Understanding metalloids and the potential impact they can have upon crop success or failure

Metalloids have a complex relationship with plant life. Exhibiting a combination of metal and non-metal characteristics, this small group of elements – which includes boron (B), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and tellurium (Te) – may hinder or enhance the growth and survival of crops. The causes underlying the effects that different metalloids may have upon certain plants range from genetic variance to anatomical factors, the complexities of which can pose a challenge to botanists and agriculturalists of all backgrounds.

With Metalloids in Plants, a group of leading plant scientists present a complete guide to the beneficial and adverse impacts of metalloids at morphological, anatomical, biochemical, and molecular levels. Insightful analysis of data on genetic regulation helps to inform the optimization of farming, indicating how one may boost the uptake of beneficial metalloids and reduce the influence of toxic ones. Contained within this essential new text, there are:

• Expert analyses of the role of metalloids in plants, covering their benefits as well as their adverse effects
• Explanations of the physiological, biochemical, and genetic factors at play in plant uptake of metalloids
• Outlines of the breeding and genetic engineering techniques involved in the generation of resistant crops

Written for students and professionals in the fields of agriculture, botany, molecular biology, and biotechnology, Metalloids in Plants is an invaluable overview of the relationship between crops and these unusual elements.

Dr. Rupesh Deshmukh, Rmalingaswami Fellow, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, India 

Dr. Durgesh Kumar Tripathi, Assistant Professor, Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Dr. Gea Guerriero, Senior Research and Technology Associate, Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg