Response of Crops to Limited Water


Book Description

Water stress and heat stress are considered to be two primary factors that limit crop production in many parts of the world. Global warming appears to be increasing the water requirements of plants. Understanding the impact of water deficit on plant physiological processes and efficient water management are of great concern in maintaining food production to meet ever increasing world food demand. The book addresses various climatic soil and plant factors that contribute to the water use efficiency in plants subjected to water stress. It covers all issues related to soil, plant and climatic factors that contribute to the crop responses to water stress. The books advances the knowledge in improving and sustaining crop yields in ever increasing unpredictable climatic fluctuations This book uses crop simulation models for response of crops to limited water under various management and climatic conditions.




Water Stress in Plants


Book Description

Water stress in plants is caused by the water deficit, as induced possibly by drought or high soil salinity. The prime consequence of water stress in plants is the disruption in the agricultural production, resulting in food shortage. The plants, however, try to adapt to the stress conditions using biochemical and physiological interventions. The edited compilation is an attempt to provide new insights into the mechanism and adaptation aspects of water stress in plants through a thoughtful mixture of viewpoints. We hope that the content of the book will be useful for the researchers working with the plant diversity-related environmental aspects and also provide suggestions for the strategists.




Deficit Irrigation Practices


Book Description

In the context of improving water productivity, there is a growing interest in deficit irrigation, an irrigation practice whereby water supply is reduced below maximum levels and mild stress is allowed with minimal effects on yield. Under conditions of scarce water supply and drought, deficit irrigation can lead to greater economic gains than maximizing yields per unit of water for a given crop; farmers are more inclined to use water more efficiently, and more water-efficient cash crop selection helps optimize returns. However, this approach requires precise knowledge of crop response to water as drought tolerance varies considerably by species, cultivar and stage of growth. The studies present the latest research concepts and involve various practices for deficit irrigation. Both annual and perennial crops were exposed to different levels of water stress, either during a particular growth phase, throughout the whole growing season or in a combination of growth stages. The overall finding, based on the synthesis of the different contributions, is that deficit or regulated-deficit irrigation can be beneficial where appropriately applied. Substantial savings of water can be achieved with little impact on the quality and quantity of the harvested yield. However, to be successful, an intimate knowledge of crop behavior is required, as crop response to water stress varies considerably.




Plant Responses to Drought Stress


Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the multiple strategies that plants have developed to cope with drought, one of the most severe environmental stresses. Experts in the field present 17 chapters, each of which focuses on a basic concept as well as the latest findings. The following major aspects are covered in the book: · Morphological and anatomical adaptations · Physiological responses · Biochemical and molecular responses · Ecophysiological responses · Responses to drought under field conditions The contributions will serve as an invaluable source of information for researchers and advanced students in the fields of plant sciences, agriculture, ecophysiology, biochemistry and molecular biology.




Water Stress and Crop Plants


Book Description

Plants are subjected to a variety of abiotic stresses such as drought, temperature, salinity, air pollution, heavy metals, UV radiations, etc. To survive under these harsh conditions plants are equipped with different resistance mechanisms which vary from species to species. Due to the environmental fluctuations agricultural and horticultural crops are often exposed to different environmental stresses leading to decreased yield and problems in the growth and development of the crops. Drought stress has been found to decrease the yield to an alarming rate of some important crops throughout the globe. During last few decades, lots of physiological and molecular works have been conducted under water stress in crop plants. Water Stress and Crop Plants: A Sustainable Approach presents an up-to-date in-depth coverage of drought and flooding stress in plants, including the types, causes and consequences on plant growth and development. It discusses the physiobiochemical, molecular and omic approaches, and responses of crop plants towards water stress. Topics include nutritional stress, oxidative stress, hormonal regulation, transgenic approaches, mitigation of water stress, approaches to sustainability, and modern tools and techniques to alleviate the water stress on crop yields. This practical book offers pragmatic guidance for scientists and researchers in plant biology, and agribusinesses and biotechnology companies dealing with agronomy and environment, to mitigate the negative effects of stress and improve yield under stress. The broad coverage also makes this a valuable guide enabling students to understand the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of environmental stress in plants.




Responses of Organisms to Water Stress


Book Description

The same amount of water has been present on our planet for about 4 billion years, since shortly after the Earth was formed. Since then it has cycled through evaporation, condensation, precipitation and surface runoff multiple times. Water scarcity as an abiotic factor ranging from moderate to severe stress levels, accompanied by loss of moisture in the soil, is extremely hard for most organisms to cope with, particularly terrestrial plants and their food-chain dependents. Because of the potential for increasing temporary, or posssibly permanent, drought conditions in the future, there is intense focus on improving plant resistance to drought and increasing yield performance in water- limited environments through genotype selection in important crops. This book aims to contribute to understanding of how plants and other organisms respond to water stress conditions, and the various survival strategies adopted under differing moisture levels.




Water Productivity in Agriculture


Book Description

First title in a major new seriesAddresses improving water productivity to relieve problems of scarcity and competition to provide for food and environmental securityDraws from scientists having a multitude of disciplines to approach this important problemIn a large number of developing countries, policy makers and researchers are increasingly aware of the conflicting demands on water, and look at agriculture to be more effective in its use of water. Focusing on both irrigated and rain-fed agriculture, this book gives a state of the art review of the limits and opportunities for improving water productivity in crop production. It demonstrates how efficiency of water use can be enhanced to maximize yields. The book represents the first in a new series of volumes resulting from the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, a research program conducted by the CGIAR's Future Harvest Centres, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and partners worldwide. It will be of significant interest to those working in areas of soil and crop science, water management, irrigation, and development studies.




Crop Yield Response to Water


Book Description

To increase the efficiency and productivity of water use, the yield response to water of crops must be known. A set of tools was packaged in this Irrigation and Drainage Paper to better appraise and enhance crop yield response to water. This publication is of value to various agricultural practitioners including, but not limited to, water managers and planners; extension services; irrigation districts; consulting engineers; governmental agencies; non-governmental organizations and farmers� associations; agricultural economists and research scientists.