The volume identifies how stressful conditions affect plants. Various stresses, such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, high and low temperatures, can have a major impact on plant growth and survival - with important economic consequences in crop plants. This book examines some of the more important stresses, shows how they affect the plant and then reviews how new varieties or new species can be selected which are less vulnerable to stress. The wide-ranging and important consequences of stress should ensure that the volume is widely read by plant biologists at the graduate and research level.
Re-issue, originally published in 1989.
Contributors; Preface; 1. Introduction: some terminology and common mechanisms H. G. Jones and M. B. Jones; 2. The impact of environmental stresses on ecosystems F. I. Woodward; 3. Whole-plant responses to stress in natural and agricultural systems J. P. Grime; 4. Photosynthesis and gas exchange G. D. Farquhar, S. C. Wong, J. R. Evans and K. T. Hubick; 5. Regulation of growth and development of plants growing with a restricted supply of water R. E. Sharp and W. J. Davies; 6. Stresses, membranes and cell walls R. G. Wyn Jones and J. Pritchard; 7. Desiccation injury, anhydrobiosis and survival G. R. Stewart; 8. Molecular biology: application to studies of stress tolerance S. G. Hughes, J. A. Bryant and N. Smirnoff; 9. Environmental control of gene expression and stress proteins in plants Tuan-Hua David Ho and M. M. Sachs; 10. Plant tissue and protoplast culture: applications to stress physiology and biochemistry D. W. Rains; 11. Breeding methods for drought resistance A. Blum; 12. Selection for physiological characters - examples from breeding for salt tolerance A. R. Yeo and T. J. Flowers; 13. Prospects for improving crop production in stressful environments R. B. Austin; Index.