Signaling molecules in ecophysiological response mechanisms of salt-stressed plants

The world’s cultivated lands suffer the intrusion of marine water in coastal areas and secondary salinization related to intensive use of arable soils and agrochemical products. It has been estimated that roughly half of irrigated lands are supplied with saline water. Generally, plants grown in saline environments show reduced growth and yield for most cultivated species. Crops that are more tolerant may take advantage from moderate saline stress showing increased produce quality. The different ability of plants in signaling salinity stress is a key factor to improve their tolerance to salt conditions. The temporal pattern of the signal induced the activation of physiological response mechanisms, which limited the detrimental effects of saline environments. The chapter provides an overview of the most important signaling molecules involved in the ecophysiological response of plants to salinity and their interaction mechanisms.