Agricultural Waste: Environmental Impact, Useful Metabolites and Energy Production

This contributed volume deals with problems associated with huge biomass generated by crop plants and the processing of fruits and food materials. The main focus is to address problems associated with organic residues from agro-industrial processes. This book aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date account of various processes involved in the valorization of this huge biomass available from agro-industrial processes and obtaining valuable primary and secondary metabolites which will have an impact on the rural economy. Decrease in forest cover associated with the production of agriculture-based waste resulting in pollutants like smoke by burning of residual crops, waste from breweries, food processing, pruning of bushes and trees, and from industries producing proteins, vegetable oils and fruit juices etc.

This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, climate change scientists, agriculture scientists and policymakers. The book brings out the latest reading material for botanists, biotechnologists, environmentalists, biologists, policymakers and NGOs working for environmental protection.



Professor Dr. Kishan Gopal Ramawat (Ph.D. in 1978 from University of Jodhpur, India) has 48 years' experience of working with medicinal plants, plant biotechnology and secondary metabolites from plants like Bacopa monnieri, Commiphora wightii, Pueraria tuberosa, and several other medicinal plants; published more than 170 papers and edited 24 books published from Springer and other publishers. He is associated with Springer Nature for the last 10 years as series editor for 'Sustainable Development and Biodiversity' and 'Reference series in Phytochemistry'. He was Head of the Department of botany and biotechnology, M.L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur, India; coordinator of UGC-DRS, DST-FIST programs of the department, and Principal Investigator for DBT projects and a member of 'Taskforce on Medicinal plants', DBT, Government of India, New Delhi. 

Professor Dr. Jean-Michel Mérillon (Ph.D. in 1984 from University of Tours, France) has 43 years of experience as researcher working with isolation and bioproduction of secondary metabolites of biological interest, particularly alkaloids and polyphenols. He worked extensively on Catharanthus roseus and Vitis vinifera plants using biotechnological tools and phytochemistry. He was Director and group leader of GESVAB, Faculty of Pharmacy, and worked in the Institute of Sciences of Vine and Wine, University of Bordeaux (France) on the isolation of polyphenols particularly stilbenes from various sources and developing related technology. He created and manages the technology transfer unit, 'Polyphenols Biotech'. He has published more than 180 research papers and 15 books from Springer and other publishers. 

Dr. Jaya Arora (Ph.D. in 2012 from M.L.S. University, Udaipur, India) is an Assistant Professor in senior grade working past 14 years on medicinal plants and halophytes using plant biotechnology and molecular tools at the Botany department, M.L. Sukhadia University. She has published 30 research papers and review articles in journals of repute, two students obtained Ph.D. degree under her supervision, and worked as co-editor for three books published from Springer. Her research was funded by UGC-Start Up grant, RUSA-2.0, MHRD and DST, New Delhi, India. Currently she is working on the characterization of bioactive peptides and their in vitro assessment against pathological hallmark molecules of Alzheimer and hypertension. She is also coordinator of various skill-oriented certificate and diploma programs including Certificate course in Bioproducts and Bioprocesses, In vitro Techniques and Tools and Techniques in Biosciences.