From climate change to farming systems to genetic modification of organisms, Crop Physiology, Second Edition provides a practical tool for understanding the relationships and challenges of successful cropping. With a focus on genetic improvement and agronomy, this book addresses the challenges of environmentally sound production of bulk and quality food, fodder, fiber, and energy which are of ongoing international concern. The second edition of Crop Physiology continues to provide a unique analysis of these topics while reflecting important changes and advances in the relevant science and implementation systems. Contemporary agriculture confronts the challenge of increasing demand in terms of quantitative and qualitative production targets. These targets have to be achieved against the background of soil and water scarcity, worldwide and regional shifts in the patterns of land use driven by both climate change and the need to develop crop-based sources of energy, and the environmental and social aspects of agricultural sustainability. - Provides a view of crop physiology as an active source of methods, theories, ideas, and tools for application in genetic improvement and agronomy - Written by leading scientists from around the world - Combines environment-specific cropping systems and general principles of crop science to appeal to advanced students, and scientists in agriculture-related disciplines, from molecular sciences to natural resources management

Crop Physiology: Case Histories of Major Crops updates the physiology of broad-acre crops with a focus on the genetic, environmental and management drivers of development, capture and efficiency in the use of radiation, water and nutrients, the formation of yield and aspects of quality. These physiological process are presented in a double context of challenges and solutions. The challenges to increase plant-based food, fodder, fiber and energy against the backdrop of population increase, climate change, dietary choices and declining public funding for research and development in agriculture are unprecedented and urgent. The proximal technological solutions to these challenges are genetic improvement and agronomy. Hence, the premise of the book is that crop physiology is most valuable when it engages meaningfully with breeding and agronomy. With contributions from 92 leading scientists from around the world, each chapter deals with a crop: maize, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum and oat; quinoa; soybean, field pea, chickpea, peanut, common bean, lentil, lupin and faba bean; sunflower and canola; potato, cassava, sugar beet and sugarcane; and cotton. - A crop-based approach to crop physiology in a G x E x M context - Captures the perspectives of global experts on 22 crops

This 1974 book was made available as a second edition in 1979. It provides an understanding of the ways in which the various physiological processes are integrated to produce the responses shown by whole plants growing in the variable environment in the field, whilst stressing the quantitative aspects of these relationships. This was the first general text to attempt such a treatment, thereby digesting much material that had been found only in research papers or detailed monographs and complementing the reductionist approach of most standard texts of plant physiology. Most of the subject matter concerns agricultural systems, but many of the concepts and approaches are applicable to more complex natural ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on integrating knowledge from many sources and on trying to assess quantitatively the importance of each component. The result is a comprehensive account making the book a valuable background for all interested in the study of plants in the field.

Continuous discoveries in plant and crop physiology have resulted in an abundance of new information since the publication of the second edition of the Handbook of Plant and Crop Physiology, necessitating a new edition to cover the latest advances in the field. Like its predecessors, the Third Edition offers a unique, complete collection of topics in plant and crop physiology, serving as an up-to-date resource in the field. This edition contains more than 90 percent new material, and the remaining 10 percent has been updated and substantially revised. Divided into nine parts to make the information more accessible, this handbook covers the physiology of plant and crop growth and development, cellular and molecular aspects, and production processes. It addresses the physiological responses of plants and crops to environmental stresses, heavy metals, and agrichemicals; presents findings on small RNAs in response to temperature stress; and discusses the use of bioinformatics in plant/crop physiology. The book deals with the impacts of rising CO2 levels and climate change on plant/crop growth, development, and production. It also offers guidance on plants and crops that can be successfully cultivated under more stressful conditions, presented in six chapters that examine alleviation of future food security issues. With contributions from 105 scientists from 17 countries, this book provides a comprehensive resource for research and for university courses, covering plant physiological processes ranging from the cellular level to whole plants. The content provided can be used to plan, implement, and evaluate strategies for dealing with plant and crop physiology problems. This edition includes numerous tables, figures, and illustrations to facilitate comprehension of the material as well as thousands of index words to further increase accessibility to the desired information.

With contributions from over 70 international experts, this reference provides comprehensive coverage of plant physiological stages and processes under both normal and stressful conditions. It emphasizes environmental factors, climatic changes, developmental stages, and growth regulators as well as linking plant and crop physiology to the production of food, feed, and medicinal compounds. Offering over 300 useful tables, equations, drawings, photographs, and micrographs, the book covers cellular and molecular aspects of plant and crop physiology, plant and crop physiological responses to heavy metal concentration and agrichemicals, computer modeling in plant physiology, and more.

Herbicides make a spectacular contribution to modern crop production. Yet, for the development of more effective and safer agrochemicals, it is essential to understand how these compounds work in plants and their surroundings. This expanded and fully revised second edition of Herbicides and Plant Physiology provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of how modern herbicides interact with target plants, and how they are used to manage crop production. In addition, the text: Provides a current account of the importance of weeds to crop yield and quality; Describes how new herbicides are discovered and developed; Examines precise sites of herbicide action and mechanisms of herbicide selectivity and resistance; Reviews commercial and biotechnological applications, including genetically engineered herbicide resistance in crops; Suggests new areas for future herbicide development; Includes many specially prepared illustrations. As a summary of diverse research information, this second edition of Herbicides and Plant Physiology is a valuable reference for students and researchers in plant physiology, crop production/protection, plant biochemistry, biotechnology and agriculture. All libraries in universities, agricultural colleges and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught will need copies of this excellent book on their shelves.

Providing comprehensive coverage on biofuel crop production and the technological, environmental and resource issues associated with a sustainable biofuel industry, this book is ideal for researchers and industry personnel. Beginning with an introduction to biofuels and the challenges they face, the book then includes detailed coverage on crops of current importance or with high future prospects, including sections on algae, sugar crops and grass, oil and forestry species. The chapters focus on the genetics, breeding, cultivation, harvesting and handling of each crop.