Chapters authored
Botanical Insecticides Are a Non-Toxic Alternative to Conventional Pesticides in the Control of Insects and Pests
Insect control for crops is one of the most critical global concerns. Pest management is an economic and ecological problem worldwide due to the human and environmental risks raised by most synthetic pesticide products. Botanical insecticides have resurfaced in popularity due to their low cost and low environmental impact, rather than their negative effects on human health. Botanical insecticides destroy only the insects they are meant to kill, leaving no residue on food or in the environment. Botanicals have long been used to combat pests. The compounds have many environmental advantages. However, as opposed to other bio-control pests and pathogens, their use was minimal during the twentieth century. In developing countries, botanical insecticides are well adapted for use in organic food production. Nonetheless, they may play a far bigger role in developed countries’ food production and post-harvest food protection. Consequently, the current chapter briefly addresses botanicals with active ingredients with insecticidal, antifeedant, or repellent properties.
Part of the book: Global Decline of Insects
Maize (Zea mays) Response to Abiotic Stress
The most extensively produced crop globally is Maize (Zea mays). Its response to diverse environmental stressors is dynamics and complicated, and it can be plastic (irreversible) or elastic (reversible). There is a wide range of soil and climatic conditions in which Maize can be grown. Climate change, for example, has the potential to impair grain quality and productivity of Maize all over the world. For the best harvest yield, the maize crop requires the right temperature. As a result of climate change, environmental stress factors such as abiotic and biotic stress factors are projected to intensify and become more common. Abiotic stress such as drought, temperature, and salinity are the major constraints limiting Maize’s worldwide production (Z. mays L.). In places prone to various stresses, the development of stress-tolerant crop types will be useful. Drought, salinity, and temperature extremes are examples of abiotic factors that can significantly impact the development and growth of the plant. Furthermore, various management options available may aid in the development of strategies for better maize performance in abiotic stress conditions to understand the maize response to resistance mechanisms and abiotic stress. Therefore, this chapter will focus on the impact of abiotic stress regarding temperature on Maize.
Part of the book: Maize Genetic Resources
Sustainable Management of Phosphorus in Agriculture for Environmental Conservation
Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Although the P-concentration in soil is 1000 folds higher than in plants, it is rarely available for plant uptake due to low diffusion and high fixation rate in soil. Hence, plants experience P-deficiency in the absence of P-fertilization, which may cause approximately a 30–40% decrease in crop yield. This highlights the importance of using a large amount of phosphate fertilizers to meet crop demands. As P-fertilizer is derived from a nonrenewable and finite source of rock phosphate, this resource is decreasing over time. In addition, farmers are applying P-fertilizers randomly without considering the soil stock, which leads to the loss of P-resources. The low P-use-efficiency (PUE) of plants in the field condition (15–20%) highlights that most of the soil-applied P remains unavailable to plants, and excess P causes ground and surface water contamination (i.e., eutrophication) through leaching and runoff, which ultimately results in environmental pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to apply P-fertilizers considering the soil test value and PUE to protect the environment from contamination and sustainable management of P-resources. This chapter mainly focuses on the sustainable management of P in agricultural fields for environmental conservation.
Part of the book: Phosphorus in Soils and Plants