Use of Salicylic Acid and Related Compounds to Improve the Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Plants: Practical Aspects

Due to the urgent and pressing need in the twenty-first century to develop sustainable ways to safeguard crop yields in a way requiring low costs and fewer chemicals, the demand has been increasing in recent years for natural, biologically active materials which can be used to improve the nutritional and agronomic traits of agriculturally important food and feed crops. A wide range of experiments has been performed to find solutions which are applicable in environment-safe farming. One promising compound is salicylic acid, which has been proved to play a role in abiotic and biotic stress response mechanisms. The present chapter gives a short overview of selected results, focusing mainly on the practical aspects of its use and possible challenges for future research.