Physiological Interventions for Developing Climate Resilient Pulses and Oil Seed Crops

Pulses are the main source of protein and minerals in the vegetarian diet. They are cultivated worldwide as major and/or minor crops to provide the nutrition and livelihood for millions of people. Pulses are a rich source of protein (2226%) and micronutrients (especially Fe and Zn), serve as a balanced food for vegetarians when complemented with cereals. Also, their cultivation has helped to sustain cereal-based cropping systems through biological nitrogen fixation and carbon sequestration. Oilseed crops are the basis for biological systems that provides not only edible oils, but also contribute to renewable energy production, help to stabilize greenhouse gases, and mitigate the risk of climate change. Since these are primarily cultivated on marginal lands with few inputs in several resource-poor countries of the world, including several in South Asia, they are exposed to various abiotic stresses, leading to significant yield reduction. Furthermore, climate change due to global warming has increased their vulnerability to emerging new insect pests and abiotic stresses that can become even more serious in the coming years. The changing climate scenario has made it more challenging to breed and develop climate resilient smart pulse & oilseed crops. Although they are climate smart, as they simultaneously adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, their narrow genetic diversity has always been a major constraint to their improvement for adaptability. This collection will provide a comprehensive review on crop improvement, crop production and crop protection in pulses and oilseeds, which will serve as a reference book for research scholars and policy-makers.…