Transgenic Approaches for Enhancement of Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants

Abstract

Worldwide food security and sustainable development are alarming issues with respect to climate change. Abiotic stresses negatively influence plant growth and development thus reducing the crop yield and productivity. Amidst the abiotic stresses, salinity stress is the major problem in agriculture lands. There is a rapid increase in salt-affected areas due to insufficient rainfall, imperfect irrigation system and water contamination, resulting in entry of salts in the soil. While traditional approaches used to handle the situations have limitations, current agricultural practices must seek tailored solutions to meet the demands of growing population. To generate climate-smart crops, genetic engineering is an important tool that allows to introduce distinct genetic changes without abolishing native traits, is faster, more effective and applicable to a wide range of species. It has been proved that expression of foreign gene(s) promotes a higher level of salt-tolerance in heterologous plant systems. Till date, several genes have been transferred in plants to increase salinity-stress tolerance, which are involved in synthesis of stress-mitigating compounds, antioxidant enzymes, regulatory proteins and signaling pathways proteins, ion transporters, etc. However, our knowledge about regulatory mechanisms of the salinity tolerance is still enigmatic. In the present chapter, current progress in transgenic approaches and the potential of transgenic plants for enhancement of salinity stress tolerance are reviewed and summarized.