Crop physiology deals with the study of how crop plants develop, grow, and respond to their environment at the cellular and biochemical level. It examines topics like seed physiology, optimal seedling growth, plant population, harvest index, the mode of action of herbicides, nutriophysiology, photoperiodism, plant growth regulators, water use efficiency, and post-harvest physiology. Understanding crop physiology is important for agriculture as it allows for improving areas like withstanding biotic and abiotic stresses, maximizing yields, and reducing post-harvest losses in India's predominantly rainfed agricultural system.