Chapters authored
Using Biostimulants Containing Phytohormones to Recover Hail-Damaged Essential Oil Plants
Hail can cause significant damage to aromatic and medicinal plants; however, this has never been investigated scientifically on most of aromatic and medicinal plants. Globally, essential oil crop producers primarily make use of agricultural crop insurance and costly mitigation strategies to recover lost production costs and alleviate hail-damaged plants. However, most aromatic and medicinal plants are not covered under agricultural crop insurance, and many commercial farmers are not able to regularly employ expensive alternative strategies. Therefore, hail damage may present a challenge to essential oil growers. The use of natural and synthetic phytohormones in a form of biostimulants, as an alternative biological mitigation strategy against hail damage in essential oil crops, has not received much attention, and there is no information on this topic. Exogenous applications of natural and synthetic biostimulants have consistently demonstrated growth enhancement, nutrient acquisition, yield and quality optimization, as well as physiological efficiency in plants. Biostimulants in a form of phytohormones are involved in diverse plant physiological processes, including the regulation of gene expression for adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Using biostimulants, this chapter will detail the potential recovery response of aromatic and medicinal plants to hail damage, and the response of plants treated with biostimulants.
Part of the book: Revisiting Plant Biostimulants
Soybean Production, Constraints, and Future Prospects in Poorer Countries: A Review
This study was carried out to examine patterns of soybean production, constraints, and possible solutions in poorer countries such as Southern African countries. It was observed that the success of soybean in top-producing countries was characterized by large acreage of land, with a good supply of inputs coupled with intensive management and access to competitive markets. Africa is a minor player in the soybean industry as it supplies less than 1% of the world’s soybeans. Because the crop is not for direct household consumption, it is produced on a small-scale and treated as a zero inputs crop. This has resulted in a persistent yield gap, with levels reaching only a third of those obtained in developed countries. There is under-usage of inputs such as irrigation, fertilizers, and improved seed. There is need for a definite shift from small to large-scale production. Limited access to inputs, poor adoption of technologies and restricted markets usually also compromise production. The global demand for soybean due to a growing feed industry, biodiesel, industrial demand, and bias for plant-based protein, is going upwards. New soybean frontiers will likely be present in future, and countries whose production levels lag could take advantage of this situation.
Part of the book: Production and Utilization of Legumes