Low Temperature Stress Induced Changes in Plants and Their Management

Abstract

Plant growth, productivity and distribution were greatly affected by environmental stresses such as high and low temperature, drought and high salinity. The temperatures considerably lower than the optimal growth temperatures result in low temperature stress in the plants. As temperatures decrease the outward migration of intracellular water to the growing extracellular ice crystal causes dehydration stress that will eventually result in irreversible damage to the plasma membrane, which is the primary site of low temperature injury. By responding to short day photoperiod, plants are able to synchronize cold acclimation and dormancy induction with the end of the growing season. Cold acclimation involves switching on of multiple genes which in turn induce the synthesis of cold-related proteins also known as cold acclimation proteins in plants. Woody plants accumulate dehydrin during periods of cold acclimation in leaves, buds and bark, and the presence of these proteins is correlated with increased freeze tolerance.