This book will emphasize the physiological and biochemical functions of the plants. Despite its inherent potential growth habit, cotton is managed as an annual crop plant. Continued vegetative growth after flowering diverts the plants' energy away from lint and seed production, so the perennial nature of even modern cultivars opposes current production system. It is important to recognize that physiological function depend on structures, whether the process is gas exchange (respiration) in the leaf, water conduction in xylem or photosynthesis in the chloroplasts. Moreover, cotton plant produces fruits on two different types of branches, each unique in growth habit which complicates crop management. Thus understanding various physiological processes of the cotton plant helps to grow a high-yielding, high quality crop. A total of 14 chapters dealing with important physiological aspects necessary for efficient cotton production systems are compiled in this book. A list of various physiological terms is given along with morphological features of the crop. The physiological mechanisms related to development and crop maturity are described. The processes of photosynthesis, respiration and water relations are explained along with recent research findings. Role of macronutrients and micronutrients, their requirement for various processes and deficiency symptoms have been included. The abiotic factors viz. temperature, water, CO2 and light affecting yield have been discussed. The book also includes chapters on physiology of cotton fiber development and its biochemical components. In recent years, several biotechnique have been used for producing hi-tech cotton. A concise information of various techniques used to improve quantity as well as quality of fiber and their use for production of disease and herbicide resistant cotton genotypes has been compiled.
Dr. (Mrs.) S.K. Thind is Associate Professor in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. At Punjab University, Chandigarh, she obtained M.Phil. degree in 1981 with merit and distinction. She received her Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in 1986. Immediately after completing Ph.D. degree she proceeded to France for higher training in Molecular Biology at INRA, Physiologic Vegetale', Bordeaux. In 1991, she was offered High-level Fellowship to work at INRA (France) on characterization of PDC and GAPDH genes by sequencing using PCR. Dr. Thind has been actively engaged in work on physiology of abiotic stresses, hormonal regulation of organ formation in vitro, physiological regulation of cotton fiber and pollen development. She is recipient of coveted Gold Medal and Citation by Academy for the Advancement Agriculture Sciences (ISPP-1993), for her significant contribution in Plant Physiology. The Managing Board of Forum of Plant Physiologists, Akola selected her for the Best article award of the year 1994. She has executed ICAR research project on hormonal regulation of cotton fiber development. Dr. Thind has nearly 75 research papers in national and international journals, ten review articles and one Manual on 'Physiology of Growth and Development in Plants' to her credit.
