Abstract
In higher plants and other organisms, a common metabolic adaptation to abiotic stress is the accumulation of certain organic metabolites of low molecular weight that are collectively known as compatible solutes. Glycine betaine (GB) is one such important regulator that accumulates in the majority of crop plants naturally under stressful environments. In this chapter, we summarize the role of GB in crop plants at all stages of their life cycle under varied abiotic stress conditions, such as drought, salinity, temperature, and heavy metal stress. Further emphasis has been given to its natural accumulation, exogenous application, and transgenic approaches to enhance crops stress tolerance. The gene pyramiding method, where gene stacking is done by using GB biosynthetic pathway genes as one component, which provides substantial protection to crops under stressful environment, is discussed briefly. This chapter focuses on the current status of research on GB and its role in enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.
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