Cover
Title Page
List of contributors
Preface
1. Acknowledgments
About the editor
CHAPTER 1: Oilseed crops
1. 1.1 Introduction
2. 1.2 Cultivation of oilseed crops
3. 1.3 Uses of major oilseed crops
4. 1.4 Applications of oilseed crops
5. 1.5 Conclusion and future prospects
6. References
CHAPTER 2: Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.)
1. 2.1 Introduction
2. 2.2 Botanical description
3. 2.3 Genetic resources
4. 2.4 Seed diversity of R. communis
5. 2.5 Drought and salinity tolerance
6. 2.6 Seed yield of R. communis
7. 2.7 Seed toxicity
8. 2.8 Physicochemical characters of RCO (Ricinus communis oil)
9. 2.9 Oil fatty acids
10. 2.10 Uses of oil of R. communis
11. 2.11 Conclusion and future prospects
12. References
CHAPTER 3: Seed composition in oil crops
1. 3.1 Introduction
2. 3.2 Sources of variation in seed lipid quantity and quality
3. 3.3 How quantity and composition of oil reserves may affect germination
4. 3.4 Conclusion and future prospects
5. References
CHAPTER 4: Oilseed crops and biodiesel production
1. 4.1 Introduction
2. 4.2 Biodiesel definition
3. 4.3 Biodiesel background and sources
4. 4.4 Biodiesel fuel: Present prospects and production
5. 4.5 Biodiesel plant capacity
6. 4.6 Biodiesel processing techniques and methods
7. 4.7 Biodiesel characterization and standards
8. 4.8 Biodiesel from conventional oils
9. 4.9 Biodiesel from unconventional oils
10. 4.10 Conclusion and future prospects
11. References
CHAPTER 5: Vegetable oil yield and composition influenced by environmental stress factors
1. 5.1 Introduction
2. 5.2 Abiotic and biotic stress factors
3. 5.3 Oil crops’ yield and the content of lipids
4. 5.4 Free fatty acids
5. 5.5 Fatty acids composition
6. 5.6 Antioxidants
7. 5.7 Conclusion and future prospects
8. References
CHAPTER 6: Soybean
1. 6.1 Introduction
2. 6.2 Chemical composition of soybean
3. 6.3 Salinity and salt stress
4. 6.4 Plant response to salt stress
5. 6.5 Soybean under salt stress
6. 6.6 Role of transgenic soybean in agriculture
7. 6.7 Conclusion and future prospects
8. References
CHAPTER 7: Sunflower resistance to the vampire weed broomrape
1. 7.1 Introduction
2. 7.2 Vampires among the vegetables
3. 7.3 The vampirism lifestyles
4. 7.4 The broomrape family: Vampire invaders
5. 7.5 Broomrape biology
6. 7.6 The sunflower vampire Orobanche cumana (Wallr)
7. 7.7 Fighting against vampire weeds
8. 7.8 Sunflower
9. 7.9 Resistance
10. 7.10 Conclusion and future prospects
11. References
CHAPTER 8: Biochemical and molecular studies on the commercial oil‐yielding desert shrub Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba, a desert gold)
1. 8.1 Introduction
2. 8.2 Advances in jojoba oil research
3. 8.3 Genetic improvement
4. 8.4 Market
5. 8.5 Barriers to progress
6. 8.6 Conclusion and future prospects
7. Acknowledgements
8. References
CHAPTER 9: Role of phytohormones in improving the yield of oilseed crops
1. 9.1 Introduction
2. 9.2 Phytohormones
3. 9.3 Characteristics of phytohormones
4. 9.4 Biosynthesis of phytohormones
5. 9.5 Signaling of phytohormones
6. 9.6 Role of phytohormones
7. 9.7 Mode of action of phytohormones
8. 9.8 Phytohormones in the development of silique (pods)
9. 9.9 Role of phytohormones in plant protection
10. 9.10 Phytohormones interact with other hormones
11. 9.11 Conclusion and future prospects
12. References
CHAPTER 10: Plant–microbe interaction in oilseed crops
1. 10.1 Introduction
2. 10.2 Ecology and diversity of microbes associated with plant roots
3. 10.3 Role of microbial diversity for soil, plant health and plant nutrition
4. 10.4 Plant and microbe communication in diverse rhizospheric environments
5. 10.5 Mechanisms employed by microbes to mitigate stress‐induced adverse effects on oilseed crops
6. 10.6 Effects of beneficial microorganisms on oilseed crops’ cultivation and productivity
7. 10.7 Conclusion and future prospects
8. Acknowledgments
9. References
CHAPTER 11: Brassicaceae plants
1. 11.1 Brassicaceae: introduction to family
2. 11.2 Phylogenetic status
3. 11.3 Heavy metal pollution in the environment
4. 11.4 Hyperaccumulation potential and phytoremediation of contaminated soils
5. 11.5 Natural phytoremediation vs. chemically enhanced phytoremediation
6. 11.6 Role of genetic manipulation in increasing hyperaccumulation potential
7. 11.7 Physiological and biochemical responses
8. 11.8 Food safety and health concerns
9. 11.9 Safe disposal practices for hyperaccumulator Brassicas
10. 11.10 Conclusion and future prospects
11. References
CHAPTER 12: Role of organic and inorganic amendments in alleviating heavy metal stress in oilseed crops
1. 12.1 Introduction
2. 12.2 Sources of heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils
3. 12.3 Heavy metals toxicity in oilseed crops
4. 12.4 Soil amendments for the remediation of metal toxicity in oilseed crops
5. 12.5 Conclusion and future prospects
6. References
CHAPTER 13: Biochemical and molecular responses of oilseed crops to heavy metal stress
1. 13.1 Introduction
2. 13.2 Biochemical responses
3. 13.3 Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense agents
4. 13.4 Molecular response
5. 13.5 Significance of oilseed crops
6. 13.6 What are essential and non‐essential elements?
7. 13.7 Relationship between oilseed crops and heavy metals stress
8. 13.8 Different heavy metals stress on biochemical and molecular responses of oilseed crops
9. 13.9 Conclusion and future prospects
10. References
CHAPTER 14: The role of oilseed crops in human diet and industrial use
1. 14.1 Introduction
2. 14.2 Classifications of oilseed crops
3. 14.3 Production of oilseed meal and oil
4. 14.4 Processing of oilseed crops
5. 14.5 Major nutrients in oilseed and their roles in human nutrition
6. 14.6 Industrial utilization of oilseeds
7. 14.7 Conclusion and future prospects
8. References
CHAPTER 15: Appraisal of biophysical parameters in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) using thermal indices
1. 15.1 Introduction
2. 15.2 Thermal indices and biophysical parameters
3. 15.3 Thermal energy use efficiency and biophysical parameters
4. 15.4 Radiation dynamics and biophysical parameters
5. 15.5 Soil temperature and biophysical parameters
6. 15.6 Conclusion and future prospects
7. References
Index
End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Chapter 01
1. Table 1.1 Major oilseed crops and their uses.
Chapter 02
1. Table 2.1 Concentration of the major fatty acids and its categories (%) of extracted oil from R. communis seeds.
Chapter 03
1. Table 3.1 Fatty acid composition and iodine value of stored lipids in seeds or fruits of different species.
Chapter 04
1. Table 4.1 Biodiesel 100, specification ASTM D6751‐2.
2. Table 4.2 The international standard (EN 14214) for biodiesel requirements.
3. Table 4.3 Common fatty acids in vegetable oils.
4. Table 4.4 Fatty acid composition of insect oils and conventional Sudanese oils.
5. Table 4.5 Results of analysis of biodiesel produced from MBO and SBO.
Chapter 06
1. Table 6.1 Content of major nutrients per 100 g of raw, unprocessed soybean seed.
Chapter 07
1. Table 7.1 Some parasitic plants of economic importance and their associated hosts.
2. Table 7.2 Main Orobanche spp. and their associated hosts.
3. Table 7.3 O. cumana races and resistance mechanisms in sunflower.
4. Table 7.4 Sunflower diseases. Species in bold refer to the most common European pathogens and pests.
5. Table 7.5 Some wild Helianthus as potential source for pathogens resistance.
Chapter 10
1. Table 10.1 Inoculation of PGPRs and fungal strains with their plant growth‐promoting characters and key effects on different oilseed crops.
Chapter 13
1. Table 13.1 Heavy metal stress on biochemical and molecular responses of oilseed crops.
Chapter 14
1. Table 14.1 Classification of oilseed crops.
2. Table 14.2 World oilseed production (‘000 ton).

List of Illustrations

Chapter 01
1. Figure 1.1 Applications of oilseed crops in different industries.
Chapter 02
1. Figure 2.1 R. communis parts: (A): young plant; (B): flower; (C): immature fruit; (D): mature fruit; and (E): seeds.
2. Figure 2.2 Crystallographic structure of ricin; A chain in black and B chain in white.
3. Figure 2.3 Ricinoleic acid.
4. Figure 2.4 GC‐MS total chromatograms from castor bean oil.
Chapter 03
1. Figure 3.1 Mean seed or fruit oil concentration of several crop species.
2. Figure 3.2 Oilseed fatty acid composition, for traditional and genetically modified genotypes within a species.
3. Figure 3.3 Water absorption (given as proportion of initial seed weight) at the moment of radicle protrusion, plotted against seed oil concentration in three sunflower genotypes (a traditional, a high oleic and a high stearic‐high oleic). Seeds were incubated at 5°C and embedded with distilled water (0 MPa) with or without seed coats.
4. Figure 3.4 Dynamics of water absorption (given as proportion of initial seed weight) of two sunflower genotypes with contrasting seed oil concentration (30.5 vs. 42.5%). Seeds were incubated at 0 MPa (distilled water) or −0.9 MPa (polyethylene glycol solution) at 5°C with or without seed coats. Arrows indicate protrusion of the first radicle in each seed lot.
5. Figure 3.5 Base temperature for seed germination (°C) as a function of iodine value of seed lipids.
Chapter 04
1. Scheme 1 Transesterification of triglyceride.
2. Scheme 2 Mechanism of triglycerides transesterification.
3. Scheme 3 Mechanism of acid‐catalyzed esterification.
4. Scheme 4 Mechanism of acid‐catalyzed transesterification of vegetable oils.
5. Figure 4.1 (A) Moringa peregrina seeds; (B) Moringa peregrina seed husk; (C) Moringa peregrina kernel; (D) Moringa peregrina seed husk powder; (E) Moringa peregrina seed cake; (F) Moringa peregrina seed oil.
Chapter 06
1. Figure 6.1 Concentrations for 17 amino acids occurring in soybean raw mature seeds (in g/100 g).
Chapter 07
1. Figure 7.1 Different kinds of parasitic plants.
2. Figure 7.2 Modeled distribution map of Orobanche cumana.
3. Figure 7.3 Orobanche lifecycle.
4. Figure 7.4 Structural feature of germination stimulators.
5. Figure 7.5 Orobanche cumana morphological aspect: (1) A, general aspect; B, flower side‐on view; C, front view of the flower; D, bract; E and F, calix segments; G, dissected corolla and androcecium; H, gynoecium; I, stamen.
6. Figure 7.6 Orobanche cumana Wallr./Orobanche cernua Loefl. repartition map and worldwide sunflower production, 2010. O. cumana/O. cernua; no sunflower production; up to 500 000 t sunflower produced; more than 500 000 t sunflower produced.
7. Figure 7.7 Lifecycle of broomrape and control strategies. Number indicating the probability of transition from stage to stage.
8. Figure 7.8 Main histological reaction in resistant sunflower genotype LR1 compared with the susceptible genotype 2603. VH, host xylem vessel; P, parasite; HR, host root; H, host.
9. Figure 7.9 Potential resistance level in Helianthus species during the O. cumana development cycle.
Chapter 08
1. Figure 8.1 Jojoba farm at Jaipur, Rajasthan, called the Association of Rajasthan Jojoba Plantation Research Project (AJORP).
2. Figure 8.2 A fruit of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis).
3. Figure 8.3 Male flowers of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis).
4. Figure 8.4 A full size shrub of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) with immature fruits.
Chapter 09
1. Figure 9.1 Biosynthesis pathways of auxin within plants.
2. Figure 9.2 Cytokinin biosynthesis pathways.
3. Figure 9.3 Ethylene biosynthesis pathways.
4. Figure 9.4 Gibberellin biosynthesis pathways.
5. Figure 9.5 Biosynthesis of salicyclic acid.
6. Figure 9.6 Biosynthesis of abscisic acid.
7. Figure 9.7 Auxin signaling in plants.
8. Figure 9.8 Cytokinin signaling in plants.
9. Figure 9.9 Possible mechanism of gibberellins signaling and the molecular response.
10. Figure 9.10 Model of the ethylene signaling pathway in oilseed crops.
11. Figure 9.11 Model pathway of ABA signaling on oilseed crops.
12. Figure 9.12 Salicylic acid pathway of plant signaling.
13. Figure 9.13 Proposed model hormonal regulation and response and signaling.
Chapter 10
1. Figure 10.1 PGPRs and fungi promote plant growth by increasing the bioavailability of essential nutrients like P and Fe in the rhizosphere. Different types of mechanisms were reported for beneficial microorganisms, such as bio‐fertilization to phytohormones production and control of pathogens.
2. Figure 10.2 The possible mechanism employed by the SA and bacterial inoculation to cope with Cr toxicity.
Chapter 11
1. Figure 11.1 Different phytoremediation types exhibited by the hyperaccumulator species of the Brassicaceae family.
2. Figure 11.2 Heavy metal‐induced physiological and biochemical responses.
Chapter 14
1. Figure 14.1 Flowchart describing oilseed processing.
Chapter 15
1. Figure 15.1 Prediction of leaf area index (LAI) in Brassica juncea using thermal indices.
2. Figure 15.2 Prediction of dry biomass production in Brassica juncea using thermal indices.
3. Figure 15.3 Prediction of LAI, biomass productivity, thermal heat utilization efficiency in Brassica juncea over growing season.
4. Figure 15.4 Quantification of thermal heat utilization efficiency in Brassica juncea as a function of LAI, dry biomass and productivity.
5. Figure 15.5 Correlation of radiation penetration over crop growing period and relationship with LAI in Brassica juncea.
6. Figure 15.6 Dynamics of IPAR and cumulative IPAR and prediction of biophysical parameter as a function of cumulative IPAR in Brassica juncea.
7. Figure 15.7 Functional relationship between soil and air temperature and cumulative soil temperatures with LAI, dry biomass, and its partitioning, heat use efficiency in Brassica juncea

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This edition first published 2017
© 2017 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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List of contributors

Farhat Abbas
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Olufunmilola A. Abiodun
Department of Home Economics and Food Science,
University of Ilorin,
Kwara State, Nigeria

Tarun Adak
Division of Crop Production,
CISH, Rehmankhera,
Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh, India

Muhammad Adrees
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Farzana Afzal
Department of Botany,
University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir,
Muzaffarabad,
Azad Kashmir,
Pakistan

Swati Agarwal
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Banasthali University,
Rajasthan, India

Parvaiz Ahmad
Department of Botany, Sri Pratap College,
Jammu and Kashmir,
India

Rehan Ahmad
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Basharat Ali
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES),
Plant Nutrition,
University of Bonn, Germany

Shafaqat Ali
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Zeshan Ali
National Institute of Bioremediation,
National Agricultural Research Center (NARC),
Islamabad, Pakistan

Kiran Anwaar
Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR),
Khyaban‐e‐Johar,
Islamabad, Pakistan

Mohammad Ashfaq
Center for Environmental Science and Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur,
Kanpur, India;
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Banasthali University,
Banasthali. India

Sandra Balbino
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology,
University of Zagreb,
Zagreb, Croatia

Diego Batlla
National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET),
Argentina;
Faculty of Agronomy,
University of Buenos Aires,
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Roberto Benech‐Arnold
National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET),
Argentina;
Faculty of Agronomy,
University of Buenos Aires,
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Emilio Cervantes
IRNASA‐CSIC,
Salamanca, Spain

N.V.K. Chakravarty
Division of Agricultural Physics,
Indian Agricultural Research Institute,
New Delhi,
India

Bartosz Ciorga
Department of Chemistry,
Poznan&c.acute; University of Life Sciences,
Poznan&c.acute;, Poland

David Delmail
University of Rennes 1 (European University of Brittany),
Rennes, France

Mujahid Farid
Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Gujrat,
Gujrat, Pakistan

Muhammad A. Farooq
Institute of Crop Science and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm,
Zhejiang University,
Hangzhou, China

Rafaqat Ali Gill
Institute of Crop Science and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm,
Zhejiang University,
Hangzhou, China

Olimpia Gładysz
Department of Inorganic Chemistry,
Wroclaw Medical University,
Wroclaw, Poland

Piotr Golin&c.acute;ski
Department of Chemistry,
Poznan&c.acute; University of Life Sciences,
Poznan&c.acute;, Poland

Raúl González Belo
Faculty of Agricultural Science,
National University of Mar del Plata,
Balcarce, Argentina;
National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET),
Argentina

Alvina Gul
Atta‐ur‐Rahman School of Applied Biosciences,
National University of Sciences and Technology,
Islamabad, Pakistan

Zaid ul Hassan
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Sameen Ruqia Imadi
Atta‐ur‐Rahman School of Applied Biosciences,
National University of Sciences and Technology,
Islamabad, Pakistan

Saiqa Imran
Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR),
Khyaban‐e‐Johar,
Islamabad, Pakistan

Muhammad Iqbal
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Faisal Islam
Institute of Crop Science and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm,
Zhejiang University,
Hangzhou, China

Natalia Izquierdo
Faculty of Agricultural Science,
National University of Mar del Plata,
Balcarce, Argentina;
National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET),
Argentina

Suphiya Khan
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Banasthali University,
Rajasthan, India

Pascal Labrousse
Faculty of Pharmacy, FR3503 GEIST, GRESE EA 4330 ‐ Laboratory of Botany and Cryptogamy,
University of Limoges,
Limoges, France

Abdalbasit A. Mariod
College of Science and Arts‐Alkamil,
University of Jeddah,
Alkamil, Saudi Arabia

José J. Martín
IRNASA‐CSIC,
Salamanca, Spain

Muhammad Rizwan
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Ezzeddine Saadaoui
Regional Station of Gabes – INRGREF,
University of Carthage, Tunisia

Mohammed Salaheldeen
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Education,
Nile Valley University,
Atbara, Sudan

Vinay Sharma
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Banasthali University,
Rajasthan, India

Nizar Tlili
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biology,
University of Tunis El‐Manar,
Tunis, Tunisia;
Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa,
University of Gafsa, Tunisia

Jorge Tognetti
Faculty of Agricultural Science,
National University of Mar del Plata,
Balcarce, Argentina;
Scientific Research Council, Buenos Aires (CIC),
La Plata, Argentina

Hina Waheed
Department of Botany,
PMAS Arid Agriculture University,
Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Jian Wang
Institute of Crop Science and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm,
Zhejiang University,
Hangzhou, China

Sarah Waseem
Atta‐ur‐Rahman School of Applied Biosciences,
National University of Sciences and Technology,
Islamabad, Pakistan

Agnieszka Waśkiewicz
Department of Chemistry,
Poznan&c.acute; University of Life Sciences,
Poznan&c.acute;, Poland

Tahira Yasmeen
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Government College University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Weijun Zhou
Institute of Crop Science and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm,
Zhejiang University,
Hangzhou, China

Muhammad Zia‐ur‐Rehman
Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences,
University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Preface

Food security has become a major and fast‐growing concern worldwide. There is a need to double the world food production in order to feed the ever‐increasing populations, which are set to reach nine billion mark by 2050. In the current scenario, improving yields in both normal and less productive farm lands, including lands affected by heavy metals, is the only way to address food security concerns, as the amount of unused land available to bring into cultivation is limited. Among various factors affecting agricultural production, abiotic stress factors are considered to be the main source of yield reduction.

Oilseed crops like other crops are susceptible to environmental stresses such as heavy metal, salt, cold, drought, pathogen attack, etc. These stresses negatively affect the plant growth and development. In economically important oilseed crops, there is a reduction in yield and/or oil level, or quality that affects growers and consumers. Abiotic stress alone is responsible for a huge crop loss and a reduced yield of more than 50% of some major crops.

Ion imbalance and osmotic stress are the primary effects of abiotic stress. Prolonged exposure to primary stress causes secondary stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Plants can perceive the external and internal signals and these are then used by the plant to regulate various responses to stress. Plants respond to abiotic stress by up‐regulation and down‐regulation of genes responsible for the synthesis of osmolytes, osmoprotectants, and antioxidants. Stress‐responsive genes and gene products including proteins are expressed and allow the plant to tolerate stress. To understand the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms causing environmental stress, perception, transduction, and tolerance are still challenges facing plant biologists.

Chapter 1, “Oilseed crops; present scenario and future prospects” deals with the cultivation and uses of different oilseed crops and their applications in biotech industries. Chapter 2 throws light on castor bean (Ricinus communis L.): its diversity, seed oil, and uses. Chapter 3 explains the seed composition of oil crops and its impact on seed germination performance. Chapter 4 discusses the production of biodiesel from oilseed crops. The authors also explain the biodiesel production from conventional and unconventional oils. Chapter 5 describes how vegetable oil yield and its composition are influenced by environmental stress factors. Chapter 6 looks at the soybean: its growth, development, and yield under salt stress. Sunflower resistance to the weed broomrape is described in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 throws light on biochemical and molecular studies on the commercial applications of jojoba, while Chapter 9 discusses the role of phytohormones in improving the yield of oilseed crops. Chapter 10 describes plant‐microbe interaction in oilseed crops and the role of microbes in mitigating stress. Chapter 11 discusses brassicaceae plants: heavy metal accumulation and its role in phytoremediation. Chapters 12 and 13 discuss the role of organic and inorganic amendments and biochemical and molecular responses to heavy metal stress in oilseed crops. Chapter 14 discusses the role of oilseed crops in human diet and their industrial use. The final chapter, Chapter 15, explains the biophysical parameters of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) using thermal indices.

Acknowledgments

We have tried our best to ensure the information on different aspects of oilseed crops is valid and up to date, however, it is a continuously developing field. We are grateful to the contributors for their valuable work and to John Wiley and Sons Ltd, particularly Gudrun Walter (Editorial Director, Natural Sciences), Laura Bell (Assistant Editor, John Wiley), Blesy Regulas (Project Editor, John Wiley), Vaishnavi Ganesh (Production Editor, John Wiley) and all the other staff members, who were directly or indirectly associated with us in this project for their constant help, valuable suggestions, and efforts in achieving the timely publication of this volume.

Oilseed Crops

Yield and Adaptations under Environmental Stress

List of contributors

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the editor