Ecophysiology and Responses of Plants under Salt Stress

Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that imposes negative effect on plants and consequently on the plant productivity. The causal factors for salinity stress may be geological, climatic and hydrological in nature. Soil is an invaluable asset for plant productivity yielding a variety of products of economic use. Worldwide, huge loss of plant produce is incurred every year due to salinity. Prolonged salt stress would cause oxidative damage to plants. Resistance to environmental stress occurs when a plant withstands the imposed stress that may arise from either tolerance or a mechanism that would allow the plants to endure the situation. Although whole plant mechanisms can contribute to the avoidance of stress during the plants life cycle, tolerance can also occur at the cellular level. Plants are either dormant during the salt episode or there must be cellular adjustment. Compatible solutes and different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants that are produced by the plants during salt stress are implicated in salt tolerance. This volume provides background information about the causes and mechanisms of salt stress and tolerance in plants. Researchers, students, environmentalist, and other scientists will be benefited by this volume.