The plant world represents a vast renewable resource for production of food, chemicals and energy. The utilization of this resource is frequently limited by moisture, temperature or salt stress. The emphasis of this volume is on the molecular basis of osmoregulation, adaptation to salt and water stress and applica- tions for plant improvement. A unified concept of drought, salt, thermal and other forms of stress is proposed and discussed in the publication. The volume developed from a symposium entitled "Genetic Engi- neering of Osmoregulation: Impact on Plant Productivity for Food, Chemicals...