Book Description
Soil salinization takes out of production approximately 3 ha of arable land every minute and results in over US$30 billion annual losses in crop and pasture production. To the large extent this loss results from salinity-induced restrictions in water availability and reduction in CO2 assimilation due to compromised stomata operation. Stomata represent the microscopic sphincters inserted into the wax-covered epidermis that balance CO2 intake for photosynthetic carbon gain and concomitant water loss. This volume 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; 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.