Plant and microbe adaptations to cold in a changing world

Global warming is affecting agriculture in a wide range of the climatic zones. In contrast to the extensive debate over the effects of global warming during summer growth, the impact of rising winter temperature on agricultural production has received considerably less attention. However, climate changes can certainly affect winter conditions, and small changes in winter climate can have even more drastic impacts in many regions of the world. Plant and Microbe Adaptations to Cold (PMAC) is an interdisciplinary forum for research and extension scientists working in the fields of plant pathology, plant physiology, microbiology, and crop breeding, to advance our understanding of overwintering of crops and attempt to solve the problems associated with winter damage. PMAC2012 gathered over 100 participants from 14 countries and hosted 41 oral and 42 poster presentations. This book is a collection of contributions from invited and selected speakers at the conference. Each contribution includes important and timely topics on plant and microbe adaptations to cold. These contributions span the topics discussed at the conference.