This book provides a comprehensive and forward-looking examination of neglected and underutilized crops (NUCs) as key enablers of climate-resilient and sustainable food systems. Addressing the urgent challenges posed by climate change, environmental degradation, and food insecurity, it brings together innovative strategies, practical case studies, and emerging technologies to demonstrate how NUCs can enhance agricultural resilience, diversify livelihoods, and support biodiversity conservation.
Integrating scientific evidence with indigenous and local knowledge, the chapters illustrate how NUCs contribute to efficient resource use, improved nutritional outcomes, and strengthened ecosystem services across diverse agroecological contexts. By combining theory with real-world applications, the book offers actionable insights for researchers, policymakers, development professionals, and practitioners seeking inclusive, low-input, and climate-adaptive solutions.
With its interdisciplinary perspective and global relevance, this volume positions neglected and underutilized crops not as marginal commodities, but as strategic assets for transforming agriculture and empowering smallholder farmers and rural communities worldwide.
Part I: Foundations and Context.-Role of neglected and underutilized
crops in global food security, biodiversity, and climate
resilience.-Challenges and opportunities in the production of neglected and
underutilized crops under climate change.- Climate Change and the
WaterEnergyFood (WEF) Nexus: Enhancing Resilience through Neglected and
Underutilized Crops (NUCs).- Environmental protection and ecosystem services
through cultivation of NUCs.- Part II: Cereal and Pseudocereal Crops: Climate
Adaptation and Resource Nexus.- Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa): Climate
resilience, nutritional benefits, and water-energy efficiency.- Pendant
Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus): Sustainable production and role in soil
health.- Canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule): Adaptation to marginal
environments and food security.- Fiindi (Digitaria exilis): Drought tolerance
and water use efficiency.- Indian Barnyard Millet (Echinochloa frumentacea):
Climate-smart cultivation and nutrient cycling.- Finger Millet (Eleusine
coracana): Conservation agriculture and soil erosion control.- Teff
(Eragrostis tef): Water resource management and climate adaptation.-
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum): Agroecological benefits and pollinator
support.- Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum): Climate adaptation and carbon
sequestration potential.- Little Millet (Panicum miliare): Enhancing food
security through resilient cropping systems.- Kodo Millet (Paspalum
scrobiculatum): Low-input farming and ecosystem services.- Foxtail Millet
(Setaria italica): Linking nutrient use efficiency and climate resilience.-
Triticale: A climate-resilient pseudocereal with food and energy nexus
benefits.- Part III: Food Legume Crops: Nutrition, Water Efficiency, and
Environmental Protection.- Ground Bean (Kerstingiella geocarpa): Enhancing
soil fertility and food security.- Lablab Bean (Lablab purpureus):
Agroforestry and water use efficiency.- Pearl Lupin (Lupinus mutabilis):
Nitrogen fixation and climate adaptation.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed has served for over two decades at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, where he is widely recognized as a senior agronomist, climate change expert, and crop modeler. His research centers on climate variability, IoT-based agricultural applications, and the impacts of climate change on crop ecology, physiology, cropping systems, and rainfed farming. He is an expert in process-based crop and agro-ecosystem modeling and remote sensing, employing tools such as APSIM, AquaCrop, DSSAT, DNDC, CropSyst, STICS, and EPIC to develop and evaluate climate-resilient agricultural strategies. Since 2020, Dr. Ahmed has been consistently listed among the worlds top 2% of scientists, reflecting the global impact and citation strength of his research. Dr. Ahmed has established extensive international collaborations with research institutions in Australia, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, the West Indies, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has actively contributed to major global initiatives, including REACCH and AgMIP, and continues to play a key role in shaping global strategies for climate change adaptation and resilience in agriculture.
