Managing Salt Tolerance in Plants: Molecular and Genomic Perspectives

Salinity stress currently impacts more than 80 million hectares of land worldwide and more arable land is likely to be impacted in the future due to global climate changes. Managing Salt Tolerance in Plants: Molecular and Genomic Perspectives presents detailed molecular and genomic approaches for the development of crop plants tolerant to salinity stress. The book discusses salinity stress in plant adaptation and productivity, biochemical and molecular mechanisms responsible for plant salt tolerance, and genomic approaches for the development of plants tolerant to salinity stress.

With chapters written by leading scientists involved in plant salinity stress research, this book brings together biochemical, physiological, and molecular techniques used to develop crop plants with increased salinity tolerance. The editors integrate the most recent findings about the key biological determinants of salinity stress tolerance with contemporary crop improvement approaches. They include emerging topics and cutting-edge knowledge related to salt stress responses and tolerance mechanisms and describe salinity stress in plants and its effects on plant growth and productivity.

Time is of the essence for this issue, as global climate change will further exacerbate the problems of salt stress in the near future. With authoritative coverage of the key factors impacting the world’s crop production, this book calls attention to primary genetic, physiological, and biochemical factors of plant salinity stress. It helps you develop conventional and biotechnological applications that can lead to enhanced crop productivity in stressful environments.

Dr. Shabir Hussain Wani received his Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics on "Transgenic rice for abiotic stress tolerance" from the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India in 2009. After his PhD, he worked as a research associate in the Biotechnology Laboratory, Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (ICAR), Rangreth Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India for two years up to October 2011. In November 2011, he joined the KrishiVigyan Kendra (Farm Science Centre) as Programme Coordinator (i/c) at Senapati Manipur India. Since May 2013, he has been an assistant professor/scientist at the Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding, SKUAST-K, Srinagar, Kashmir, India. He teaches courses related to plant breeding, seed science and technology, and stress breeding and has published more than 75 papers in journals and books of international and national repute. He has also edited several books on current topics in crop improvement. His Ph.D. research fetched the first prize in north zone at national level competition in India. He received a young scientist award from the Society for Promotion of Plant Sciences, Jaipur, India in 2009. He is a fellow of the Society for Plant Research, India. He has presented his research at several international and national conferences.

Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain received his PhD in Agriculture with specialization in plant abiotic stress physiology and molecular biology from Ehime University, Japan, in 2011. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agriculture and Genetics and Plant Breeding from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh. He also earned his Master of Science in Agriculture degree from Kagawa University, Japan. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh, since September 2011. Dr. Hossain teaches plant breeding, advanced plant breeding, molecular plant breeding, and stress breeding courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He has published 25 research articles, 10 book chapters, and 5 review articles on important aspects of plant physiology and breeding, plant stress responses, environmental problems in relation to plant species, and the role of micronutrients on plant defense system. Presently he is working on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of plant abiotic stress tolerance in plants, supervising graduate students, and serving as editorial board member of several plant science journals. He attended and presented abstracts and posters in national and international conferences in different countries. He is a professional member of the Bangladesh Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Association for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology, and the Seed Science Society of Bangladesh.