Journal Article

Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Tolerance to Environmental Constraints in Grain and Forage Legumes

Department of Biosystems and Technology ; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences = Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU), Ecologie fonctionnelle et biogéochimie des sols et des agro-écosystèmes (UMR Eco&Sols) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Lazali, Mohamed, Farissi, Mohamed, Zaman-Allah, Mainassara, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie & des Sciences de la Terr ; Université de Djilali Bounaama Khemis Miliana (univ-DBKM), ANR-10-LABX-0001,AGRO,Agricultural Sciences for sustainable Development, Southern Africa Regional Office ; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) ; Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]

2015

Overview

Despite the agronomical and environmental advantages of the cultivation of legumes, their production is limited by various environmental constraints such as water or nutrient limitation, frost or heat stress and soil salinity, which may be the result of pedoclimatic conditions, intensive use of agricultural lands, decline in soil fertility and environmental degradation. The development of more sustainable agroecosystems that are resilient to environmental constraints will therefore require better understanding of the key mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to abiotic constraints. This review provides highlights of legume tolerance to abiotic constraints with a focus on soil nutrient deficiencies, drought, and salinity. More specifically, recent advances in the physiological and molecular levels of the adaptation of grain and forage legumes to abiotic constraints are discussed. Such adaptation involves complex multigene controlled-traits which also involve multiple sub-traits that are likely regulated under the control of a number of candidate genes. This multi-genetic control of tolerance traits might also be multifunctional, with extended action in response to a number of abiotic constraints. Thus, concrete efforts are required to breed for multifunctional candidate genes in order to boost plant stability under various abiotic constraints.

• Publisher: MDPI,CCSD,MDPI AG
• Subject: Adaptation, Physiological / Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences / Agricultural Science / Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries / Biodiversity and Ecology / Crops, Agricultural - genetics / Crops, Agricultural - microbiology / Crops, Agricultural - physiology / Drought / Droughts / Environment / Environmental Sciences / Fabaceae - genetics / Fabaceae - microbiology / Fabaceae - physiology / Jordbruk, skogsbruk och fiske / Jordbruksvetenskap / Lantbruksvetenskap och veterinärmedicin / Legumes / Phosphorus / Review / Salinity / Soil - chemistry
• ISBN: 0003668261001