Plants and Environment
Edited by: Hemanth KN. Vasanthaiah and Devaiah Kambiranda
ISBN 978-953-307-779-6, Hard cover, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 9533077796
ISBN-13: 9789533077796
Published by InTech
Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Publication date: October 2011
Subject: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Publishing Process Manager Dragana Manestar
Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic
Cover Designer Jan Hyrat
Image Copyright Hal_P, 2011. 2010. Used under license from Shutterstock.com
First published September, 2011
Printed in Croatia
A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com
Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechweb.org
Description:
The main intention of this publication is to provide a state-of-the-art and up-to-date knowledge of recent developments in understanding of plant responses to major abiotic stresses, limitations and the current status of crop improvement. A better insight will help in taking a multidisciplinary approach to address the issues affecting plant development and performance under adverse conditions.
Preface
The purpose of this book is to discuss intricate problems associated with plant
performance under hostile conditions. Plants are sessile organisms and are frequently
exposed to extreme stresses. Therefore, they have to be considerably more adaptable
to stressful environments and must acquire greater tolerance to multiple stresses.
Individual plant performance varies with their magnitude of tolerance. Among the
stresses, abiotic stress is known to repeatedly limit the growth and productivity of
plants, which negatively affects the yield, quality and other characteristics of the crops.
As plants do not posses immune system, they have evolved a complex and dynamic
defense system for their adaptation in response to stress. Drought and temperature are
the major abiotic stresses that affect the plants, along with light, salinity and minerals.
Prolonged abiotic stress may cause irreversible damage to plant function or
development.
The possibilities for increasing tolerance to abiotic stresses are enormous. Progress has
been made worldwide to utilize advanced tools and techniques from all branches of
science in order to understand how plants respond to abiotic stresses with the aim of
helping to manipulate plant performance that will be better suited to withstand these
stresses. Though several projects have been developed to tackle effect of stress, many
questions still remain unanswered. Therefore, an effort is made through this
publication to show some of the current research and critical roles of genetics,
physiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and other related science in crop
improvement for the benefit of fellow researchers. It is necessary to constantly get
acquainted with the past and present occurrences in order to learn lessons that could
help in the acquisition of new knowledge or the further development of appropriate
technology ensuing from it. Among the high-priority research areas identified in plant
sciences, developing crops with high yielding characteristics under adverse conditions
is gaining attention in view of the future predictable earth’s environment and also for
possible establishments of plants on other terrestrial bodies in our universe.
In this book an attempt has been made to unfold some of the new findings and
achievements that will enhance ongoing research and help solve some of the pressing
issues in plant science.
X Preface
This book presents the holistic view of the affect of various abiotic stresses on plants
and their response to it. Chapters offer a critical discussion on the available literature
and major problems , as well as understanding of plant stress responses and
mechanisms of their tolerance in detail. I honestly trust that this book will be of great
help to students, researchers and professionals in various fields of science, both in
academic and industrial sectors.
I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to all the authors
for their valuable contributions and also to the researchers who actually performed
experiments and reported their findings. I must confess that it had been a rare
privilege for me to be associated with InTech publishers. Thanks is the least word to
offer to Ms. Viktorija Zgela, Ms. Natalia Reinic and Ms. Dragana Manestar, Intech
Publishing Process Managers, yet I shall avail this opportunity to extend my sincere
gratitude for their help and co-operation at various phases of book publication. I
would like to express my sincere thanks to Devaiah Kambiranda for helping me in
editing some of the chapters. Last but not least I express my sincere thanks and
affection to my wife Roopashri Puttaramu and my daughter Sahitya H. Setty for their
sensible co-operation and cheerful encouragement. I hope the information available in
this book will have a greater impact on the scientific world working towards crop
improvement, which will pay off one day in the survival of life form on this beautiful
planet, the Earth.
Dr. Hemanth KN. Vasanthaiah, M.C.A.
Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
