Contents Preface. 1. Plant physiology has become plant biology A cross disciplinary science. 2. Carbon dioxide. 3. Flowering. 4. Plant Hormones. 5. Water transport in rice. 6. Salt tolerance. 7. Nutrient uptake and transport. 8. Water saving agriculture. 9. Crop biotechnology. 10. Genetically modified plants. 11. Plants and population. 12. Epilogue. Bibliography. Annexure. Index. If one may recall nearly half a century ago there were small books Methuen series publishing on special subjects like photosynthesis (C.P. Whittingham) and Plant Respiration (W. Stiles) in the 1950s and have been of great guidance for post graduate studies in those years. Now great breakthroughs have been made with the introduction of isotopes modern tools and instruments which can project into the cell components and unravel the secrets of plant life with the result no one book could so completely cover a single topic like photosynthesis or respiration. Additionally the development of plant tissue culture during the 60s when it remained as only a laboratory technique has helped in the now new branch of plant biotechnology thanks to the work of early plant physiologists. The book on the Advances in plant physiology covers a few limited areas of topics like photosynthesis the effects of increased levels of carbon dioxide plant nutrition specially on the uptake of nutrients by the leaves.