If one may recall nearly half a century ago, there wre small books, Methuen series publishing on special subjects like photosynthesis (C.P. Whittingham) and Plant Respiration (W.Stiles) in the 1950s and have been of great guidance for post-graduate studies in those years. Now great breakthrough have been made with the introduction of isotopes, modern tools and instruments which can project into the cell components and unravel the 'secrets' of plant life, with the results no one book could so completely cover a single topic like photosynthesis or respiration.

The conception of Volume 17 of the International Treatise Series on Advances in Plant Physiology has been made possible entirely due to worthy contributions from World Scientists, teachers and researchers of eminence in unequivocal fields. Scientists are well in search of specific and complete literature pertaining to meaningful research for the holistic development of agriculture. The undertaking of this Treatise Series on Plant Physiology is to genuinely categorize the insufficiencies in view of mounting consequential researches for increasing productivity, prosperity and sustainability of agriculture through influential and developing technologies for restructuring metabolic limitations most responsive to abiotic stress factors. Certainly, our idea is to recognize innovative science of value across the broad disciplinary range of the treatise. The aim is to make stronger the distinctive outcome of conscientious research in some of the very sensitive areas of Plant Physiology-Plant Molecular Physiology/ Molecular Biology that broadly highlights the recent developments and mechanisms underlying plant resilience to changing environments. This volume brings collectively much needed twenty-one review articles by fifty-one dedicated contributors for this volume assorted into five relevant sections, viz., Section I: Abiotic Stresses & Plant Productivity: Physiological & Molecular Perspectives; Section II:Plant Trace Elements in Plant Physiology; Section III: Plant Functions Research in Agricultural Progression; Section IV: Physiological Basis of Yield; Section V: Nutraceuticals, Medicinal & Aromatic Plant Wealth. This is commendable that the Volume 17 deals with challenges of ongoing international concern over the abiotic stresses under changing climate besides vital aspects related to image-based plant phenotyping; phenomics and its application in physiological breeding; trace elements; plant functions; physiological basis of yield variation; medicinal and aromatic plants and so on. Apart from fulfilling the acute need of this kind of select edition in different volumes for research teams and scientists engaged in various facets of plant sciences research in traditional and agricultural universities, institutes and research laboratories throughout the world, it would be extremely a constructive book and a voluminous reference material for acquiring advanced knowledge by post-graduate and Ph.D. scholars in response to the innovative courses in Plant Physiology, Plant Biochemistry, Plant Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Botany.

The reinforcement of Volume 18 of the Advances in Plant Physiology Series has been entirely due to commendable contributions by Scientists of Eminence in explicit fields. The enterprise of publishing the International Treatise Series on Plant Physiology has to genuinely sort out the scantiness of consequential researches, which are sincerely required for rising productivity, prosperity and sustainability of agriculture through prominently emerging technologies for reformation in metabolic boundaries necessitates mainly for abiotic stress factors. Unquestionably, our thought is to be familiar with ground-breaking science of value across the broad punitive range of the treatise. The aspiration is to make stronger the vital outcome of conscientious research in some of the very responsive areas of Plant Physiology-Plant Molecular Physiology/Biology that broadly focus upon the advancements coupled with underlying mechanisms of plant tolerance under changing environments. The Volume 18, with innovative applied research, brings jointly much needed nineteen review articles by over fifty committed contributors for this volume. The Volume 18 exclusively deals with challenges of continuing worldwide concern over the stress physiology research. Conversely, this volume also highlights trace elements; plant functional research; physiological basis of yield variation; medicinal and aromatic plants.

In view of changes in the global environment, it is important to determine and developing technologies to ameliorate metabolic limitations by biological processes most sensitive to abiotic stress factors warning crop productivity. It is reaffirmed that publishing the important Treatise Series has been undertaken with a view to identify the inadequacies under varied environments and to scientifically extend precise and meaningful research so that the significant outcomes including new technologies are judiciously applied for requisite productivity, profitability and sustainability of agriculture. Besides this, meticulous research in some of the very sensible and stirring areas of Plant Physiology-Plant Molecular Physiology are indispensably needed for holistic development of agriculture and crop production in different agro-climatic zones. Ardently, this is also to focus upon excellent new ideas ensuring the best science done across the full extent of modern plant biology, in general, and plant physiology, in particular. In Volume 14, with inventive applied research, attempts have been made to bring together much needed eighteen remarkable review articles distributed in three appropriate major sections of Nutriophysiology and Crop Productivity, Plant Responses to Changing Environment and Environmental Stresses and Technological Innovations in Agriculture written by thirty four praiseworthy contributors of eminence in unequivocal fields mainly from premier institutions of India and abroad. In reality, the Volume 14 of the Treatise Series is wealth for interdisciplinary exchange of information particularly in the field of nutriophysiology and abiotic stresses for planning meaningful research and related education programmes in these thrust areas. Apart from fulfilling the heightened need of this kind of select edition in different volumes for research teams and scientists engaged in various facets of research in Plant Physiology/Plant Sciences in traditional and agricultural universities, institutes and research laboratories throughout the world, it would be tremendously a productive reference book for acquiring advanced knowledge by post-graduate and Ph.D. scholars in response to the innovative courses in Plant Physiology, Plant Biochemistry, Plant Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Environ-mental Sciences, Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Botany.

In the present scenario, with the increasing pressure posed by a rapidly growing population and diminishing per capita arable land and sources of irrigation, the role of plant physiologists in increasing agricultural and horticultural production by economically viable means, is significant. The present book incorporates articles covering latest information on the varied aspects of plant physiology, like diagnosis and management of physiological disorders in fruit production, physiology of vegetable crops, breeding crops for dryland conditions, effect of sulphur dioxide on growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activities and so on. Topics such as abiotic stress, macronutrient stress and stress caused by pollutants also form part of the book. Articles on the effect of herbicides, growth hormones, photoquality on germination and physiology of rice and groundnut provide useful information for improving crop yield. This book would serve as a useful reference for teachers, scientists and planners in the fields of Botany, Plant Physiology, Agriculture, Forestry and related fields

The Advances in Plant Physiology, Volume 16 has been edited for holistic development of the science of agriculture and crop production under distinctly changing environment with worthy contributions from exemplary scientists of eminence in unambiguous fields and remarkably fulfilling the exact themes of the volume focusing upon Strategic Developments for Crop Tolerance & Sustainability for making scrupulous research especially under changing climate. Promisingly, 18 thought provoking reviews elevate the status of the Volume 16 with extra dimension, as distributed in seven suitable major sections of Ultra Techniques in Plant Physiology; Abiotic Stresses - Physiological and Molecular Implications; Microbial Diversity and Molecular Strategies in Plant Nutrition; Proteomic Research; Medicinal Plants, In Vitro Regeneration and Natural Products; Plant Physiology in Sustainability of Agriculture; and Section of Comprehensive Review all written by experienced contributors of eminence in vital fields. This volume would be enormously a prolific reference book for acquiring advanced knowledge by faculties, post-graduate and Ph.D. scholars in response to the innovative courses in Plant Physiology, Plant Biochemistry, Plant Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Botany. The Volume 16 would be assisting in enthusing minds of young researchers for making significant research so much required in the present scenario.