Abiotic stress cause changes in soil-plant-atmosphere continuum and is
responsible for reduced yield in several major crops. Therefore, the
subject of abiotic stress response in plants - metabolism, productivity
and sustainability - is gaining considerable significance in the
contemporary world. Abiotic stress is an integral part of "climate
change," a complex phenomenon with a wide range of unpredictable impacts
on the environment. Prolonged exposure to these abiotic stresses results
in altered metabolism and damage to biomolecules. Plants evolve defense
mechanisms to tolerate these stresses by upregulation of osmolytes,
osmoprotectants, and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, etc. This
volume deals with abiotic stress-induced morphological and anatomical
changes, abberations in metabolism, strategies and approaches to
increase salt tolerance, managing the drought stress, sustainable fruit
production and postharvest stress treatments, role of glutathione
reductase, flavonoids as antioxidants in plants, the role of salicylic
acid and trehalose in plants, stress-induced flowering. The role of soil
organic matter in mineral nutrition and fatty acid profile in response
to heavy metal stress are also dealt with. Proteomic markers for
oxidative stress as a new tools for reactive oxygen species and
photosynthesis research, abscisic acid signaling in plants are covered
with chosen examples. Stress responsive genes and gene products
including expressed proteins that are implicated in conferring tolerance
to the plant are presented. Thus, this volume would provides the reader
with a wide spectrum of information including key references and with a
large number of illustrations and tables.
Dr. Parvaiz is Assistant Professor in Botany at A.S. College, Srinagar,
Jammu and Kashmir, India. He has completed his post-graduation in Botany
in 2000 from Jamia Hamdard New Delhi India. After his Ph.D from the
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India in 2007 he joined the
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New
Delhi. He has published more than 20 research papers in peer reviewed
journals and 4 book chapters. He has also edited a volume which is in
press with Studium Press Pvt. India Ltd., New Delhi, India. Dr. Parvaiz
is actively engaged in studying the molecular and physio-biochemical
responses of different plants (mulberry, pea, Indian mustard) under
environmental stress.
Prof. M.N.V. Prasad is a Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences
at the University of Hyderabad, India. He received B.Sc. (1973) and
M.Sc. (1975) degrees from Andhra University, India, and the Ph.D. degree
(1979) in botany from the University of Lucknow, India. Prasad has
published 216 articles in peer reviewed journals and 82 book chapters
and conference proceedings in the broad area of environmental botany and
heavy metal stress in plants. He is the author, co-author, editor, or
co-editor for eight books. He is the recipient of Pitamber Pant National
Environment Fellowship of 2007 awarded by the Ministry of Environment
and Forests, Government of India.
