Boron toxicity in salt-affected soils and effects on plants

Abstract

Modern civilization with the rapid growth in population, large scale urbanization and industrialization around the globe, results in deterioration of soil and irrigation water quality. It is becoming necessary to understand the responses of crops towards these environmental issues. Among various abiotic stresses, salinity is considered an important limiting factor for worldwide wheat production. High levels of boron (B) and salinity are a serious constraint to crop production around the world. Cropping on saline and B toxic land is restricted by the low tolerance of agricultural crops to these abiotic factors. Frequently, B and salt occur together, however, it is unknown whether the interactions of B and salt increase or decrease the tolerance of a plant to both of these stresses. Low concentration of B is essential to plant growth and may limit the plant growth and development in excess quantity especially under saline conditions. In this chapter the individual and interactive effects of salinity and boron toxicity on physiological and biochemical process in plants have been reviewed.