Advances in Botanical Research, Volume 103 provides a timely and comprehensive update on the current knowledge of stomata development and operation in salt-grown plants. The range of topics covered includes evolution of stomata for adaptation to saline conditions, comparative analysis of proteomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of stomata guard cells between halophytes and glycophyte species and their reprogramming under salt stress, the molecular nature of the signals that control stomata aperture and their integration at the cellular and whole-plant level, and ecophysiological aspects of stomata operation in crop and halophytes species.

Soil salinity is destroying several hectares of arable land every minute. Because remedial land management cannot completely solve the problem, salt tolerant crops or plant species able to remove excessive salt from the soil could contribute significantly to managing the salinity problem. The key to engineering crops for salt tolerance lies in a thorough understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying the adaptive responses of plants to salinity. Plant Salt Tolerance: Methods and Protocols describes recent advances and techniques employed by researchers to understand the molecular and ionic basis of salinity tolerance and to investigate the mechanisms of salt stress perception and signalling in plants. With chapters written by leading international scientists, this book covers nearly 30 different methods, such as microelectrode and molecular methods, imaging techniques, as well as various biochemical assays. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Plant Salt Tolerance: Methods and Protocols serves as an essential read for every student or researcher tackling various aspects of the salinity problem.

This second edition of a well-received book focuses on rhythmic behaviour in plants, which regulates all developmental and adaptive responses and can thus be regarded as quintessential to life itself. The chapters provide a timely update on recent advances in this field and comprehensively summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind circadian and ultradian oscillations in plants, their physiological implications for growth and development and adaptive responses to a dynamic environment. Written by a diverse group of leading researchers, the book will spark the interest of readers from many branches of science: from physicists and chemists wishing to learn about the multi-faceted rhythms in plants, to biologists and ecologists involved in the state-of-the-art modelling of complex rhythmic phenomena.

In the last half century, because of the raising world population and because of the many environmental issues posed by the industrialization, the amount of arable land per person has declined from 0.32 ha in 1961-1963 to 0.21 ha in 1997-1999 and is expected to drop further to 0.16 ha by 2030 and therefore is a severe menace to food security (FAO 2006). At the same time, about 12 million ha of irrigated land in the developing world has lost its productivity due to waterlogging and salinity. Waterlogging is a major problem for plant cultivation in many regions of the world. The reasons are in part due to climatic change that leads to the increased number of precipitations of great intensity, in part to land degradation. Considering India alone, the total area suffering from waterlogging is estimated to be about 3.3 million ha (Bhattacharya 1992), the major causes of waterlogging include super- ous irrigation supplies, seepage losses from canal, impeded sub-surface drainage, and lack of proper land development. In addition, many irrigated areas are s- jected to yield decline because of waterlogging due to inadequate drainage systems. Worldwide, it has been estimated that at least one-tenth of the irrigated cropland suffers from waterlogging.

This second edition of a well-received book focuses on rhythmic behaviour in plants, which regulates all developmental and adaptive responses and can thus be regarded as quintessential to life itself. The chapters provide a timely update on recent advances in this field and comprehensively summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind circadian and ultradian oscillations in plants, their physiological implications for growth and development and adaptive responses to a dynamic environment. Written by a diverse group of leading researchers, the book will spark the interest of readers from many branches of science: from physicists and chemists wishing to learn about the multi-faceted rhythms in plants, to biologists and ecologists involved in the state-of-the-art modelling of complex rhythmic phenomena.

In the last half century, because of the raising world population and because of the many environmental issues posed by the industrialization, the amount of arable land per person has declined from 0.32 ha in 1961-1963 to 0.21 ha in 1997-1999 and is expected to drop further to 0.16 ha by 2030 and therefore is a severe menace to food security (FAO 2006). At the same time, about 12 million ha of irrigated land in the developing world has lost its productivity due to waterlogging and salinity. Waterlogging is a major problem for plant cultivation in many regions of the world. The reasons are in part due to climatic change that leads to the increased number of precipitations of great intensity, in part to land degradation. Considering India alone, the total area suffering from waterlogging is estimated to be about 3.3 million ha (Bhattacharya 1992), the major causes of waterlogging include super- ous irrigation supplies, seepage losses from canal, impeded sub-surface drainage, and lack of proper land development. In addition, many irrigated areas are s- jected to yield decline because of waterlogging due to inadequate drainage systems. Worldwide, it has been estimated that at least one-tenth of the irrigated cropland suffers from waterlogging.

Soil salinity is destroying several hectares of arable land every minute. Because remedial land management cannot completely solve the problem, salt tolerant crops or plant species able to remove excessive salt from the soil could contribute significantly to managing the salinity problem. The key to engineering crops for salt tolerance lies in a thorough understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying the adaptive responses of plants to salinity. Plant Salt Tolerance: Methods and Protocols describes recent advances and techniques employed by researchers to understand the molecular and ionic basis of salinity tolerance and to investigate the mechanisms of salt stress perception and signalling in plants. With chapters written by leading international scientists, this book covers nearly 30 different methods, such as microelectrode and molecular methods, imaging techniques, as well as various biochemical assays. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Plant Salt Tolerance: Methods and Protocols serves as an essential read for every student or researcher tackling various aspects of the salinity problem.