Seminar of Dr. A. Debez on salinity, halophytes and valorisation
Resilience of halophytes to osmotic stresses and their potential valorization
Dr. Ahmed Debez from the Laboratory of Extremophiles, at the Centre for Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria (CBBC; Tunesia) will give the following seminar in the large IBG-2 seminar room:
Resilience of halophytes to osmotic stresses and their potential valorization
The continued growth in the human population is associated with an increasing demand for food that will be difficult to meet under the
prevailing intensive agricultural production systems, as an equivalent increase in agricultural land is not available. Besides, predicted
changes in the climate are expected to further aggravate the situation by exacerbating the occurrence and severity of drought and/or
salinization of soils/freshwater resources. Unlike crops that are mostly salt-sensitive, salt-tolerant plants, i.e. halophytes, have
evolved and display a strong potential as crops that can yield in regions where crops are more intensively impacted by salinity. Due
to their unique features and a complex set of adaptive mechanisms, some halophytes are able to withstand osmotic constraints like
salinity and drought. Taking the model Cakile maritima (a seashore annual halophyte) as an example, we present here some insights
into the resilience aptitude of this halophyte to abiotic stresses, gained by using multidisciplinary approaches. In addition, we highlight
some applied (economical, environmental) applications of this species.