Ecophysiology of Tropical Crops covers the knowledge and opinion on ecophysiology of the major tropical crop plants.
The book discusses the fundamental ideas about the numerical description of plant development and considers effects of climatic factors (e.g., temperature, light, and water) on physiological processes in plants. The text also presents an overview of the physical and chemical characteristics of tropical soils. The ecophysiology of the major crop plants, particularly those suitable for the wet tropics, including rice, sugarcane, pineapple, grasslands, root crops, sweet potato, coffee, cacao, rubber, banana, tea, oil palm, coconut palm, citrus, cashew, and mango, is also considered.
Plant ecologists, plant physiologists, biochemists, horticulturists, agronomists, meteorologists, soil scientists, food technologists, plant breeders, and people interested in the production of tropical crops will find the book invaluable.

List of ContributorsPrefaceChapter 1 Climate I. Introduction II. Specification of Development III. Temperature IV. Light V. Water VI. Conclusions ReferencesChapter 2 Soils I. Introduction II. Red and Yellow Soils of the Humid Tropics III. Physical Characteristics IV. Chemical Characteristics V. Nutrient Relations VI. Organic Matter ReferencesChapter 3 Rice I. Introduction II. Adaptation to Environment III. Climatic Factors Affecting Growth and Yield IV. Annual Productivity in Temperature Regions and Tropics V. Growth Pattern and Growth Duration VI. Engineering for Higher Yields ReferencesChapter 4 Sugarcane I. Introduction II. Environmental Effects on Growth III. Germination IV. Tillering V. Ripening ReferencesChapter 5 Pineapple I. The Plant Environment II. Anatomy-Morphology III. Carbon Assimilation IV. Water Relations V. Crop Ecological Aspects VI. Physiology of Flowering VII. Effects of Environment on Growth Cycle, Fruit Yield, and Fruit Quality VIII. Pests and Diseases ReferencesChapter 6 Grasslands I. Introduction II. Flora of Natural Grasslands III. The Tropical Environment and Grasslands IV. The Soil Environment V. Fire as an Environmental Factor VI. Conclusions ReferencesChapter 7 Root Crops I. Introduction II. Comparative Macroecophysiology III. Comparative Microecophysiology IV. Species-Dependent Ecophysiology ReferencesChapter 8 Sweet Potato I. Introduction II. Effect of Environment on Dry Matter Production III. Source-Sink Relations IV. Photosynthetic Efficiency V. Drought Tolerance VI. Genotype X Environment Interaction ReferencesChapter 9 Coffee I. Introduction II. Climatic Factors Affecting Distribution of Coffee III. Photosynthesis and Productivity IV. Vegetative Growth V. Reproductive Growth VI. Conclusions ReferencesChapter 10 Cacao I. Introduction II. Origin and Distribution III. Climate IV. Sous V. Physiological Determinants of Yield VI. Environmental Effects on Growth and Flowering ReferencesChapter 11 Rubber I. Introduction II. Soil Conditions and Root Growth III. Climatic Conditions IV. Shoot Growth V. Flowering VI. Latex Flow VII. Yield ReferencesChapter 12 Tea I. Introduction II. Botany III. Plant Water Status IV. Stomatal Movements V. Photosynthesis VI. Shoot Growth VII. Flavor VIII. Yield of Plucked Shoots IX. Conclusions ReferencesChapter 13 Oil Palm I. Introduction II. Geography III. Weather and Climate IV. Sous V. Biotic Factors VI. Summary ReferencesChapter 14 Coconut Palm I. Introduction II. Climatic Requirements III. Soils IV. Growth Physiology V. Mineral Nutrition VI. Ecophysiological Diseases ReferencesChapter IS Citrus I. Introduction II. Origin and Natural Habitat III. Climate IV. Tree Growth and Reproduction V. Growth and Fruiting in Relation to Climate VI. Soil VII. Mineral Nutrition VIII. Irrigation IX. Varieties X. Research ReferencesChapter 16 Banana I. Introduction II. World Production and Trade III. Botanical Classification IV. Geographical Distribution V. Environmental Requirements VI. Pests and Diseases VII. Management Practices ReferencesChapter 17 Cashew I. Introduction II. Botanical Features III. Growth in Relation to Ecological Factors IV. Reproductive Growth V. Crop Improvement ReferencesChapter 18 Mango I. Introduction II. Growth Characteristics III. Effect of Environment on Growth and Yield IV. Hormonal Control of Growth ReferencesIndex