ABSTRACT

In the course of evolution, plants have developed so that their life cycle, growth habit, and other expressions of survival are adapted to specific environmental conditions. The term “adaptation” can be used to define processes conferred by genetic attributes that serve to “fit” the plant to the ambient conditions of temperature, light, and mineral and water availability. Understanding the genetic and physiological mechanisms by which plants cope with changes in environmental conditions is critical for creating efficient strategies to develop stress-resistant cultivars for sustainable production systems.