photographs and extensive notes on cultivation and provenance, each entry is the ultimate reference to a legendary bud, whether for study, practical growth advice or connoisseur user selection. Clever sidebars give a quick-glance rundown of each bud's property and full entries for each strain provide an in-depth view.

This open-access edited book is a collection of 17 chapters, synthesized primarily from the lectures delivered by eminent Indian and international experts during a series of capacity-building programmes organised in India during 2020 and 2021 under the aegis of 'Indo-German Cooperation on Seed Sector Development', a component of the Bilateral Cooperation between the Governments of India and Germany. Seed Science and Technology, a multi-disciplinary subject, is advancing rapidly keeping pace with the development of improved plant varieties and other climate-resilient technologies. Knowledge of the underlying biological processes and application of appropriate technologies for variety maintenance and seed production; quality assurance, testing and enhancement; processing, packaging and storage etc., are important in a seed programme. Chapters presented in the book is a blend of basic seed biology covering seed development, maturation, dormancy, germination, vigour and invigoration, and seed deterioration; variety maintenance and production of genetically pure seed of open-pollinated and hybrid varieties in a few key field crops and vegetables, and fundamentals of seed processing, packaging and storage; and seed quality assurance systems followed in different countries; testing the essential components of seed quality including seed health, application of molecular technologies for precision in testing, and enhancement of seed quality. It concludes by identifying the key areas of future seed research and technology development. The book covers the fundamentals and recent advances of seed science and technology with the latest research information and an exhaustive and updated list of references on different topics. It is expected to benefit the students as well as the scientists, faculty members and seed sector professionals, working in the public and private seed sectors, certification authorities and seed producing agencies in India, and elsewhere.

The world's most comprehensive, well documented, and well illustrated book on this subject. With extensive subject and geographic index. 162 photographs and illustrations - including many early seed catalog covers. Free of charge in digital PDF format.