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PLANT BREEDING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Societal Context and the Future of Agriculture
This accessible survey of modern plant breeding traces its history from the earliest
experiments at the dawn of the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the
present day and the existence of high-tech agribusiness. Denis Murphy tells the story
from the perspective of a scientist working in this field, offering a rational and evidence-
based insight into its development. Crop improvement is examined from both a
scientific and socio-economic perspective, and the ways in which these factors interact
and impact on agricultural development are discussed. In conclusion, some concerns
over the future of plant breeding are highlighted, as well as potential options to enable
us to meet the challenges of feeding the world in the twenty-first century. This
thoroughly interdisciplinary and balanced account will serve as an essential resource for
everyone involved with plant breeding research, policy and funding, as well as those
wishing to engage with current debates about agriculture and its future.
Denis J. Murphy is Professor of Biotechnology at the University of an,
UK. His career in plant biotechnology research spans three decades, including ten
years on the management team of the John Innes Centre, arguably Europe’s premier
research centre in plant science. He is currently highly involved with the ongoing
debate on ically modified food and crops, both locally and internationally,
providing expertise and advice to anisations and government agencies,
as well as engaging with the general public and the media.
Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
Societal Context and the Future
of Agriculture
DENIS J. MURPHY
University of an
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
Published in the United State