Heat Stress in Field Crops: Impact and Management Approaches

Abstract

The concentration of greenhouse gases has been increasing year by year leading to global warming. The concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases may rise up to 500–1000 ppm by the end of this century that can trap heat radiated from the earth leading to an increase in global mean temperature by 1–3 C. The increasing temperature will affect the crop production by affecting the duration and phenology of crop, distribution pattern of a particular crop, etc. In this chapter the studies on the impact of heat stress on plant growth, development, and yield and various options to escape or tolerate heat stress have been reviewed. The various agronomic options discussed include selection of cultivar, sowing date, sowing method, and irrigation scheduling. The chemicals available for mitigating the effect of heat stress are osmoprotectants (proline), phytohormones (salicylic acid, abscisic acid), signaling molecules (nitric oxide), trace elements (calcium), and plant nutrients (N, P, K, Bo, Zn, etc.).