Toxic Aluminum and Water Deficit Interaction in Plants: Physiological Aspects and Chemical Soil Management to Improve Root Environment in the Context of Global Climate Change

Abstract

Human activity has contributed to the intensification of climate change. These climate changes cause a reduction in plant growth and agricultural production due to increasingly frequent periods of water restriction. This effect can be more severe in tropical regions where the acid pH of the soil and the toxic levels of aluminum have a natural origin due to the weathering of the soils. In this context, water deficiency and aluminum toxicity alone or together promote biochemical and physiological changes in plants. This suggests the need to adopt soil management strategies that minimize the joint impact of these two abiotic stresses. Thus, liming and gypsum contribute to improving the edaphic environment, because they reduce the availability of toxic aluminum but increase the soil pH. In this chapter, we propose a systematic review of the isolated and combined effects of water deficiency and aluminum toxicity in plants based on physiological, biochemical, and nutritional variables. Thus, the understanding of these responses will improve the understanding of the mechanisms of tolerance to the two abiotic stresses, indicating the need to use soil correctives to minimize the effects of water deficiency and toxic aluminum in the soil on plant growth.