Broadening the Genetic Base of Crop Production.

H. D. Cooper, C. Spillane and T. Hodgkin (eds). CABI Publishing, Oxford. 2001. Pp 452. Price $140.00, hardback. ISBN 0-85199-411-3.

Initial impressions. Hmm. Well I would have picked it off the shelf but I was unsure as to how it would appeal to a broader scientific audience; time for a quick straw poll amongst my colleagues. As expected, I was greeted with initial reactions ranging from the genuinely curious to a dismissive wave of the hand. There was a universal response, however, in one respect. “What? $140.00? Are you kidding?” Clearly the publishers are aiming squarely at the University Library market and wisely not expecting huge queues outside the local bookshop. Success therefore relies on enticing scientists to order this tome (452 pages in all) over others on their wish list.

The impetus leading to the compilation of the work arose from a 1997 workshop in Rome to further the objectives of the FAO global plan. The stated aim was to bring together papers on ‘various approaches which contribute to broadening the genetic base of crops’. With over 120 authors contributing to 27 chapters, there is an impressive show of well-known names in the field. The considerable challenge for the three editors was to hone the talent on show to generate a literary thoroughbred and to avoid any ‘dromedary tendencies’ arising from the recommendations of this overly large committee. The editors have certainly managed to impose some structure on to what could easily have degenerated into a ‘compilation album’.

The first seven chapters largely set the scene (especially Chapter 1) and outline the main problems in first, assessing and then broadening the genetic base of a crop. Five chapters that follow provide case studies to describe the genetic diversity of example crops. The remaining two sections of the book contain a series of illustrative examples of efforts to broaden the genetic base of named crops. The first includes eight chapters describing population-based approaches for the introduction of fresh diversity. The final section is entitled ‘other approaches to broadening the genetic base of crops’. Needless to say, contributions in this part of the book do rather have the feel of a ‘miscellaneous section’, although they are not devoid of interest. As an academic compendium, the book has relatively few flaws, although I would have liked to see less repetition, a greater contribution by multinationals from the seed industry and more than a passing reference to the importance of Genetic Modification.

So, is it overall a recommended read? Well, possibly. There are elements of the book that will appeal to various audiences. The first twelve chapters could be a useful aid to teaching and many of the later chapters are sufficiently insightful to warrant reference in research papers. It is also feasible that some may chose to use the book itself as a source of reference. Whether it is sufficiently interesting in any of these areas to warrant ‘must have’ status in the minds of academics is a question that only time and market forces will reveal. My money would be on modest sales given the price.