Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Current Books & Book Reviews

PHOTO: bookcover

Paul H. Li and E. Tapio Palva (editors).
Plant Cold Hardiness: Gene Regulation and Genetic Engineering.
New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2002.
cloth, 294 p., ISBN 0–306–47286–4, $163.00.

Plant Cold Hardiness: Gene Regulation and Genetic Engineering contains the proceedings of the Sixth International Plant Cold Hardiness seminar held in July 2001 in Helsinki. Each chapter (20 altogether) of this book represents a paper at the seminar, reflecting research on cold hardiness especially related to gene regulation and expression, as well as plant physiology. Among the topics discussed are cold acclimation related to deciduous trees, rhododendrons, grapes, barley, wheat and cabbage; the physiological effects of cold on carbohydrate biosynthesis and photosynthesis, as well as changes in plasma membranes; and ice nucleation, a technique to protect plants from freeze damage. The importance of these studies is to facilitate genetically engineered plants more resistant to cold temperatures. Plant Cold Hardiness is definitely a book aimed at specialists in the field.

— Luretta D. Spiess, volunteer and master gardener, Chicago Botanic Garden.