Academic Press Prosopis as a Heat Tolerant Nitrogen Fixing Desert Food Legume: Prospects for Economic Development in Arid Lands

Prosopis describes the enormous historical importance of these trees as a human food source and reviews the contemporary food science of the fruit derived from these trees. As well, this treatise reviews the native genetic resources of this genus on 4 continents and classical genetic and horticultural techniques that could help stabilize the environment and alleviate human suffering on some of the world’s most destitute agro-ecosystems. This book is an essential read for researchers interested in forestry and plant science, environmental science, and functional foods. The legume family (Fabaceae) contains many genera and species that through their nitrogen fixing process provide high protein food and feed for humans and animals. As evidenced by its presence in Death Valley, California, which holds the record for the highest temperatures in the world, these types of plants can thrive in extreme environments. Review A unique resource that presents how some Prospis species can be utilized to improve local economies From the Back Cover <p>The legume family <i>(Fabaceae)</i> contains many genera and species that through their nitrogen fixing process provide high protein food and feed for humans and animals. As evidenced by its presence in Death Valley, California, which holds the record for the highest temperatures in the world, the genus <i>Prosopis</i> is perhaps the most heat tolerant, food producing legume on the planet.</p> <p>This book describes the enormous historical importance of these trees as a human food source and reviews the contemporary food science of the fruit derived from these trees. As well, this treatise reviews the native genetic resources of this genus on 4 continents and classical genetic and horticultural techniques that could help stabilize the environment and alleviate human suffering on some of the world’s most destitute agro-ecosystems.</p> <p><i>Prosopis: Prospects for Economic Development in Arid Lands</i> is an essential read for researchers interested in forestry and plant science, environmental science, and functional foods.</p> About the Author She has experience in the characterization of food components, mainly in proteins and carbohydrates, and in the study of the physicochemical changes of these components during food processing for obtaining gels, emulsions and different food matrices. In more recent years, she has carried out an in-depth study of the main components present in the pod and seeds of the American carob bean from different Prosopis species, and the analysis of the performance of these flours in the physicochemical, sensory and nutritional quality of baked foods containing Prosopis flour as food ingredients. He has dedicated his entire life to the investigation of the environmental conditions for the cultivation of Prosopis and the morphological and chemical characterization of the different fruits. In collaboration with Dr. Andrew Paterson of the Plant Mapping Laboratory at the University of Georgia he was also instrumental in getting the first genomic sequence of Prosopis.