Resilience of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) to salinity: implications for food security in low-lying regions.

ABSTRACT: Rising sea levels are threatening agricultural production in coastal regions due to inundation and contamination of groundwater. The development of more salt-tolerant crops is essential. Cassava is an important staple, particularly among poor subsistence farmers. Its tolerance to drought and elevated temperatures make it highly suitable for meeting global food demands in the face of climate change, but its ability to tolerate salt is unknown. Cassava stores nitrogen in the form of cyanogenic glucosides and can cause cyanide poisoning unless correctly processed. Previous research demonstrated that cyanide levels are higher in droughted plants, possibly as a mechanism for increasing resilience to oxidative stress. We determined the tolerance of cassava to salt at two different stages of deve

SUBMITTER: Gleadow R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5049390 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature