Salinity adaptation in Tunisian and Portuguese Medicago truncatula populations

Abstract

Worldwide, salinity is a major constraint for plant growth and reproduction of both crop and wild species. Soil salinization is expected to aggravate, particularly in a scenario of climate change. There is a need to implement sustainable, long-term measurements to guarantee the global agricultural production levels necessary for food security. The study of wild populations that are viable and fertile in saline habitats has the potential to reveal adaptive mechanisms bringing new insights for crop improvement. Here, methods of molecular biology and ecology are used to investigate the genes and traits responsible for salinity adaptation in natural populations of the model legume Medicago truncatula.(...)