Abstract:
Salinity toxicity is a worldwide agricultural and eco-environmental problem. Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses faced by plants, which adversely affect their productivity. Salt stress causes reduction of crop yield and alterations in plant metabolism, including a reduced water potential, ion imbalances and toxicity and sometimes severe salt stress may even threaten survival. Salinity also leads to oxidative stress in plants due to the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) such as the super oxide radical, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generated during metabolic processes damage cellular functions and consequently lead to disease, senescence and cell death. Plants have evolved an efficient defense system by which the ROS is scavenged by antioxidant enzymes. Attempts to reduce oxidative damages under the salt stress conditions have included the manipulation of ROS scavenging enzymes by gene transfer technology. It is important to increase the productivity under stressful environment by developing plants that have well adapted to environmental stress through manipulating antioxidant system. In this study, the rational approaches to develop stress-tolerant plants by gene manipulation of antioxidant enzymes will be introduced to provide solutions for the global food and environmental problems in the 21st century.
Baby Joseph and D. Jini, 2011. Development of Salt Stress-tolerant Plants by Gene Manipulation of Antioxidant Enzymes. Asian Journal of Agricultural Research, 5: 17-27.
Subscribe Today 
