Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Soil salinization is a major threat to agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, where water scarcity and inadequate drainage of irrigated lands severely reduce crop yield. Salt accumulation inhibits plant growth and reduces the ability to uptake water and nutrients, leading to osmotic or water-deficit stress. Salt is also causing injury of the young photosynthetic leaves and acceleration of their senescence, as the Na+ cation is toxic when accumulating in cell cytosol resulting in ionic imbalance and toxicity of transpiring leaves. To cope with salt stress, plants have evolved mainly two types of tolerance mechanisms based on either limiting the entry of salt by the roots, or controlling its concentration and distribution. Understanding the overall control of Na+ accumulation and functional studies of genes involved in transport processes, will provide a new opportunity to improve the salinity tolerance of plants relevant to food security in arid regions. A better understanding of these tolerance mechanisms can be used to breed crops with improved yield performance under salinity stress. Moreover, associations of cultures with nitrogen-fixing bactéria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi could serve as an alternative and sustainable strategy to increase crop yields in salt affected fields.
Source: Frontiers in Plant Science
Institutions: University of Sfax, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sfax, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, LMI Adaptation des Plantes et Microorganismes Associés aux Stress Environnementaux, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Diversité, adaptation et développement des plantes, United Arab Emirates University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W2559626869