Neglected and Underutilized Crops

Neglected and Underutilized Crops: Future Smart Food explores key potential future food crops with climate resilience potential. Food security, for the future generations, requires a paradigm shift from the current cropping system to the diversification and inclusion of climate resilient crops. Currently about 60% of the global calories' intake is contributed by four crops viz. maize, rice, wheat and potato. Although, there are more than 12,650 edible plant species, about 95% of the global food demands are met by 30 plant species.

These are domesticated plant species that have been used for centuries for their food and other purposes. However, there utilization and importance have been reduced over time. Therefore, these are also referred to as forgotten crops. As the demand for plant and crop attributes changes, neglected and underutilized crops can overcome the constraints to the wider production and use. Having a bigger number of species to choose in a crop rotation system allows farmers to have a more sustainable production system. By changing species in a crop rotation system, the cycle of some pests and diseases is disrupted and probabilities of infestations are reduced. These crops can help make agricultural production systems more resilient to climate change. Although, a few books on neglected and underutilized crops are available. A comprehensive book covering crop husbandry, nutritional significance, global distribution, and case studies of success stories has lacking until now. Neglected and Underutilized Crops: Future Smart Food includes the botany, nutritional significance, global distribution, production technology, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses of neglected and underutilized crops. Case studies of success stories, and adaptation of these crops to local environments especially to climate change are also included.

The proposed book is a ready reference in the disciplines of climate change, agronomy of field crops, farming system, food security and sustainable agriculture.