Nanotechnology has shown great potential to alleviate increasing pressure to meet food needs for our increasing human population, Novel agricultural innovations are required to enhance the health of edible crops and per unit area yield without impacting the associated environment in a negative way. Recent advancements in nanotechnology-based agricultural solutions have proven to help overcome the problems in agriculture that are associated with run-off of essential fertilizers from agricultural soils, low nutrient accumulation by crops, as well as to control insects, pests, and seasonal biotic factors, treatment of wastewater used for irrigation, plant uptake of xenobiotics (heavy metals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, drugs, and so on) that may be present in contaminated soils. Additionally, the consumption of such food crops may result in malnourishment and plant-mediated transfer of toxic substances among humans especially in underprivileged and rural populations.   Agents to stimulate plant growth include various types of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, metal, and metal-oxide nanoparticles. Applications of particular nutrients or elements in crop plants can be shown to aid human nourishment (either by directly inducing its uptake or indirectly through enhancing the intracellular levels of other associated elements that ultimately boost the synthesis of the desired nutrient in plants).  It is also important to consider the competence and fate of nanomaterials in soil ecosystems. The entry route of nanomaterials into the environment includes both natural and anthropogenic sources. In order to achieve sustainable and safe use of nanotechnological products in agriculture, similar environmental conditions must be simulated on lab scale with the careful selection of organisms related to agriculture. Thus, emphasis should be placed on the judicial use of nano-enabled products without compromising the sustainability of the environment and human health.  This comprehensive book highlights recent field research as well as contributions from academicians in the lab. This book addresses the major aspects related to nanotechnology, biofortification of crops, and human and environmental health.

Crop plants growing under field conditions are constantly exposed to various abiotic and biotic stress factors leading to decreased yield and quality of produce. In order to achieve sustainable development in agriculture and to increase agricultural production for feeding an increasing global population, it is necessary to use ecologically compatible and environmentally friendly strategies to decrease the adverse effects of stresses on the plant. Selenium is one of the critical elements from the biological contexts because it is essential for human health; however, it becomes toxic at high concentrations. It has been widely reported that selenium can promote plant growth and alleviate various stresses as well as increase the quantity and quality of the yield of many plant species. Nonetheless, at high concentrations, selenium causes phytotoxicity. In the last decade, nanotechnology has emerged as a prominent tool for enhancing agricultural productivity. The production and applications of nanoparticles (NPs) have greatly increased in many industries, such as energy production, healthcare, agriculture, and environmental protection. The application of NPs has attracted interest for their potential to alleviate abiotic and biotic stresses in a more rapid, cost-effective, and more sustainable way than conventional treatment technologies. Recently, research related to selenium-NPs-mediated abiotic stresses and nutritional improvements in plants has received considerable interest by the scientific community. While significant progress was made in selenium biochemistry in relation to stress tolerance, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with the selenium- and nano-selenium-mediated stress tolerance and bio-fortification in plants is still lacking. Gaining a better knowledge of the regulatory and molecular mechanisms that control selenium uptake, assimilation, and tolerance in plants is therefore vital and necessary to develop modern crop varieties that are more resilient to environmental stress. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest understanding of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular basis of selenium- and nano-selenium-mediated environmental stress tolerance and crop quality improvements in plants. It helps researchers to develop strategies to enhance crop productivity under stressful conditions and to better utilize natural resources to ensure future food security and to reduce environmental contamination. Finally, this book is a valuable resource for promoting future research into plant stress tolerance, and a reference book for researchers working on developing plants tolerant to abiotic and biotic stressors as well as bio-fortification and phytoremediation.

Silicon and Nano-silicon in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement: Progress and Prospects provides a comprehensive overview of the latest understanding of the physiological, biochemical and molecular basis of silicon- and nano-silicon-mediated environmental stress tolerance and crop quality improvements in plants. The book not only covers silicon-induced biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in crops but is also the first to include nano-silicon-mediated approaches to environmental stress tolerance in crops. As nanotechnology has emerged as a prominent tool for enhancing agricultural productivity, and with the production and applications of nanoparticles (NPs) greatly increasing in many industries, this book is a welcomed resource.

This book deals with the basic approaches of many branches of chemistry through its interest in the following subjects: quantum theory and atomic structure (chapters from 1 to 5), discovery and periodic classification of chemical elements (chapters from 6 to 9), types and theories of chemical bonding (chapters 10, 11, and 13), isomerism (chapter 12), nomenclature of chemical species (inorganic compounds, chapter 14; organic compounds, chapters 15 and 16; and some natural compounds, chapter 17), chemical equation and types of inorganic and organic reactions (chapter 18), chemical calculation (chapter 19), oxidation-reduction reactions and their applications (chapters 20 and 21), chemical thermodynamics (chapter 22), solutions (chapter 23), chemical and ionic equilibrium (chapters 24, 25, and 26), and chemical kinetics (chapter 27).

It has become increasingly obvious that people's actions and interactions with the environment affect not only living conditions now, but also those of many generations to follow. Humans must address the effect they have on the Earth's climate and how their choices today will have an impact on future generations. In many parts of the world climate change and extreme climatic events such as severe droughts, floods, storms, tropical cyclones, heat-waves, freezes and extreme winds are one of the biggest production risk and uncertainty factors impacting agricultural systems performance and management. These events direct influence on the quantity and quality of agricultural production, and in many cases adversely affect it. Humans are changing the world's climate and with it the local, regional, and global weather. Scientists tell us that "climate is what we expect, and weather is what we get." Climate change occurs when that average weather shifts over the long term in a specific location, a region, or the entire planet. Global warming and climate change are urgent topics. They are discussed on the news, in conversations, and are even the subjects of horror movies. How much is fact?

Agriculture, science and practice of producing crops and livestock from the natural resources of the earth. The primary aim of agriculture is to cause the land to produce more abundantly and at the same time to protect it from deterioration and misuse. The diverse branches of modern agriculture include agronomy, horticulture, economic entomology, animal husbandry, dairying, agricultural engineering, soil chemistry, and agricultural economics. Agriculture is the production of food and goods through farming. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. We hope that this glossary is useful as a learning tool to the student attempting to assimilate the vast vocabulary of agronomy, plant sciences, microbiology, and other agricultural sciences.

Agriculture, science and practice of producing crops and livestock from the natural resources of the earth. The primary aim of agriculture is to cause the land to produce more abundantly and at the same time to protect it from deterioration and misuse. The diverse branches of modern agriculture include agronomy, horticulture, economic entomology, animal husbandry, dairying, agricultural engineering, soil chemistry, and agricultural economics. Agriculture is the production of food and goods through farming. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. We hope that this glossary is useful as a learning tool to the student attempting to assimilate the vast vocabulary of agronomy, plant sciences, microbiology, and other agricultural sciences.

Agriculture, science and practice of producing crops and livestock from the natural resources of the earth. The primary aim of agriculture is to cause the land to produce more abundantly and at the same time to protect it from deterioration and misuse. The diverse branches of modern agriculture include agronomy, horticulture, economic entomology, animal husbandry, dairying, agricultural engineering, soil chemistry, and agricultural economics. Agriculture is the production of food and goods through farming. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. We hope that this glossary is useful as a learning tool to the student attempting to assimilate the vast vocabulary of agronomy, plant sciences, microbiology, and other agricultural sciences.

A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. Nutrients are the substances that enrich the body. Methods for nutrient intake vary, with animals and protists consuming foods that are digested by an internal digestive system, but most plants ingest nutrients directly from the soil through their roots or from the atmosphere. Some plants, like carnivorous plants, externally digest nutrients from animals, before ingesting them. Organic nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins (or their building blocks, amino acids), and vitamins. Inorganic chemical compounds such as dietary minerals, water, and oxygen may also be considered nutrients. A nutrient is essential to an organism if it cannot be synthesized by the organism in sufficient quantities and must be obtained from an external source. Nutrients needed in large quantities are called macro- and micro-nutrients are required in only small quantities. This book covers the occurrence of deficiencies of the plant macro- and micro-nutrients, their causes, effects and treatment in different crops.

Agriculture, science and practice of producing crops and livestock from the natural resources of the earth. The primary aim of agriculture is to cause the land to produce more abundantly and at the same time to protect it from deterioration and misuse. The diverse branches of modern agriculture include agronomy, horticulture, economic entomology, animal husbandry, dairying, agricultural engineering, soil chemistry, and agricultural economics. Agriculture is the production of food and goods through farming. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. We hope that this glossary is useful as a learning tool to the student attempting to assimilate the vast vocabulary of agronomy, plant sciences, microbiology, and other agricultural sciences.

Agriculture, science and practice of producing crops and livestock from the natural resources of the earth. The primary aim of agriculture is to cause the land to produce more abundantly and at the same time to protect it from deterioration and misuse. The diverse branches of modern agriculture include agronomy, horticulture, economic entomology, animal husbandry, dairying, agricultural engineering, soil chemistry, and agricultural economics. Agriculture is the production of food and goods through farming. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. This illustrated glossary of agricultural and environmental sciences terms provides definitions of commonly used terms related to agricultural and environmental sciences written for students and teachers with a background in biology. We hope that this glossary is useful as a learning tool to the student attempting to assimilate the vast vocabulary of agronomy, plant sciences, microbiology, and other agricultural sciences.