(University of the Western Cape, 2020) Ismail, Tashreeq; Keyster, Marshall
In an ever changing environment, plants are constantly challenged by various abiotic stresses such as salinity, which limits global crop production. This directly affects food availability for the global population, which is projected to increase to 9.5 billion by 2050, which in turn places great pressure on natural resources and food security. These environmental adversities induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals which cause severe oxidative damage to plants. The equilibrium between the production and detoxification of ROS is then dependent on the modulation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants to achieve plant homeostasis.