Crop improvement through different means: Challenges and prospects

In the recent years, the looming food scarcity problem has transformed plant sciences as an emerging discipline committed to devise new strategies for enhanced crop productivity. The major factors causing food scarcity are biotic and abiotic stresses such as plant pathogens, salinity, drought, flooding, temperature extremes, nutrient deficiency or excess, etc. which substantially limit crop productivity world-wide. In this scenario, such strategies should be adopted which may be employed to achieve maximum productivity and economic crop returns under such adversaries. Major strategies include pathogen/pest management practices, breeding of new crop varieties, screening and selection of existing crop gene pool, production of genetically modified (GM) crops, exogenous use of osmoprotectants and plant hormones, agronomic and soil reclamation practices, sustainable use of available water supplies, etc. In this book, we have mainly focused on physiological, biochemical, molecular and genetic tools for crop improvement under environmental adversaries. In addition, the adverse effects of different biotic (diseases, pathogens, etc.) and abiotic (salinity, drought, high and low temperatures, metals, etc.) stresses on crop development and the potential strategies to enhance crop productivity under such stressful environments have been critically discussed. Moreover, the role of nutrient, water and soil management in improving crop efficiency is also a part of this book. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. All rights reserved