Heavy metals like cadmium are an important source of contamination and a serious problem in the modern agriculture. We need further research on this abiotic stress. Some important novel insights into cadmium sensing have been studied and it seems to induce a rapid mobilization of defense mechanisms through the activation of specific signaling transduction pathways (Chmielowska-Bak et al., 2014).
Priming phenomena have been widely described, however mechanisms underlying are still unclear. One of the papers included in this ebook study how during the priming phase plant prepares for further challenges by accumulating and storing conjugates or precursors of molecules as well as other compounds that play a role in defense (Pastor et al., 2014b).