Preface

**Section 3 Plant Resposes to Climatic Changes 109**

Tiago F. Jorge and Carla António

**Biostimulants 133** Yasuo Yamauchi

Mendoza

**VI** Contents

Chapter 6 **Plant Metabolomics in a Changing World: Metabolite Responses to Abiotic Stress Combinations 111**

Chapter 7 **Integrated Chemical Control of Abiotic Stress Tolerance Using**

Chapter 8 **Tolerance-Induction Techniques and Agronomical Practices to Mitigate Stress in Extensive Crops and Vegetables 145** Hipólito Hernández-Hernández, Fabián Pérez-Labrada, Ema Laura García Enciso, Paola Leija-Martínez, Mari Carmen López-Pérez, Julia Medrano-Macías, Susana González-Morales, Antonio Juárez Maldonado, Luis Rubén García Dávila and Adalberto Benavides

Climate change models predicted that crop production will decline in most production areas and will seriously affect food security in the coming decades. The world population is ex‐ pected to exceed 10 billion by 2100. During the last century, agriculture fulfilled the growing demand for food by increasing the crop yield. Projections are that global warming will make changes in precipitation, together with more frequent droughts and floods; runoff in snow‐ melt; increase in CO2, temperature, and evapotranspiration; reduction in water availability; and leaching of soil nutrients. Under changed climate, further increase in crop yield will not be sufficient in a growing food demand.

Although it is difficult to have accurate data of the impact of abiotic stress on crop yields, the influence is significant, according to the affected area (FAO estimations are that only 3.5% of the global arable area is not affected by some abiotic stress factors). Among all abio‐ tic stresses, drought is going to have the most important influence on the decrease of crop production. Yield of the three most important food crops (wheat, rice, and maize) is expect‐ ed to decrease in most arable areas, based on reductions in available water and increased temperature. The main tasks for researchers are to increase food production by developing sustainable agricultural practices, increase abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in crops, and introduce new crops adapted for changed conditions and environments.

The present book is comprised of two parts: the first one focuses on tolerance and adapta‐ tion of some crops (soybean, sugar beet, and sugarcane) to water stress, and the second one explains the possibilities and techniques that could help crops in reducing damages caused by global climate changes.

Soybean is the most important legume and is at the fourth place according to global crop production areas. The importance of this crop in response to climate changes lies in its bio‐ logical fixation of nitrogen too. Chapter 2 presented the anatomical and morphological changes in different soybean cultivars in response to different levels of water stress. Chapter 3 pointed out the possibilities in nature among the genetic diversity and wild relatives of soybean, which could be used to alleviate global warming. Sugar beet and sugarcane are important for sugar production in different regions of the world based on climatic condi‐ tions. Sugar beet is produced more in Europe and needs an adequate amount of water for achieving a satisfactory yield. In Chapter 4, different sugar beet genotypes are tested for wa‐ ter stress tolerance under greenhouse conditions. Although sugarcane is C4 crop growing in tropical regions, its production is also dependent on water availability. In Chapter 5, some new biotechnology approaches are explained in order to mitigate the effect of water stress on sugarcane production.

Besides the efforts on understanding the mechanisms of plant responses to abiotic stresses and breeding crops with increased tolerance and adaptation to climate changes, which is presented in Chapter 6 of this book, it is necessary to look for some sustainable methods and agricultural practice to obtain stable crop yields in the coming decades. The advantages of application of chemicals and biostimulants, together with traditional agricultural practice in alleviation of climate change effects on crop production, are presented in Chapter 7. Since different abiotic stresses are affecting plant growth simultaneously, plant response is very complex and difficult to predict and breed for improved tolerance to abiotic stresses. Finally, Chapter 8 gives an overview of the different stressors and mechanisms of crop response to them, with recommended agricultural techniques that could be used to help plants to sur‐ vive and bring yield in spite of the negative effects of the upcoming climate change.

We are grateful to all the authors for their contributions. We express our special thanks and appreciation to Ms. Kristina Kardum, Publishing Process Manager, for her encouragement and help in bringing out the book in the present form.

> **Dr. Violeta Andjelkovic** Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje, Serbia

**Introduction**

**Section 1**

**Section 1**
