Plants Under Metal and Metalloid Stress

In the industrial era, the most important potential threat to crop production is abiotic stress, including toxic metal/metalloid stress. Growing populations and rapid industrialization lead to the generation and release of huge amounts of toxic metals/metalloids into the environment, altering plant physiological processes and reducing yields. In the last few decades, there has been extensive research to elucidate the mechanisms of tolerance to metal/metalloid toxicity and ways to improve the defense system in plants. Use of exogenous photoprotectants such as osmoprotectants, plant nutrients, phytohormones, signaling molecules, antioxidants, amino acids and organic acids are widely being used to improve plants’ tolerance to metal/metalloid stress. Recently, phytoremediation approaches have been effectively employed to remediate metal/metalloid pollution. This book presents the latest insights intoplant responses and tolerance in plants grown under metal/metalloids stress to provide a better understanding of the topic and the future outlook. 

Mirza Hasanuzzaman is a Professor of Agronomy at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2012, he received his PhD with a dissertation on ‘Plant Stress Physiology and Antioxidant Metabolism’ from the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Ehime University, Japan with a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. Later, he completed his postdoctoral research in the Center of Molecular Biosciences (COMB), University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan with a ‘Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)’ postdoctoral fellowship. Subsequently, he became an Adjunct Senior Researcher at the University of Tasmania with an Australian Government’s Endeavour Research Fellowship. Prof. Hasanuzzaman has published over 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals and books, and has edited 3 books and written 35 book chapters on important aspects of plant physiology, plant stress responses, and environmental problems in relation to plant species.He is Editor and a reviewer for more than 50 peer-reviewed international journals and the recipient of ‘Publons Peer Review Award 2017’. He is an active member of 40 professional societies and is the Publication Secretary of the Bangladesh Society of Agronomy. He received the World Academy of Science (TWAS) Young Scientist Award 2014. 

Kamrun Nahar is an Associate Professor at the Department of Agricultural Botany at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She obtained her B.Sc.Ag. (Hons.) and M.S. in Agricultural Botany from the same university. She received her second M.S. degree in 2013 from Kagawa University, Japan and her PhD Degree with a thesis on ‘Environmental Stress Physiology of Plants’ in 2016 from the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Ehime University, Japan with a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. She has published 50 articles and chapters related to plant physiology and environmental stresses. She isinvolved in editorial activities and is a reviewer for international journals. She is an active member of 20 professional societies. 

Masayuki Fujita is a Professor at the Laboratory of Plant Stress Responses, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, and M.Agr. and Ph.D. in Plant Biochemistry from Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan. His research interests include physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological responses based on secondary metabolism in plants under various abiotic and biotic stresses. In the last decade his work focused on oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in plants under environmental stress. His group is investigating the role of different exogenous protectants in enhancing antioxidant defense and methylglyoxal detoxification systems in plants. He has written 150 publications in journal and books and has edited 4 books.