In this volume the reader is introduced to the concepts of carbon and nitrogenmetabolism in plants, brought up-to-date with current opinion and how these interactiveprocesses are co-ordinated, and is led towards a realization of the immense potential thatthis new understanding has to offer for agriculture. We aim to cover what we perceive tobe all the relevant aspects of the carbon— nitrogen interactions, from primary reactionsto molecular genetics, and the development of strategies for engineering increased plantproductivity by optimizing resource allocation