Most crop plants grow in environments that are suboptimal, which prevents the plants from attaining their full genetic potential for growth and reproduction. Stress due to abiotic and biotic agents has a significant effect on world food production. Annually, an estimated 15% of global yields are lost, but this figure belies far greater losses for specific food systems and the people whose existence is dependent upon them, particularly in developing countries. Current efforts to mitigate these losses are worryingly over-reliant on the use of sophisticated and costly chemicals /measures with substantial economic and environmental costs, or on the development of efficient and smart crop varieties, which can take decades. What we need is a broad range of safe, robust and equitable solutions for food producers. One under-investigated approach is that of utilizing the crop plant’s innate immune system to resist stress. More specifically, the innate immune system can be sensitized or ‘primed’ to respond more quickly and strongly to protect the plant against stresses. However, a strategy of employing priming in combination with reduced pesticide use can enhance protection, and help to meet commitments to reducing chemical inputs in agriculture. This book discusses in detail different segments of priming in addressing stress factors and traits to increase competitiveness against all odds. Adopting a holistic and systematic approach, it addresses priming to counter climate-change related adverse effects coupled with pest and pathogen related stress on the productivity of crops utilizing natural resources to reap sustainable environmental, economic and social benefits for potential productivity of crops, maintaining synergy between soil, water and plants in ways that mimic nature.

This book introduces readers to both seed treatment and seedling pretreatments, taking into account various factors such as plant age, growing conditions and climate. Reflecting recent advances in seed priming and pretreatment techniques, it demonstrates how these approaches can be used to improve stress tolerance and enhance crop productivity. Covering the basic phenomena involved, mechanisms and recent innovations, the book offers a comprehensive guide for students, researchers and scientists alike, particularly Plant Physiologists, Agronomists, Environmental Scientists, Biotechnologists, and Botanists, who will find essential information on physiology and stress tolerance. The book also provides a valuable source of information for professionals at seed companies, seed technologists, food scientists, policymakers, and agricultural development officers around the world.

Seed quality is critical to achieving successful crop cultivation, propagation and breeding, whilst seeds are also pivotal to the conservation and management of plant genetic resources. The sector must develop a better understanding of seed quality, germination and seedling emergence to ensure successful crop establishment. Advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production provides an authoritative review of the wealth of current research on key advances in seed science and technology. The collection considers the development of new techniques to ensure seed quality control, including seed phenotyping, hyper-spectral imaging and electrophotography. Later chapters discuss advances in seed coating, conditioning and priming techniques, as well as the growing use of biostimulant-based seed treatments throughout agriculture.

New Challenges in Seed Biology - Basic and Translational Research Driving Seed Technology combines different aspects of basic and translational research in seed biology. A collection of eight chapters written by seed biology experts from the field of seed physiology, ecology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and seed technology was gathered. We hope that this book will attract the attention of researchers and technologists from academia and industry, providing points for interactive and fruitful discussion on this fascinating topic.

Demystifies the genetic, biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance in plants Heat stress—when high temperatures cause irreversible damage to plant function or development—severely impairs the growth and yield of agriculturally important crops. As the global population mounts and temperatures continue to rise, it is crucial to understand the biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of thermotolerance to develop ‘climate-smart’ crops. Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants provides a holistic, cross-disciplinary survey of the latest science in this important field. Presenting contributions from an international team of plant scientists and researchers, this text examines heat stress, its impact on crop plants, and various mechanisms to modulate tolerance levels. Topics include recent advances in molecular genetic approaches to increasing heat tolerance, the potential role of biochemical and molecular markers in screening germplasm for thermotolerance, and the use of next-generation sequencing to unravel the novel genes associated with defense and metabolite pathways. This insightful book: Places contemporary research on heat stress in plants within the context of global climate change and population growth Includes diverse analyses from physiological, biochemical, molecular, and genetic perspectives Explores various approaches to increasing heat tolerance in crops of high commercial value, such as cotton Discusses the applications of plant genomics in the development of thermotolerant ‘designer crops’ An important contribution to the field, Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants is an invaluable resource for scientists, academics, students, and researchers working in fields of pulse crop biochemistry, physiology, genetics, breeding, and biotechnology.

Explore an in-depth and insightful collection of resources discussing various aspects of root structure and function in intensive agricultural systems The Root Systems in Sustainable Agricultural Intensification delivers a comprehensive treatment of state-of-the-art concepts in the theoretical and practical aspects of agricultural management to enhance root system architecture and function. The book emphasizes the agricultural measures that enhance root capacity to develop and function under a range of water and nutrient regimes to maximize food, feed, and fibre production, as well as minimize undesirable water and nutrient losses to the environment. This reference includes resources that discuss a variety of soil, plant, agronomy, farming system, breeding, molecular and modelling aspects to the subject. It also discusses strategies and mechanisms that underpin increased water- and nutrient-use efficiency and combines consideration of natural and agricultural systems to show the continuity of traits and mechanisms. Finally, the book explores issues related to the global economy as well as widespread social issues that arise from, or are underpinned by, agricultural intensification. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to sustainable intensification, including its meaning, the need for the technology, components, and the role of root systems Exploration of the dynamics of root systems in crop and pasture genotypes over the last 100 years Discussion of the interplay between root structure and function with soil microbiome in enhancing efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition Evaluation of water uptake in drying soil, including balancing supply and demand Perfect for agronomists, horticulturalists, plant and soil scientists, breeders, and soil microbiologists, The Root Systems in Sustainable Agricultural Intensification will also earn a place in the libraries of advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in this field who seek a one-stop reference in the area of root structure and function.

Miniaturized Analytical Devices An in-depth overview of integrating functionalized nanomaterials with mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and other important analytical techniques Miniaturized Analytical Devices: Materials and Technology is an up-to-date resource exploring the analytical applications of miniaturized technology in areas such as clinical microbiology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and environmental analysis. The book covers the integration of functional nanomaterials in mass spectrometry, microscopy, electrophoresis, and more—providing the state-of-the-art information required for successfully implementing a range of chemical analysis techniques on microchips. Featuring contributions from a panel of international experts in the field, the book begins with an introduction to selected miniaturized devices, nanomaterials, and analytical methods. Subsequent sections describe functionalized nanomaterials (FNMs) for miniaturized devices and discuss techniques such as miniaturized mass spectrometry for bioassays and miniaturized microscopy for cell imaging. The book concludes by exploring a variety of applications of miniaturized devices in areas including metal analysis, bioimaging, DNA separation and analysis, molecular biology, and more. This timely volume: Surveys the current state of the field and provides a starting point for developing faster, more reliable, and more selective analytical devices Focuses on the practical applications of miniaturized analytical devices in materials science, clinical microbiology, the pharmaceutical industry, and environmental analysis Covers a wide range of materials and analytical techniques such as microvolume UV-VIS spectroscopy, microchip and capillary electrophoresis, and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) analysis Discusses the role of miniaturized analytical devices in securing a green and sustainable future Miniaturized Analytical Devices: Materials and Technology is essential reading for analytical chemists, analytical laboratories, materials scientists, biologists, life scientists, and advanced students in related fields.