Academic Press Mineral Nutrients to Mitigate Abiotic Stress in Crops (Plant Biology, Sustainability, and Climate Change)

Mineral Nutrients to Mitigate Abiotic Stress in Crops offers a clear and timely examination of the physiological and biochemical dynamics that govern how plants endure increasingly unpredictable growing conditions. The volume begins by outlining the fundamental principles that shape a crop’s capacity to acquire, distribute, and utilize nutrients, and then considers how these processes influence its survival and productivity when confronting drought, salinity, heat, or nutrient-induced stress. Across the chapters, contributors show how nutrient availability guides defense mechanisms―from maintaining cellular stability and enzymatic function to modulating antioxidant potential, osmotic adjustment, and stress-related signaling―and how intensifying environmental pressures reorder metabolic priorities, redirect root behaviour, and reallocate resources at the whole-plant level. Building on this foundation and proceeding in an intentionally structured sequence, this book integrates applied approaches encompassing soil and fertilizer systems, nutrient biofortification, and the breeding of nutrient-efficient cultivars. By integrating established science with emerging insights, it delivers a coherent, forward-looking framework for interpreting plant resilience and for implementing adaptive strategies that underpin effective responses in diverse cultivation contexts, thereby strategically equipping researchers and practitioners to navigate the increasingly complex challenges facing modern agriculture. Presents element specific chapters―covering nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, and major micronutrients―that clearly distinguish their individual roles in mitigating abiotic stress Highlights nutrient–nutrient interactions, showing how synergistic or antagonistic relationships influence stress outcomes Includes dedicated discussions of diagnostic imaging and spectroscopic methods for assessing nutrient deficiencies and stress-management responses Surveys the contribution of beneficial elements, such as silicon and selenium, which complement essential nutrients in enhancing resilience