Handbook of Plant and Crop Physiology, Third Edition

Book excerpt: 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.