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.