Dr. Rupesh Deshmukh, Rmalingaswami Fellow, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, India Dr. Durgesh Kumar Tripathi, Assistant Professor, Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaDr. Gea Guerriero, Senior Research and Technology Associate, Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg

• List of Contributors ix1 Metalloids and Their Role in the Biological System 1Mahipal Singh Kesawat, S.M. Shivaraj, Dong Kyun Kim, Manu Kumar, Bum‐Soo Hahn, and Rupesh Deshmukh2 Metalloids and Their Impact on the Environment 19Sutapa Dutta, Arindam Datta, Abbu Zaid, and Javaid Akhter Bhat3 Phytoremediation of Metalloid‐contaminated Soil 27Isabel Martinez‐Alcalá and Rafael Clemente4 Plant Responses to Metalloid Accumulation 47Bhupinder Dhir5 The Role of Microbes in Detoxification and Availability of Metalloids 65Davood Saghafi, Saeed Bagherifam, Mehrnaz Hatami, and Behnam Asgari Lajayer6 Influence of Metals and Metalloids on Microbial Diversity of Soil and Ecosystem 95Muhammad Rizwan Shahid, Ume Habiba, Shafaqat Ali, Muhammad Rizwan, Afzal Hussain, Muhammad Adrees, Syed Ali Raza Naqvi, Asim Mansha, Nasir Rasool, Ameer Fawad, and Asad Ali Shah7 Influence of Metalloids and Their Toxicity Impact on Photosynthetic Parameters of Plants 113Abbu Zaid, Javaid Akhter Bhat, and Shabir H. Wani8 Distribution of Metals and Metalloids in Plants: Tools and Techniques for Efficient Imaging and Quantification 125Juhi Chaudhary, Javaid Akhter Bhat, Hasthi Ram, Nitika Rana, Praveen Khatri, Ravinder, Gaurav Agarwal, Vanish Kumar, Humira Sonah, and Rupesh Deshmukh9 Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Microbes: Potential Tools for Detoxification and Bioavailability of Metalloids 149Neera Garg, Amrit Bharti, Amrita Sharma, Kiran Saroy, Amandeep Cheema, and Aditi Bisht10 Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Metalloid Ions and Potential Biotechnological Applications 185Raghavendra Aminedi, Hasthi Ram, Gulshan Kumar, Murali Krishna Koramutla, Naresh Vasupalli, Rupesh Deshmukh, Manisha Negi, and Ramcharan Bhattacharya11 Molecular Investigation of Metalloid Stress Response in Higher Plants : Recent Insights from Toxicity to Tolerance 213Simone Landi, Valeria Paradisone, and Sergio Esposito12 Toxicity of Arsenic and Molecular Mechanism in Plants 231Rajeev Kumar, Shefali Bhardwaj, and Gurpreet Kaur13 Omics Approaches and Biotechnological Perspectives of Arsenic Stress and Detoxification in Plants 249Naresh Vasupalli, Murali Krishna Koramutla, Raghavendra Aminedi, Vajinder Kumar, Priyanka Borah, Manisha Negi, Arif Ali, Humira Sonah, and Rupesh Deshmukh14 Antimony and Plants: Accumulation, Toxic Effects, and Plants’ Defense Systems 275Viviana Maresca, Milad Heydari, and Adriana Basile15 Boron Tolerance in Plants: Physiological Roles and Transport Mechanisms 301Nader Khadem Moghadam, Behnam Asgari Lajayer, and Mansour Ghorbanpour16 Silicon Nutrition and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Promising Strategies for Abiotic Stress Management in Crop Plants 315Neera Garg, Purnima Bhandari, Lakita Kashyap, and Sandeep Singh17 Roles of Silicon in Alleviating Zinc Stress in Plants 355Valeria Paradisone, Simone Landi, and Sergio Esposito18 Linking Secondary Metabolism and Signaling Response to Aluminum and Silicon Stress 367Roberto Pech‐Kú, Beatriz Rodas‐Junco, José A. Muñoz‐Sánchez, and S.M. Teresa Hernandez‐Sotomayor19 The Use of Silicon in Stressed Agriculture Management: Action Mechanisms and Future Prospects 381Hassan Etesami, Byoung Ryong Jeong, and Muhammad Rizwan20 The Importance of Boron in Plant Nutrition 433Seyed Ali Ghaffari Nejad and Hassan Etesami21 Environmental Impact of Metals, Metalloids, and Their Toxicity 451Isabel Martinez‐Alcalá and Maria Pilar BernalIndex 489

Dr. Rupesh Deshmukh, Rmalingaswami Fellow, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, India Dr. Durgesh Kumar Tripathi, Assistant Professor, Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaDr. Gea Guerriero, Senior Research and Technology Associate, Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg

• List of Contributors ix1 Metalloids and Their Role in the Biological System 1Mahipal Singh Kesawat, S.M. Shivaraj, Dong Kyun Kim, Manu Kumar, Bum‐Soo Hahn, and Rupesh Deshmukh2 Metalloids and Their Impact on the Environment 19Sutapa Dutta, Arindam Datta, Abbu Zaid, and Javaid Akhter Bhat3 Phytoremediation of Metalloid‐contaminated Soil 27Isabel Martinez‐Alcalá and Rafael Clemente4 Plant Responses to Metalloid Accumulation 47Bhupinder Dhir5 The Role of Microbes in Detoxification and Availability of Metalloids 65Davood Saghafi, Saeed Bagherifam, Mehrnaz Hatami, and Behnam Asgari Lajayer6 Influence of Metals and Metalloids on Microbial Diversity of Soil and Ecosystem 95Muhammad Rizwan Shahid, Ume Habiba, Shafaqat Ali, Muhammad Rizwan, Afzal Hussain, Muhammad Adrees, Syed Ali Raza Naqvi, Asim Mansha, Nasir Rasool, Ameer Fawad, and Asad Ali Shah7 Influence of Metalloids and Their Toxicity Impact on Photosynthetic Parameters of Plants 113Abbu Zaid, Javaid Akhter Bhat, and Shabir H. Wani8 Distribution of Metals and Metalloids in Plants: Tools and Techniques for Efficient Imaging and Quantification 125Juhi Chaudhary, Javaid Akhter Bhat, Hasthi Ram, Nitika Rana, Praveen Khatri, Ravinder, Gaurav Agarwal, Vanish Kumar, Humira Sonah, and Rupesh Deshmukh9 Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Microbes: Potential Tools for Detoxification and Bioavailability of Metalloids 149Neera Garg, Amrit Bharti, Amrita Sharma, Kiran Saroy, Amandeep Cheema, and Aditi Bisht10 Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Metalloid Ions and Potential Biotechnological Applications 185Raghavendra Aminedi, Hasthi Ram, Gulshan Kumar, Murali Krishna Koramutla, Naresh Vasupalli, Rupesh Deshmukh, Manisha Negi, and Ramcharan Bhattacharya11 Molecular Investigation of Metalloid Stress Response in Higher Plants : Recent Insights from Toxicity to Tolerance 213Simone Landi, Valeria Paradisone, and Sergio Esposito12 Toxicity of Arsenic and Molecular Mechanism in Plants 231Rajeev Kumar, Shefali Bhardwaj, and Gurpreet Kaur13 Omics Approaches and Biotechnological Perspectives of Arsenic Stress and Detoxification in Plants 249Naresh Vasupalli, Murali Krishna Koramutla, Raghavendra Aminedi, Vajinder Kumar, Priyanka Borah, Manisha Negi, Arif Ali, Humira Sonah, and Rupesh Deshmukh14 Antimony and Plants: Accumulation, Toxic Effects, and Plants’ Defense Systems 275Viviana Maresca, Milad Heydari, and Adriana Basile15 Boron Tolerance in Plants: Physiological Roles and Transport Mechanisms 301Nader Khadem Moghadam, Behnam Asgari Lajayer, and Mansour Ghorbanpour16 Silicon Nutrition and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Promising Strategies for Abiotic Stress Management in Crop Plants 315Neera Garg, Purnima Bhandari, Lakita Kashyap, and Sandeep Singh17 Roles of Silicon in Alleviating Zinc Stress in Plants 355Valeria Paradisone, Simone Landi, and Sergio Esposito18 Linking Secondary Metabolism and Signaling Response to Aluminum and Silicon Stress 367Roberto Pech‐Kú, Beatriz Rodas‐Junco, José A. Muñoz‐Sánchez, and S.M. Teresa Hernandez‐Sotomayor19 The Use of Silicon in Stressed Agriculture Management: Action Mechanisms and Future Prospects 381Hassan Etesami, Byoung Ryong Jeong, and Muhammad Rizwan20 The Importance of Boron in Plant Nutrition 433Seyed Ali Ghaffari Nejad and Hassan Etesami21 Environmental Impact of Metals, Metalloids, and Their Toxicity 451Isabel Martinez‐Alcalá and Maria Pilar BernalIndex 489

Dr. Rupesh Deshmukh, Rmalingaswami Fellow, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, India Dr. Durgesh Kumar Tripathi, Assistant Professor, Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaDr. Gea Guerriero, Senior Research and Technology Associate, Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg

• List of Contributors ix1 Metalloids and Their Role in the Biological System 1Mahipal Singh Kesawat, S.M. Shivaraj, Dong Kyun Kim, Manu Kumar, Bum‐Soo Hahn, and Rupesh Deshmukh2 Metalloids and Their Impact on the Environment 19Sutapa Dutta, Arindam Datta, Abbu Zaid, and Javaid Akhter Bhat3 Phytoremediation of Metalloid‐contaminated Soil 27Isabel Martinez‐Alcalá and Rafael Clemente4 Plant Responses to Metalloid Accumulation 47Bhupinder Dhir5 The Role of Microbes in Detoxification and Availability of Metalloids 65Davood Saghafi, Saeed Bagherifam, Mehrnaz Hatami, and Behnam Asgari Lajayer6 Influence of Metals and Metalloids on Microbial Diversity of Soil and Ecosystem 95Muhammad Rizwan Shahid, Ume Habiba, Shafaqat Ali, Muhammad Rizwan, Afzal Hussain, Muhammad Adrees, Syed Ali Raza Naqvi, Asim Mansha, Nasir Rasool, Ameer Fawad, and Asad Ali Shah7 Influence of Metalloids and Their Toxicity Impact on Photosynthetic Parameters of Plants 113Abbu Zaid, Javaid Akhter Bhat, and Shabir H. Wani8 Distribution of Metals and Metalloids in Plants: Tools and Techniques for Efficient Imaging and Quantification 125Juhi Chaudhary, Javaid Akhter Bhat, Hasthi Ram, Nitika Rana, Praveen Khatri, Ravinder, Gaurav Agarwal, Vanish Kumar, Humira Sonah, and Rupesh Deshmukh9 Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Microbes: Potential Tools for Detoxification and Bioavailability of Metalloids 149Neera Garg, Amrit Bharti, Amrita Sharma, Kiran Saroy, Amandeep Cheema, and Aditi Bisht10 Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Metalloid Ions and Potential Biotechnological Applications 185Raghavendra Aminedi, Hasthi Ram, Gulshan Kumar, Murali Krishna Koramutla, Naresh Vasupalli, Rupesh Deshmukh, Manisha Negi, and Ramcharan Bhattacharya11 Molecular Investigation of Metalloid Stress Response in Higher Plants : Recent Insights from Toxicity to Tolerance 213Simone Landi, Valeria Paradisone, and Sergio Esposito12 Toxicity of Arsenic and Molecular Mechanism in Plants 231Rajeev Kumar, Shefali Bhardwaj, and Gurpreet Kaur13 Omics Approaches and Biotechnological Perspectives of Arsenic Stress and Detoxification in Plants 249Naresh Vasupalli, Murali Krishna Koramutla, Raghavendra Aminedi, Vajinder Kumar, Priyanka Borah, Manisha Negi, Arif Ali, Humira Sonah, and Rupesh Deshmukh14 Antimony and Plants: Accumulation, Toxic Effects, and Plants’ Defense Systems 275Viviana Maresca, Milad Heydari, and Adriana Basile15 Boron Tolerance in Plants: Physiological Roles and Transport Mechanisms 301Nader Khadem Moghadam, Behnam Asgari Lajayer, and Mansour Ghorbanpour16 Silicon Nutrition and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Promising Strategies for Abiotic Stress Management in Crop Plants 315Neera Garg, Purnima Bhandari, Lakita Kashyap, and Sandeep Singh17 Roles of Silicon in Alleviating Zinc Stress in Plants 355Valeria Paradisone, Simone Landi, and Sergio Esposito18 Linking Secondary Metabolism and Signaling Response to Aluminum and Silicon Stress 367Roberto Pech‐Kú, Beatriz Rodas‐Junco, José A. Muñoz‐Sánchez, and S.M. Teresa Hernandez‐Sotomayor19 The Use of Silicon in Stressed Agriculture Management: Action Mechanisms and Future Prospects 381Hassan Etesami, Byoung Ryong Jeong, and Muhammad Rizwan20 The Importance of Boron in Plant Nutrition 433Seyed Ali Ghaffari Nejad and Hassan Etesami21 Environmental Impact of Metals, Metalloids, and Their Toxicity 451Isabel Martinez‐Alcalá and Maria Pilar BernalIndex 489