This topic is a unique attempt to simultaneously tackle theoretical and practical aspects in drought phenotyping, through both crop-specific and cross-cutting approaches. It is designed for – and will be of use to – practitioners and postgraduate students in plant science, who are grappling with the challenging task of evaluating germplasm performance under different water regimes. In Part I, different methodologies are presented for accurately characterising environmental conditions, implementing trials, and capturing and analysing the information this generates, regardless of the crop. Part II presents the state-of-art in research on adaptation to drought, and recommends specific protocols to measure different traits in major food crops (focusing on particular cereals, legumes and clonal crops). The topic is part of the CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme’s efforts to disseminate crop research information, tools and protocols, for improving characterisation of environments and phenotyping conditions. The goal is to enhance expertise in testing locations, and to stimulate the development and use of traits related to drought tolerance, as well as innovative protocols for crop characterisation and breeding.

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.

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.

Part of a series which presents papers of topical interest relating to the breeding of plants important to agriculture and horticulture.

This book provides insights into the genetics and the latest advances in genomics research on the common bean, offering a timely overview of topics that are pertinent for future developments in legume genomics. The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume crop for food consumption worldwide, as well as a model for legume research, and the availability of the genome sequence has completely changed the paradigm of the ongoing research on the species. Key topics covered include the numerous genetic and genomic resources, available tools, the identified genes and quantitative trait locus (QTL) identified, and there is a particular emphasis on domestication. It is a valuable resource for students and researchers interested in the genetics and genomics of the common bean and legumes in general.

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ) is the most important pulse crop in the world. It is an important source of calories, proteins, dietary fibers, minerals, and vitamins for millions of people in both developing and developed countries worldwide. It complements cereals and other carbohydrate-rich foods in providing near-perfect nutrition to people of all ages. Moreover, a regular intake ofbeans helps lower cholesterol and cancer risks. Despite the fact that per capita consumption of common bean in some developed countries (e. g. , the U. S. A. ) has been increasing over the last several years, in general, the average global per capita consumption is declining because production is unable to keep up with the population growth. Moreover, increasing demand for pesticide-free food products, concern for natural resources conservation, and the need to reduce production costs offer daunting challenges to the twenty-first century policy makers, bean growers, and researchers alike. High yielding, high quality bean cultivars that require less water, fertilizers, pesticides, and manual labor combined with integrated management of abiotic and biotic stresses will have to be developed. Eminent bean researchers were invited to contemplate these issues, prepare a state-of-the-art account on most relevant topics, and offer their insight into research directions into the twenty-first century. Four excellent books have been published covering various aspects ofthe common bean since 1980. These books are: I) Bean Production Problems nd in the Tropics (l SI ed. 1980, 2 ed. 1989), H. F. Schwartz & M. A.