Agro-industrial Perspectives on Sugarcane Production under Environmental Stress

This edited volume focuses on the core aspects of sugarcane production-management under stressful environments as well as innovative strategies for augmenting crop growth & productivity through intrinsic and extrinsic manipulations. The various chapters aim at bringing out comprehensive and advance information on different aspects of sugarcane cultivation under stress environments and impact of climate change on the sustainability of sugarcane production. The book encompasses information about crop production management, physiological & nutritional requirements, ratooning, ripening and post-harvest losses management. It also delineates various technologies that support the continued use and improvement of sugarcane as renewable source of food, fiber and bio-energy. The manipulations at cellular and molecular levels, molecular breeding approaches and post-harvest technologies are also included. 

The area under sugarcane cultivation is gradually increasing because of its diversification potential.  The high productivity and biomass of the cane crop also makes it a key source for use as bio-energy crop and a promising raw material for bio-based agro-industries. However, poor crop & biomass productivity due to   abiotic stress is the foremost constraint in its future commercial exploitation as sustainable feed-stock for bio-based industries. It is therefore imperative to understand the cellular-molecular modulation responsible to productivity barrier under specific stress situation(s) for better sugarcane quality and quantum under field condition. Some of these innovative approaches are delineated in this book. 

This book is of interest to progressive sugarcane growers, millers, industrial entrepreneurs, sugarcane scientists, cane development and extension officers, sugar industry managers and valuable source of reference worldwide.

Dr. Krishan K. Verma is working as Visiting Scientist at Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China. He did his B.Sc. (Biol.), M.Sc. and Ph.D. (Botany) from the Chhatrapati Sahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur and University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India. He has research experience in Plant Stress Functional Biology and Enviro-toxicology at C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur and University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India. His research interests include plant physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and role of nanoparticles (NPs) on growth and development of sugarcane subjected to abiotic stresses. He is a recipient of Young Scientist Fellowship Award by Science and Engineering Research Board, DST, Govt. of India and Award of Excellence 2021 by Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. He is a Reviewer of many International and National highly reputed journals.

Dr. Xiu-Peng Song is working as Research Associate Professor (Assoc. Prof.) at Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China. His ongoing research focuses on plant physiology and biochemistry of stress resistance, occurrence mechanism and comprehensive control of diseases and insect pests in sugarcane. He received his Master and Ph.D. degree (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) from Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China. He presided over 4 projects such as the National Natural Science Foundation China and participated in 16 projects, i.e., National/ International cooperation. He received six awards such as Guangxi Science and Technology Progress Award. He has published 66 scientific publications.

Dr. Vishnu D. Rajput is working as Leading Researcher at Sothern Federal University (SFedU), Russia. He is working on soil contaminations, i.e., potentially toxic elements/nanoparticles and comprehensively detailed the state ofresearch in regard to “how NPs/HMs interact with plants, soil, microbial community and the larger environment. He has published (total 280 publications) 161 peer-reviewed articles, 14 books, 60 chapters, 33 conference articles, and reviewed 174 manuscripts for journals, also serving an editorial board member. He received “Certificate for Appreciation 2019" 2021, “Certificate of Honor 2020", Diploma Award 2021, by SFedU for outstanding contribution in academic, creative research and publications.

Dr. Sushil Solomon received his Doctorate degree from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India and joined Agricultural Research Service of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture in 1977. As a Director of the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, he was actively involved in the development and transfer of relevant technologies to the sugarcane farmers and industry for their sustainable development. He is the President of Society for Sugar Research and Promotion and Vice President of the International Association of Professionals in Sugar and Integrated Industries (IAPSIT) and on the advisory bodies of many national and international apex organizations. As an advisor, he has visited Brazil, Australia, China, Vietnam, Egypt, Iran, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Thailand etc. He is Editor-in-Chief of Sugar Tech Journal, published by Springer.  The Government of China bestowed on him the most prestigious honour – Friendship Award (2005) in view of his active role in promoting collaboration and partnership amongst sugar producing countries. Besides, he  is a recipient of many international honours and awards, i.e., Award of Excellence- IAPSIT (2006), Sinai University Peace Award - Al Arish University, Egypt (2008), Global Award of Excellence-IAPSIT (2008), Indira Gandhi Award (2013), Noel Deerr Gold Medal-STAI (2014, 2016)  and Leadership Excellence Award (2018) from Thailand Society of Sugarcane and Sugar Technologists.

Prof. Yang-Rui Li earned B.A. degree at Guangxi Agricultural University, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Fujian Agricultural University. He was employed as a lecturer, associate professor and professor in Department of Agronomy, Guangxi Agricultural University, Vice President of Guangxi University, and President of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He is Director of Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the president of International Association for Professionals of Sugar and Integrated Technologies (IAPSIT), vice-president of Society for Sugar Research and Promotion (SSRP), president of Chinese Sugarcane Industry Association for Technological Innovation (CSIATI), and chief expert of the National Joint Research Program for Elite Sugarcane Variety Development in China. He has published 13 books and more than 1000 papers. His research interests include sugarcane physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, sugarcane genetics, breeding and cultivation, and chemical regulation of growth and development of sugarcane.

Dr. Govind P. Rao has dedicated his entire life in Sugarcane Research and Plant Pathology, and made very significant valuable contributions. He did his B.Sc. (Biol.), M.Sc. and Ph.D. (Botany) from the Gorakhpur University, India. He did his Post-Doc at University of Illinois. He has a long research experience of over 23 years in sugarcane in different scientific and administrative capacities in U.P. Council of Sugarcane Research. Later he joined Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi as Principal Scientist and contributed very significantly in characterization and management of plant viruses and phytoplasmas. At present, Dr. Rao is Secretary, Society for Sugar Research and Promotion and Editor-in-Chief of Sugar Tech (Springer-Nature) journal.