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Towards the Production of Salt-Tolerant Crops

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Chemicals via Higher Plant Bioengineering

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 464))

Abstract

Crop production is affected by numerous environmental factors, with soil salinity and drought having the most detrimental effects. Attempts to improve yield under stress conditions by plant breeding have been unsuccessful, primarily due to the multigenic origin of the adaptive responses. The transfer of genes through genetic engineering of crop plants appears more feasible. Important adaptive mechanisms targeted for potential gene transfer would be the tonoplast Na+H+ antiport, compatible solute synthesis and, regulation of water channel activity and expression, mechanisms involved in cellular osmoregulation. In this review we discuss recent advances in our understanding of these adaptive mechanisms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 510-3, Col. Miraval Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    B. J. Barkla, R. Vera-Estrella & O. Pantoja

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  1. B. J. Barkla
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  2. R. Vera-Estrella
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  3. O. Pantoja
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John, Newfoundland, Canada

    Fereidoon Shahidi

  2. POS Pilot Plant Corporation, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Paul Kolodziejczyk

  3. University of California, Davis, California, USA

    John R. Whitaker

  4. Institute of Biotechnology-UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Agustin Lopez Munguia

  5. USDA/ARS, Albany, California, USA

    Glenn Fuller

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Barkla, B.J., Vera-Estrella, R., Pantoja, O. (1999). Towards the Production of Salt-Tolerant Crops. In: Shahidi, F., Kolodziejczyk, P., Whitaker, J.R., Munguia, A.L., Fuller, G. (eds) Chemicals via Higher Plant Bioengineering. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 464. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4729-7_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4729-7_7

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