Effects of Different Abiotic Stresses on Primary Metabolism

Abstract

Cold, high salinity and water deficit are serious abiotic stress restricting plant productivity throughout the world. Generally, these three type of stress cause an osmotic stress, inducing similar damages in plants. In this chapter we review how the primary metabolism of plants especially in rice (Oryza Sativa), soybean (Glicine max), and maize (Zea mays), is affected by stress and their responses. The abiotic stress interferes in the growth, cellular elongation, membrane permeability e integrity, photosynthesis, respiration, ionic homeostasis, moreover caused imbalance with water relations and yield. Plants respond and adapt to these stresses in order to survive. The mechanisms include stomata closure, growth and ionic homeostasis regulation, accumulation of osmoregulators and compatible osmolytes, photoprotection, induction of antioxidant enzymes and finally a major accumulation the fatty acid unsaturated and sugars, in particular some of this that seems to be acting like photoprotective molecules lowering reactive oxygen species levels.