In biology, the very big global and thevery small molecular issues currently appear to be in the limelight ofpublic interest and research funding policies. They are in danger of drifting apart from each other. They apply very coarse and very fine scaling, respectively, but coherence is lost when the various intermediate levels of different scales are neglected. Regarding SALINITY we are clearly dealing with a global problem, which due to progressing salinization of arable land is of vital interest for society. Explanations and basic understanding as well as solutions and remedies may finally lie at the molecular level. It is a general approach in science to look for understanding of any system under study at the next finer (or "lower") level of scaling. This in itself shows that we need a whole ladder of levels with increasingly finer steps from the global impact to the molecular bases of SALINITY relations. It is in this vein that the 22 chapters of this book aim at providing an integrated view of SALINITY.

Biologists worldwide now speak the scientific language of molecular biology and use the same molecular tools. Interest is growing in the molecular biology of abiotic stress tolerance and modes of installing better tolerant mechanisms in crop plants. Current studies make plants capable of sustaining their yields even under stressful conditions. Further, this information may form the basis for its application in biotechnology and bioinformatics.

Plant Signaling Molecule: Role and Regulation under Stressful Environments explores tolerance mechanisms mediated by signaling molecules in plants for achieving sustainability under changing environmental conditions. Including a wide range of potential molecules, from primary to secondary metabolites, the book presents the status and future prospects of the role and regulation of signaling molecules at physiological, biochemical, molecular and structural level under abiotic stress tolerance. This book is designed to enhance the mechanistic understanding of signaling molecules and will be an important resource for plant biologists in developing stress tolerant crops to achieve sustainability under changing environmental conditions. - Focuses on plant biology under stress conditions - Provides a compendium of knowledge related to plant adaptation, physiology, biochemistry and molecular responses - Identifies treatments that enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stresses - Illustrates specific physiological pathways that are considered key points for plant adaptation or tolerance to abiotic stresses

World population is growing at an alarming rate and is anticipated to reach about six billion by the end of year 2050. On the other hand, agricultural productivity is not increasing at a required rate to keep up with the food demand. The reasons for this are water shortages, depleting soil fertility and mainly various abiotic stresses. The fast pace at which developments and novel findings that are recently taking place in the cutting edge areas of molecular biology and basic genetics, have reinforced and augmented the efficiency of science outputs in dealing with plant abiotic stresses. In depth understanding of the stresses and their effects on plants is of paramount importance to evolve effective strategies to counter them. This book is broadly dived into sections on the stresses, their mechanisms and tolerance, genetics and adaptation, and focuses on the mechanic aspects in addition to touching some adaptation features. The chief objective of the book hence is to deliver state of the art information for comprehending the nature of abiotic stress in plants. We attempted here to present a judicious mixture of outlooks in order to interest workers in all areas of plant sciences.

Plants have to manage a series of environmental stresses throughout their entire lifespan. Among these, abiotic stress is the most detrimental; one that is responsible for nearly 50% of crop yield reduction and appears to be a potential threat to global food security in coming decades. Plant growth and development reduces drastically due to adverse effects of abiotic stresses. It has been estimated that crop can exhibit only 30% of their genetic potentiality under abiotic stress condition. So, this is a fundamental need to understand the stress responses to facilitate breeders to develop stress resistant and stress tolerant cultivars along with good management practices to withstand abiotic stresses. Also, a holistic approach to understanding the molecular and biochemical interactions of plants is important to implement the knowledge of resistance mechanisms under abiotic stresses. Agronomic practices like selecting cultivars that is tolerant to wide range of climatic condition, planting date, irrigation scheduling, fertilizer management could be some of the effective short-term adaptive tools to fight against abiotic stresses. In addition, “system biology” and “omics approaches” in recent studies offer a long-term opportunity at the molecular level in dealing with abiotic stresses. The genetic approach, for example, selection and identification of major conditioning genes by linkage mapping and quantitative trait loci (QTL), production of mutant genes and transgenic introduction of novel genes, has imparted some tolerant characteristics in crop varieties from their wild ancestors. Recently research has revealed the interactions between micro-RNAs (miRNAs) and plant stress responses exposed to salinity, freezing stress and dehydration. Accordingly transgenic approaches to generate stress-tolerant plant are one of the most interesting researches to date. This book presents the recent development of agronomic and molecular approaches in conferring plant abiotic stress tolerance in an organized way. The present volume will be of great interest among research students and teaching community, and can also be used as reference material by professional researchers.

Plant Life under Changing Environment: Responses and Management presents the latest insights, reflecting the significant progress that has been made in understanding plant responses to various changing environmental impacts, as well as strategies for alleviating their adverse effects, including abiotic stresses. Growing from a focus on plants and their ability to respond, adapt, and survive, Plant Life under Changing Environment: Responses and Management addresses options for mitigating those responses to ensure maximum health and growth. Researchers and advanced students in environmental sciences, plant ecophysiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, nano-pollution climate change, and soil pollution will find this an important foundational resource. - Covers both responses and adaptation of plants to altered environmental states - Illustrates the current impact of climate change on plant productivity, along with mitigation strategies - Includes transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and ionomic approaches

With near-comprehensive coverage of new advances in crop breeding for drought and salinity stress tolerance, this timely work seeks to integrate the most recent findings about key biological determinants of plant stress tolerance with modern crop improvement strategies. This volume is unique because is provides exceptionally wide coverage of current knowledge and expertise being applied in drought and salt tolerance research.

This book offers an overview of salt stress, which has a devastating effect on the yields of various agricultural crops around the globe. Excessive salts in soil reduce the availability of water, inhibit metabolic processes, and affect nutrient composition, osmotic balance, and hydraulic conductivity. Plants have developed a number of tolerance mechanisms, such as various compatible solutes, polyamines, reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense mechanisms, ion transport and compartmentalization of injurious ions. The exploitation of genetic variation, use of plant hormones, mineral nutrients, soil microbe interactions, and other mechanical practices are of prime importance in agriculture, and as such have been the subject of multidisciplinary research. Covering both theoretical and practical aspects, the book provides essential physiological, ecological, biochemical, environmental and molecular information as well as perspectives for future research. It is a valuable resource for students, teachers and researchers and anyone interested in agronomy, ecology, stress physiology, environmental science, crop science and molecular biology.

This book will shed light on the effect of salt stress on plants development, proteomics, genomics, genetic engineering, and plant adaptations, among other topics. Understanding the molecular basis will be helpful in developing selection strategies for improving salinity tolerance. The book will cover around 25 chapters with contributors from all over the world.

This book gathers the latest findings on the microbial ecology of saline habitats, plant-microbe interactions under saline conditions, and saline soil reclamation for agricultural use. The content is divided into four main parts: Part I outlines the definition of salinity, its genesis and impacts, and microbial diversity in saline habitats. Part II deals with impact of salinity on microbial and plant life/health. Part III highlights plant – microbe interactions in saline environments, and Part IV describes strategies for mitigation and reclamation of saline soils. The salinization of arable land is steadily increasing in many parts of the world. An excessive concentration of soluble salts (salinity) in soils or irrigation water adversely affects plant growth and survival. This problem is exacerbated in arid and semiarid areas due to their low precipitation and high evaporation rates. In turn, poor management practices and policies for using river water for the irrigation of agriculture crops often lead to the secondary salinization of soils. Considering the growing demands of a constantly expanding population, understanding the microbial ecology and interactions under saline conditions and their implications for sustainable agriculture is of utmost importance. Providing both an essential review of the status quo and a future outlook, this book represents a valuable asset for researchers, environmentalists and students working in microbiology and agriculture. .