Advances in Growth Regulation of Fruit Crops

Life science has experienced a unique level of growth and development in recent times, as has the area of fruit crop regulation. Hence, the authors have been inspired to write this book entitled Advances in Growth Regulation of Fruit Crops. There are limited books with advanced knowledge on the growth and development of fruit crops, and therefore, there is a need for greater information to be made available about basic and advanced concepts of growth and regulation vis-a-vis fruit development. Growth regulation of fruit crops is a multifaceted and dynamic subject that requires simplified form so that the students pursuing UG (B.Sc) in Horticulture or Life Sciences or PG (M.Sc. and Doctorate) in Fruit Science or Pomology can understand the concepts easily. Our primary target is to upgrade students' knowledge base by providing the latest information to researchers. We hope it will help further knowledge about advances in the growth regulation of fruit crops. This book has been designed with the dual purpose of being a text cum reference. This book contains 20 crucial topics, including an introduction to the growth and development of fruit crops; eco-physiological influences on the growth and development of fruit crops – flowering and fruit set; phloem transport: source and sink; crop load and assimilate partitioning and distribution; root and canopy regulation of fruit crops; plant growth regulators – structure, biosynthesis and mode of action; plant growth inhibitors and growth retardants – metabolic and morphogenetic effects; absorption, translocation and degradation of phytohormones; growth manipulation through canopy architecture; growth regulation aspects of propagation; embryogenesis; seed and bud dormancy; physiology of flowering; regulation of flowering and off-season production; flower drop and thinning; fruit set and development; fruit drop and parthenocarpy; pre-harvest factors affecting post-harvest fruit quality; fruit maturity, ripening and storage; and molecular approaches in crop growth regulation.

In a nutshell, this book is written with the objective of scientific appraisal of the advances in the growth and development of fruit crops.

Dr Vishal Singh Rana obtained his B.Sc.(Agri) from CSKHPKV, Himachal Pradesh in 1989 and M.Sc. (Hort.) Post Harvest technology from Asia’s first horticulture and forestry university, Dr YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, in 1992 in first division. He earned his Ph.D. in Pomology from Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, in 1997. He has been awarded ICAR-JRF and ICAR-NET in Fruit Science in the year 1993 and 1995. Dr. Rana has contributed significantly in the field of education and research, and guided undergraduate as class in charge and postgraduate students as a major advisor (20 M.Sc. students and 6 Ph.D. students). He has been actively involved in the restructuring of UG and PG course curriculum of horticulture; prepared 3 practical manuals, more than 70 research paper in reputed journals and 20 book chapters; and presented 40 papers in national/international seminar/symposia/workshops. He has also made remarkable contributions in horticulture research like different orchard management aspects like fertigation, pollination, crop regulation, canopy management and rejuvenation of senile orchards. He has handled many state-funded as well as externally funded projects. He is also a life member of many societies and a peer reviewer of many reputed Horticultural journals like Indian journal of Horticulture. He has 23 years research experience on fruit crops and has standardized the production technologies for quality production of fruit crops in the mid-Himalayan region. Besides this, he has also developed rejuvenation techniques for senile peach orchards through judicious use of nutrients and pruning intensities. At present, Dr. Rana is engaged in standardizing the use of organic inputs in kiwifruit and developing of new kiwifruit cultivars through selection/hybridization.

Dr. Neerja Rana obtained her B.Sc.with medical subjects from Himachal Pradesh University, Himachal Pradesh, in 1991 and M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Dr YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, in 1994 with first division. She earned a Ph.D. in Forestry (Biochemistry) from Forest Research Institute, Dehradun in 1999. She was awarded the World Bank Fellowship by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education during her Ph.D. program. She joined as an Assistant Biochemist in the Department of Vegetable Science, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, and worked for about 9 years under the All India Coordinated Project on Spices. She worked on the improvement of ginger and turmeric under this project. Consequently she joined the Department of Basic Science as an Assistant Professor (Biochemistry) in August, 2009. She has been actively engaged in UG and PG teaching, research and extension work for the last 21 years. Presently, she is guiding M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in the field of Microbial Biochemistry. She has published about 75 research papers, 15 book chapters and 4 manuals and presented 16 papers in national/international seminars/symposia/ workshops. She is a life member of the Indian Society for Spices and an editor of Journal of Food Science and Fermentation Technology. She has handled two research projects under National Mission on Himalayan Research Scheme and one project with the Himachal Council of Science and Technology. She has also been working in various state projects and on industrially important enzymes and their applications in food industries and eco-friendly technologies for the improvement of horticultural crops/trees.

Dr. Sunny Sharma earned his B.Sc. (Agri) from the School of Agriculture (LPU), Phagwara, Punjab, in 2016 M.Sc. (Fruit Science) from Dr. YS Parmer University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, in 2018. He was awarded ICAR-NET in Fruit Science in 2018 and 2019. He had joined as an Assistant Professor, (Horticulture) at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, in 2018. He earned his Ph.D. in Fruit Science from Dr. YS Pramar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, in 2018. He worked on the project entitled ‘Assessment and prediction of phenoclimatography of kiwifruit in Himachal Pradesh’. Presently he is guiding M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in the field of Microbial Biochemistry. He has over 60 scientific publications to his credit which include research papers, review articles, 3 books chapters and 10 popular articles and he has presented more than 20 papers in national/international seminars/symposia/workshops. He is a peer reviewer of many reputed journals and a life member of professional scientific societies of India.