Milan Kumar Lal – författare

Abiotic Stress in Underground Vegetables provides comprehensive information on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of various underground vegetable crops to abiotic stress and the strategies for managing these crops under these conditions.Climate changes pose major challenges to the productivity and yield of crops, particularly horticultural crops that bear their edible parts underground. Underground vegetable crops are highly nutritious, non-cereal plant species grown in various agro-ecological zones and play a significant role in feeding both people and animals around the world as well a providing industrial products. To address the range of challenges created by climate changes, it is crucial to understand the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of crops to abiotic stress and the potential mechanisms of resistance and mitigation.Presented in two parts, 'Stress Responses' and 'Stress Mitigation', Abiotic Stress in Underground Vegetables offers a detailed exploration of reactions of different underground vegetable crops to abiotic stress, along with effective management strategies for cultivating these crops. This book is an essential resource for researchers, students, crop growers, and all stakeholders in the field of crop sciences who are interested in improving the yield and productivity of these vital crops.

Provides complete information on functional plant physiology and the molecular aspects of underground vegetable cropsPresents comprehensive information and potential application strategies of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria in the horticultural crop production systemIncludes synthesis and assimilation of the potential use of novel phytohormone-diverse plant growth stages

Melatonin in Horticultural Plants: A Multifunctional Molecule for Abiotic Stress Tolerance consolidates insights from leading experts on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical processes triggered by the application of melatonin, ultimately resulting in enhanced crop tolerance to abiotic stresses.This book provides an in-depth analysis of various abiotic stressors affecting horticultural crops, detailing how they impact plant growth and development, from seedling establishment to senescence, as well as their influence on yield and quality. It explores how melatonin regulates these responses through chemical signaling and highlights its role in coordinating signal transduction pathways at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels, offering a comprehensive understanding of its potential in agriculture.Beyond its theoretical foundations, the volume considers how these findings can be translated into real-world strategies. This includes practical approaches such as the use of biostimulants, hormones, novel chemicals, and microorganisms to effectively harness melatonin’s benefits in horticultural production. Designed to support researchers, plant biologists, and horticulturists, it aims to foster innovation and facilitate sustainable advancements in horticultural science, contributing to the development of resilient crops capable of thriving despite changing climate conditions and disruptive anthropogenic activities.Examines the mechanisms by which melatonin enhances crop resilience to abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, extreme temperatures, and heavy metal toxicityDelivers a detailed analysis of melatonin’s influence on plant growth, secondary metabolite production, and postharvest qualityPresents practical strategies and case studies for integrating melatonin into sustainable agricultural practices to improve crop performance under environmental challenges

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research and developments in the field of root and tuber crops from a sustainable production and protection perspective.With a focus on sustainable production methods, the book offers valuable insights and perspectives on how to improve the efficiency and sustainability of root and tuber crop production. This is particularly important given the increasing demand for food security and sustainable agriculture practices globally. The chapters focus on a wide range of production strategies, including soil, nutrient dynamics, nutrient management, fertilizer consumption, and cropping systems, as well as the use of modern farming techniques and technologies. With seed production and supply chains playing critical roles in cash crops like potatoes, a staple food in many countries, the volume also covers healthy seed planting material, low-cost technological intervention for quality seed production, integrated weed management for local and global perspectives, and enhancing the efficiency of small-holder farmers in the Global South. Finally, this book considers the challenges posed by pests and disease management. It describes management methods, as well as the distribution, symptoms and damage, biology, survival, and spread of each pest, and also discusses various environmentally friendly pest management strategies, such as physical, cultural, chemical, biological, host resistance, and integrated methods.This book will be of interest to students and scholars of sustainable agriculture, crop management, and plant sciences.

This is Volume 2 of a two-volume set that examines the impact of viral diseases in horticultural systems. Building on Volume 1, which focuses on vegetables, this volume shifts attention to fruit crops, offering a broader and more complete view of the viral threats affecting global food and nutritional security. This book is a part of the 'Plant Pathology for Sustainable Agriculture' book series.The book discusses how viruses compromise fruit crop health, yield, and market value, especially under the pressures of climate change and increasing consumer demand. It covers the biology and spread of fruit viruses, the critical role of insect vectors, and the economic implications of outbreaks. Readers will gain insights into modern diagnostics using CRISPR and field-ready kits, as well as omics-based approaches (proteomics, metabolomics, epigenetics) that help decode host-pathogen interactions. It further explores futuristic technologies like nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and IoT for smart surveillance, disease forecasting, and post-harvest disease control.This volume is ideal for fruit growers, plant biotechnologists, researchers, students, and agri-tech innovators seeking up-to-date strategies for virus detection and sustainable disease management in fruit crops.

This is Volume 1 of a two-volume set that explores the growing challenge of viral diseases in horticultural crops. While this volume focuses on vegetable crops, Volume 2 complements it by addressing viral threats in fruit crops, together offering a comprehensive understanding of plant virus epidemiology and management in the context of a changing climate.This volume delves into how viruses emerge, spread, and affect the quality and yield of vegetables. It explains the interactions between viruses and their hosts, emphasizing modes of transmission—especially via seeds and insect vectors—and the influence of climate change on viral outbreaks. Readers are introduced to cutting-edge diagnostic and management tools including CRISPR, portable testing kits, virome analysis, and omics-based technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics). The book also explores sustainable management strategies such as gene editing, RNA-based sprays, and the use of endophytes and phytohormones.A valuable resource for students, researchers, plant pathologists, horticulturists, and agricultural professionals, this volume provides science-backed insights and practical solutions for managing virus-related challenges in vegetable cultivation.

It brings together recent advances in understanding how melatonin regulates signal transduction pathways to modulate plant growth and development under challenging environmental conditions.

The book also focuses on role of melatonin in heavy metal stress, viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases, and, also contains chapter on melatonin facilitated nutrient use efficiency in plants. This book is of interest to postharvest industries, horticulturists, scientists, researchers, and students.

The book also focuses on role of melatonin in heavy metal stress, viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases, and, also contains chapter on melatonin facilitated nutrient use efficiency in plants. This book is of interest to postharvest industries, horticulturists, scientists, researchers, and students.

This book highlights the multifunctional role of the ubiquitous molecule, melatonin, in crop plants. The major focus of this edition is to provide detailed insights into morphophysiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of melatonin in the growth and development of the plant. The inception of melatonin as an animal hormone and the subsequent discovery of its multifaceted function in the animal system has triggered the research on this pineal gland hormone. During the last decade, the discovery, quantification and functional studies of melatonin as phytohormone has emerged at a rapid pace. Recently, this phyto-protectant has become an integral component of lab and field-based research on the mitigation of adverse effects of climate-driven abiotic stresses and postharvest biology and technology.The book explores various biosynthetic pathways and detection of melatonin covering its role in flowering, fruit development, photosynthesis, respiration, hormonal crosstalk, post-harvest biology and reactive oxygen species and nitrogen cycles. This book is of high interest to postharvest industries, horticulturists, scientists, researchers, and students.