About the book

Various biotic (pests, pathogens) and abiotic (soil compaction, drought, salinity, waterlogging, heavy metals, poor nutrition, etc.) stresses are a big cause of low crops productivity around the globe. Drought stress is very common in worldwide arid and semi-arid areas. Moreover, climate change is going to create the worst situation in this regard. The demand for irrigation water is expected to increase by 10% up to 2050. Under drought stress, the growth and yield of crops are usually decreased due to less intake of nutrients, poor photosynthesis, and a limited supply of water. In addition, drought accelerates the biosynthesis of ethylene10,11 which retards the roots elongation and development. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support the development and ensure food security in a changing climate. CSA aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible. The use of nanotechnology and AI is opening a new evolutionary era through the replacement of conventional materials and energy-based crops production. Advancements in the management of fertilizers and pesticides by using nanomaterials and sensors are gaining attention. Research is going on short-term impacts of nanoparticles and utilization of computational tools for better crops production. However, the need of the time is to investigate the long-term effects of artificial intelligence and nanomaterials application as well at a large scale.

This book will cover the potentials of nanomaterials, existing prediction models, computational tools, and sensors in climate-smart agriculture for the alleviation of drought stress.