Preface -- 1 Strigolactones: Journey from Rhizospheric Chemoattractants to Plant Growth Regulators 1 Kaiser Iqbal Wani, M. Naeem and Tariq Aftab -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Brief History of Strigolactones -- 1.3 What is the Origin of the Name Strigolactone? -- 1.4 Diverse Strigolactone Functions: From Single-Celled Alga to Terrestrial Plants -- 1.5 Strigolactones in Ferns and Mosses: Rhizosphere Signals or Phytohormones? -- 1.6 Agricultural Loss and Root Parasitic Plants -- 1.7 Strigolactones and Agriculture: Why Do They Hold the Key? -- 2 Nature, Structural Diversity, Biosynthetic Pathway, and Strigolactone Transport in Plants 13 Ishrat Mehmood, Kaiser Iqbal Wani and Tariq Aftab -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Chemical Nature of Strigolactones -- 2.3 Naming Protocol for Strigolactones -- 2.4 Natural Diversity of Strigolactones -- 2.5 Biosynthetic Pathway of SLs -- 2.6 Strigolactone Transport -- 2.7 Conclusion -- 3 Unveiling the Strigolactone Signaling Pathway: From Receptors to Responses 35 Rachel Helmich -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 The Strigolactone Perception -- 3.3 Strigolactone Signal Transduction -- 3.4 Transcriptional Regulation -- 3.5 Environmental Factors Modulate Strigolactone Signaling -- 3.6 Applications and Future Perspectives -- 3.7 Challenges and Unanswered Questions in Strigolactone Research -- 3.8 Conclusion -- 4 Diverse Roles of Strigolactones in Plant Growth and Development: Shaping Above- and Below-Ground Architecture 69 Alisha Hussain, Kaiser Iqbal Wani and Shahla Faizan -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 The Contribution of Strigolactones to Shoot Development -- 4.3 Role of Strigolactones in Regulating Shoot Secondary Growth -- 4.4 Root Development in Plants: Potential Role of Strigolactones -- 4.5 Role in Leaf Senescence -- 4.6 Conclusion -- 5 Regulation of Phosphorus Nutrition in Tomato Plants: Unveiled Roles of Strigolactones 89 Veronica Santoro, Michela Schiavon, Cristina Prandi and Luisella Celi -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Strigolactone Chemistry and Biosynthesis -- 5.3 The SL Signaling Pathway -- 5.4 Function of Strigolactones in Tomato Plants: Emphasis on Phosphorus Nutrition -- 5.5 Conclusions -- 6 Strigolactones' Role in Heat and Saline Stress Tolerance in Horticultural and Field Crops 109 Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Jose Delatorre Herrera, Luisa Bascunan and Enrique Ostria -- 6.1 What are Strigolactones -- 6.2 Production, Role, and Understanding of Strigolactones in Alleviating Heat Stress in Horticultural and Field Crops -- 6.3 Production, Role, and Understanding of Strigolactones to Alleviate Salinity Stress in Horticultural and Field Crops -- 6.4 Conclusions and Future Perspectives of Strigolactones' Use for Alleviating Stress in Plants -- 7 Role of Strigolactones in Heavy Metal Tolerance: A Case Study on Cadmium 137 Ishrat Mehmood, Kaiser Iqbal Wani and Tariq Aftab -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Cadmium Toxicity on Plants -- 7.3 Strigolactone-Mediated Cadmium Tolerance -- 7.4 Future Perspectives and Challenges of SLs for Agricultural Practices and Environmental Sustainability -- 7.5 Conclusion -- 8 Strigolactone Interplay with Other Phytohormones Under Stressed and Normal Conditions 161 Ishrat Mehmood, Kaiser Iqbal Wani and Tariq Aftab -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Role of SLs in Abiotic Stress Tolerance -- 8.3 Interplay of SLs with Other Phytohormones -- 8.4 Future Directions and Implications for Agriculture -- 8.5 Conclusion -- 9 Strigolactone Analogs: Synthesis, Structural Features and Biological Activity 193 Roheela Ahmad, Pirzada Mohammad Haris, Zubair Altaf Reshi, Tahir Ahmad Sheikh, Ayman Javed and Inayat Mustafa Khan -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Synthesis of Natural SLS -- 9.3 Structures of Strigolactones -- 9.4 Biological Activity of Strigolactones -- 9.5 Conclusion -- 10 Karrikin-Related Effects on Plant Development, Stress Tolerance, and Beyond 211 Tamas Bodor, Gabor Fejes, Dora Kondak, Selahattin Kondak, Reka Szöllösi and Zsuzsanna Kolbert -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Direct KAR-Associated Effects on Plants -- 10.3 Indirect KAR-Associated Effects on Plants -- 10.4 Smoke Water as a Promising Agent for Agricultural Applications -- 10.5 Conclusions and Perspectives -- 11 Strigolactones: Key Phytohormones in Plant--Microbe Interactions and Development 235 Asif Hussain Hajam and Gausiya Bashri -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Identification of SLs as Signaling Molecules in AM Symbiosis -- 11.3 SL Perception by AM Fungi -- 11.4 Influence of SLs on AM Fungi at the Cellular and Molecular Levels -- 11.5 SLs and AM Fungi Mediate Root Development -- 11.6 Impact of AM Fungi on Nutrient Acquisition (Particularly Phosphate) and Plant Growth -- 11.7 AM Symbiosis: Serving as a Biofertilizer and Biocontrol Agent -- 11.8 Interactions of SL with Non-AM Fungi -- 11.9 Strigolactones and Root Nodule Symbiosis -- 11.10 Effect of SLs on Nodule Number (Quantity) -- 11.11 Impact of SLs on Rhizobia -- 11.12 Future Directions and Conclusion -- 12 Strigolactones and Control of Parasitic Weeds 261 Sonal Jain, Rahul Kumar, Divya Gunsola, Sanjaivkoviæ, Tanja Vasiæ, Sourav Chattaraj, Somya Sinha, Prateek Gururani, Shraddha Bhaskar Sawant, Guerra Sierra B.E., Wiem Alloun and Debasis Mitra -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 What are SLs? -- 12.3 Phenomena of Host--Parasitic Plant Interaction -- 12.4 SL--Carotenoid/Biosynthetic Pathway for Stimulation -- 12.5 Karrikins -- 12.6 Exploring Various Strategies for Controlling Parasitic Weed Infestations -- 12.7 Impact of SL Application on Future Scientific Research and Agriculture -- 12.8 SL Functions -- 12.9 Conclusion -- 13 Strigolactones and Plant Defense: Protection Against Pests and Pathogens 281 Bonia Francis, C. T. Aravindakumar and Sibu Simon -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Biotic Stresses in Plants -- 13.3 Biotic Stress-Mediated Defense Mechanism in Plants -- 13.4 Strigolactone-Mediated Defense Against Pathogens -- 13.5 Strigolactone-Mediated Defense Against Pests -- 13.6 Strigolactone-Mediated Plant Defense Mechanism -- 13.7 Conclusion and Future Perspective -- Acknowledgment -- References -- Index.