Recent Advances in Grain Crops Research

Book excerpt: Cultivation of grain crops has been rightly recognized as one of the main drivers in shaping human civilizations. Considering their key role in fulfilling a major portion of the global food needs, grain crops are the most widely grown crops around the world. Unfortunately, like many other agronomic crops, grain crops are quite vulnerable to climate change and this has posed multifaceted threats to agricultural sustainability. To add to the menace, the deteriorating quantity and quality of both land and water as primary factors of production are further aggravating the scenario. Confronting such challenges demands innovative adaptation strategies through intensification of grain crop production that can ensure grain self-sufficiency worldwide.