Preface

SECTION-A: OVERVIEW OF CONTAMINANTS IN AGRICULTURE

Chapter 01: Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Contaminants in Agriculture: Impact on Soil and Water Resources

I.Rashmi¹, Trisha Roy², K.S. Kartika³, Rama Pal⁴, Vassanda Coumar⁵, S. Kala⁶ and K.C. Shinogi⁷

¹Scientist, Soil Chemistry and Fertility, IISWC, Research Centre, Kota, India Email: rashmisac@rediffmail.com; ²Scientist, Soil Chemistry and Fertility, IISWC, Dehradun, India Email: trisha17.24@gmail.com; ³Scientist, Soil Chemistry and Fertility, CPCRI, Research Centre, Vittal, India Email: kskavukattu@gmail.com; ⁴Scientist, Environmental Science, IISWC, Research Centre, Agra, India Email: rama.env@gmail.com; ⁵Scientist, Soil Chemistry and Fertility, IISS, Bhopal, India Email: vassanda.coumar@gmail.com; ⁶Scientist, Agriculture extension, IISS, Bhopal, India Email: shinojikallely@gmail.com; ⁷Scientist, Forestry, IISWC, Research Centre, Kota, India kalaforestry@gmail.com

Chapter 02: Role of Nutrients in Plant Growth and Development

Preksha Shrivastav, Akbar Ali, Mrinalini Prasad, Teg Bahadur Singh, Arti Yadav, Deepika Goyal, Prem Kumar Dantu*

Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra-5, India, Email: premdantu@gmail.com

Chapter 03: Practice and Impact of Pesticides in Agricultural Crops

Sushil Ahlawat

Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, CCS HAU, HISAR, India Email: sushilahlawat08@gmail.com

Chapter 04: Response of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Soil Microbial Population and Yield of Plants

Teg Bahadur Singh

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Dayalbagh Agra - 282005

Chapter 05: An Overview of the Effect of Heavy Metals on Soil and Plant Growth

Deepika Goyal, Arti Yadav, Mrinalini Prasad, Teg Bhadur Singh, Preksha Shrivastava, Akbar Ali, Prem Kumar Dantu, Sushma Mishra*

Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra-5, India ^*Email: sushmamishra87@gmail.com

Chapter 06: Effect of Acid Rain on Crop Plants and its Mitigation Approaches

Henan University of Science and Technology

Email: ahammed@zju.edu.cn

SECTION-B: SOURCES OF CONTAMINANTS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURE

Chapter 07: Heavy metals: Their Sources, Toxicity, Mechanism and Health Effects

Ayesha Siddiqa and Muhammad Faisal

Chapter 08: Heavy Metal Induced Gene Expression in Plants

Abdul Razaque Memon

Professor and Head, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Usak University, Bir Eylul Kampus, 64200 Usak/Merkez, Turkey

E mail: abdulrezzak.memon@gmail.com; armemon@usak.edu.tr

Chapter 09: Nano-contaminants: Sources and Impact on Agriculture

Mrinalini Prasad, Anamika Gupta, Akbar Ali and Rajiv Ranjan*

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra-282005, India, Email: rajivranjanbt@gmail.com

Chapter 10: Heavy Metal Toxicity and Tolerance in Crop Plants

M. Affan Baig, Sadia Qamar¹, Arlene Asthana Ali¹, Javed Ahmad¹, M. Irfan Qureshi¹

Proteomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Mil
About the Author: Dr. M. Naeem is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at Aligarh Muslim University, India. For more than a decade, he has devoted his research to improving the yield and quality of commercially important medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). His research focuses on escalating the production of MAPs and their active principles using a novel and safe technique involving depolymerized polysaccharides as well as the application of potent PGRs. His research also focuses on abiotic stress tolerance in medicinal plants. To date, Dr. Naeem has successfully run three major research projects as the Principal Investigator sponsored by national funding agencies like Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi and Council of Science & Technology UP, Lucknow. Dr. Naeem has published more than 80 research papers in reputable national and international journals as well as seven books. He has also participated in various national and international conferences and acquired life memberships to various scientific bodies in India and abroad. Based on his research contributions, Dr. Naeem has been awarded a Research Associateship from the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi; a Yuva Vaigyanic Samman (2011) from the State Government of Uttar Pradesh; a Fast Track Young Scientist Award from the Department of Science & Technology, India; a Rashtriya Gaurav Award (2016) from the International Friendship Society, New Delhi, a Young Scientist of the Year Award (2015), a Distinguished Young Scientist of the Year Award (2017) & a Best Scientist of the Year Award (2018) from the Scientific and Environmental Research Institute, Kolkata; and UGC-BSR Research Start-up Grant (2018) by UGC, New Delhi

Dr. Abid A. Ansari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Ansari's research work is concerned with phytoremediation and eutrophication. He has a number of research articles of national and international repute to his credit. He has written 10 edited books and a number of book chapters on varied aspects of his research. He has been awarded Environmentalist of the Year - 2011' & 'Scientist of the Year-2014' by the National Environmental Science Academy, India and 'Research Excellence 2016 Award' by University of Tabuk. He has also participated in various national and international conferences and acquired memberships to various scientific bodies (Saudi Biological Society, International Phytotechnology Society, and Society for Ecological Restoration).

Sarvajeet Singh Gill, serving as an Assistant Professor at Centre for Biotechnology, MD University, Rohtak, India, has made significant contributions towards abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. His research includes abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants, reactive oxygen species signaling and antioxidant machinery, gene expression, helicases, crop improvement, transgenics, nitrogen & sulfur metabolism and plant fungal symbiotic interactions. Together with Dr. Narendra Tuteja at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, he worked on plant helicases and discovered a novel function of plant MCM6, PDH45 and p68 in salinity stress tolerance that will help improve crop production at sub-optimal conditions. A recipient of the Junior Scientist of the Year Award 2008 from the National Environmental Science Academy, Dr. Gill has edited several books and has a number of research papers, review articles, and book chapters to his name.