C4 Grasses and Cereals Growth, Development, and Stress Response

The objectives of this book are to describe the common patterns of growth, development and response to stresses of C4 grasses; how these patterns differ among genotypes; and how the differences are responsible for variation in adaptation to particular environments. Thus, the book serves as a general reference for both the similarities and differences among C4 grasses. As a general reference, it cannot provide an exhaustive literature review on all topics discussed; however, the approximately 2,000 citations provide a balanced, up-to-date sample of the research on each topic.;The book can be divided into four parts. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 give a brief overview of the importance of C4 grasses as well as their distinctive anatomy, physiology, taxonomy and distribution. They introduce the reader to the group, show how it differs from C3 grasses, and describe its biochemical and anatomical subtypes. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 describe the normal growth and development of C4 grasses, including shoot, grain, and root growth. The effects of non-nutritional factors such as temperature, light intensity, CO2 concentration, defoliation, drought, and soil strength and aeration are described in Chapters 7 through 11. Finally, Chapters 12 through 16 deal with nutritional deficiencies and toxicities.