ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a comprehensive reference source on the responses of temperate fruit crops to the environment. It addresses plant responses to abiotic variables and when possible integrates whole plant physiology with production horticulture. The book is divided according to fruit crops species or related species of fruit crops. Environmental variables modulate virtually all aspects of plant growth and development. The sum of the interactions between plant genotype and the environment determines plant phenotype and plant productivity. The book is designed to appeal to a wide audience of researchers, extension workers, and students interested in fruit crop physiology and is written on a level that is commensurate with a general understanding of plant physiology. Crop origin, genetic diversity, botany, and ecology were often included to facilitate a discussion of environmental physiology.
