Soumya Mukherjee has accomplished his Ph.D from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. He has been as ex faculty of Ramjas College, University of Delhi. Currently he is employed as a faculty in the Department of Botany, Jangipur College, University of Kalyani, West Bengal. He has worked as a CSIR- research fellow in the area of abiotic stress physiology of plants. He has published both research and review articles in various peer-reviewed international journals. He is serving as an associate editor in the editorial board of Plant signalling and Behaviour (Taylor and Francis). He has authored e-learning module in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry published as an effort of National Mission on Education through ICT (MHRD Project undertaken by University of Delhi). He has acted as a subject reviewer of some peer reviewed international journals on plant science. Currently he is focused on undergraduate teaching to Botany (Hons.) and Life Science students in various fundamental aspects areas of Plant Physiology. He continues to work with research interests in salt-stress physiology associated with the aspects of hormone signalling, and biomolecular crosstalk mechanisms in plants.Tariq Aftab received his Ph.D. in the Department of Botany at Aligarh Muslim University, India, and is currently an Assistant Professor there. He is the recipient of a prestigious Leibniz-DAAD fellowship from Germany, Raman Fellowship from the Government of India, and Young Scientist Awards from the State Government of Uttar Pradesh (India) and Government of India. After completing his doctorate, he has worked as Research Fellow at National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi and as Post-doctorate Fellow at Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. Dr. Aftab also worked as Visiting Scientist at Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany, and in the Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, USA. He is a member of various scientific associations from India and abroad. He has edited several books with international publishers, including Elsevier Inc., Springer Nature and CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), co-authored several book chapters, and published over more than 60 research papers in peer-reviewed international journals. His research interests include physiological, proteomic, and molecular studies on medicinal and aromatic plants.

• PrefaceIntroductionSection I: Strigolactones in Plant Biology1. Biosynthetic regulation of strigolactones in plants2. Roles of Strigolactone in Plant Growth and Development3. Strigolactones; Regulators of Root Development4. Regulatory roles of Strigolactones in Drought tolerance in plants5. Strigolactones in plants: Web networking with phytohormonal crosstalk6. Strigolactone in Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Crop Plants7. Host – Parasitic Plant Interaction: The Key Role of StrigolactonesSection II: Alkamides- Ecophysiological and pharmacological perspectives 8. Alkamides and humic acids: Insights to soil fertility9. Alkamides in Root Development10. Alkamides and Plant Microbe Interactions in Rhizosphere: Current Status & Future Perspectives11. Humic acids and fatty acid amides: soil-plant interactions12. Alkamides symbiosis in plants as source of new antibiotics13. Alkamides as metabolites in plants14. Pharmacological potential of plant-derived alkylamidesSection III: Karrikins in Plant Biology15. Karrikins: Molecular Association with Strigolactones: Role in Plant Growth Regulation, and Quorum Sensing Modulation16. Induction of dormancy release in agricultural weed seeds by plant-derived smoke and smoke-derived karrikin 1 (KAR1) – a relationship with plant hormones 17. Application of smoke-water and KAR1 in plant biotechnology18. The role of karrikins to address pressing global challenges: plant abiotic stress tolerance, biodiversity restoration and karrikin commercial realities

Soumya Mukherjee has accomplished his Ph.D from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. He has been as ex faculty of Ramjas College, University of Delhi. Currently he is employed as a faculty in the Department of Botany, Jangipur College, University of Kalyani, West Bengal. He has worked as a CSIR- research fellow in the area of abiotic stress physiology of plants. He has published both research and review articles in various peer-reviewed international journals. He is serving as an associate editor in the editorial board of Plant signalling and Behaviour (Taylor and Francis). He has authored e-learning module in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry published as an effort of National Mission on Education through ICT (MHRD Project undertaken by University of Delhi). He has acted as a subject reviewer of some peer reviewed international journals on plant science. Currently he is focused on undergraduate teaching to Botany (Hons.) and Life Science students in various fundamental aspects areas of Plant Physiology. He continues to work with research interests in salt-stress physiology associated with the aspects of hormone signalling, and biomolecular crosstalk mechanisms in plants.Tariq Aftab received his Ph.D. in the Department of Botany at Aligarh Muslim University, India, and is currently an Assistant Professor there. He is the recipient of a prestigious Leibniz-DAAD fellowship from Germany, Raman Fellowship from the Government of India, and Young Scientist Awards from the State Government of Uttar Pradesh (India) and Government of India. After completing his doctorate, he has worked as Research Fellow at National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi and as Post-doctorate Fellow at Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. Dr. Aftab also worked as Visiting Scientist at Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany, and in the Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, USA. He is a member of various scientific associations from India and abroad. He has edited several books with international publishers, including Elsevier Inc., Springer Nature and CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), co-authored several book chapters, and published over more than 60 research papers in peer-reviewed international journals. His research interests include physiological, proteomic, and molecular studies on medicinal and aromatic plants.

• PrefaceIntroductionSection I: Strigolactones in Plant Biology1. Biosynthetic regulation of strigolactones in plants2. Roles of Strigolactone in Plant Growth and Development3. Strigolactones; Regulators of Root Development4. Regulatory roles of Strigolactones in Drought tolerance in plants5. Strigolactones in plants: Web networking with phytohormonal crosstalk6. Strigolactone in Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Crop Plants7. Host – Parasitic Plant Interaction: The Key Role of StrigolactonesSection II: Alkamides- Ecophysiological and pharmacological perspectives 8. Alkamides and humic acids: Insights to soil fertility9. Alkamides in Root Development10. Alkamides and Plant Microbe Interactions in Rhizosphere: Current Status & Future Perspectives11. Humic acids and fatty acid amides: soil-plant interactions12. Alkamides symbiosis in plants as source of new antibiotics13. Alkamides as metabolites in plants14. Pharmacological potential of plant-derived alkylamidesSection III: Karrikins in Plant Biology15. Karrikins: Molecular Association with Strigolactones: Role in Plant Growth Regulation, and Quorum Sensing Modulation16. Induction of dormancy release in agricultural weed seeds by plant-derived smoke and smoke-derived karrikin 1 (KAR1) – a relationship with plant hormones 17. Application of smoke-water and KAR1 in plant biotechnology18. The role of karrikins to address pressing global challenges: plant abiotic stress tolerance, biodiversity restoration and karrikin commercial realities

Soumya Mukherjee has accomplished his Ph.D from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. He has been as ex faculty of Ramjas College, University of Delhi. Currently he is employed as a faculty in the Department of Botany, Jangipur College, University of Kalyani, West Bengal. He has worked as a CSIR- research fellow in the area of abiotic stress physiology of plants. He has published both research and review articles in various peer-reviewed international journals. He is serving as an associate editor in the editorial board of Plant signalling and Behaviour (Taylor and Francis). He has authored e-learning module in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry published as an effort of National Mission on Education through ICT (MHRD Project undertaken by University of Delhi). He has acted as a subject reviewer of some peer reviewed international journals on plant science. Currently he is focused on undergraduate teaching to Botany (Hons.) and Life Science students in various fundamental aspects areas of Plant Physiology. He continues to work with research interests in salt-stress physiology associated with the aspects of hormone signalling, and biomolecular crosstalk mechanisms in plants.Tariq Aftab received his Ph.D. in the Department of Botany at Aligarh Muslim University, India, and is currently an Assistant Professor there. He is the recipient of a prestigious Leibniz-DAAD fellowship from Germany, Raman Fellowship from the Government of India, and Young Scientist Awards from the State Government of Uttar Pradesh (India) and Government of India. After completing his doctorate, he has worked as Research Fellow at National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi and as Post-doctorate Fellow at Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. Dr. Aftab also worked as Visiting Scientist at Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany, and in the Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, USA. He is a member of various scientific associations from India and abroad. He has edited several books with international publishers, including Elsevier Inc., Springer Nature and CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), co-authored several book chapters, and published over more than 60 research papers in peer-reviewed international journals. His research interests include physiological, proteomic, and molecular studies on medicinal and aromatic plants.

• PrefaceIntroductionSection I: Strigolactones in Plant Biology1. Biosynthetic regulation of strigolactones in plants2. Roles of Strigolactone in Plant Growth and Development3. Strigolactones; Regulators of Root Development4. Regulatory roles of Strigolactones in Drought tolerance in plants5. Strigolactones in plants: Web networking with phytohormonal crosstalk6. Strigolactone in Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Crop Plants7. Host – Parasitic Plant Interaction: The Key Role of StrigolactonesSection II: Alkamides- Ecophysiological and pharmacological perspectives 8. Alkamides and humic acids: Insights to soil fertility9. Alkamides in Root Development10. Alkamides and Plant Microbe Interactions in Rhizosphere: Current Status & Future Perspectives11. Humic acids and fatty acid amides: soil-plant interactions12. Alkamides symbiosis in plants as source of new antibiotics13. Alkamides as metabolites in plants14. Pharmacological potential of plant-derived alkylamidesSection III: Karrikins in Plant Biology15. Karrikins: Molecular Association with Strigolactones: Role in Plant Growth Regulation, and Quorum Sensing Modulation16. Induction of dormancy release in agricultural weed seeds by plant-derived smoke and smoke-derived karrikin 1 (KAR1) – a relationship with plant hormones 17. Application of smoke-water and KAR1 in plant biotechnology18. The role of karrikins to address pressing global challenges: plant abiotic stress tolerance, biodiversity restoration and karrikin commercial realities