Drought Stress

Geilfus, Christoph‐Martin

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-23197-2_8

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…In the case of water scarcity, plants need to respond quickly, thus virtually all biological functions are altered by water deficit conditions at whole plant level [9,10]. Plants have to stimulate different strategies that benefit them to absorb water through their roots and to uphold cell turgor, i.e., evade the water loss [11]. Declined frequency of cell division and cell enlargement, root differentiation, foliage dimensions, shoot length, altered stomatal movements, water and mineral nutrition association with decreased plant yield and water usage efficacy are major outcomes of drought in plants [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Drought in Plant Metabolism: How to Exploit Tolerance Mechanisms to Increase Crop Production

et al. 2020

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Plants are often exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions, for instance abiotic stresses, which dramatically alter distribution of plant species among ecological niches and limit the yields of crop species. Among these, drought stress is one of the most impacting factors which alter seriously the plant physiology, finally leading to the decline of the crop productivity. Drought stress causes in plants a set of morpho-anatomical, physiological and biochemical changes, mainly addressed to limit the loss of water by transpiration with the attempt to increase the plant water use efficiency. The stomata closure, one of the first consistent reactions observed under drought, results in a series of consequent physiological/biochemical adjustments aimed at balancing the photosynthetic process as well as at enhancing the plant defense barriers against drought-promoted stress (e.g., stimulation of antioxidant systems, accumulation of osmolytes and stimulation of aquaporin synthesis), all representing an attempt by the plant to overcome the unfavorable period of limited water availability. In view of the severe changes in water availability imposed by climate change factors and considering the increasing human population, it is therefore of outmost importance to highlight: (i) how plants react to drought; (ii) the mechanisms of tolerance exhibited by some species/cultivars; and (iii) the techniques aimed at increasing the tolerance of crop species against limited water availability. All these aspects are necessary to respond to the continuously increasing demand for food, which unfortunately parallels the loss of arable land due to changes in rainfall dynamics and prolonged period of drought provoked by climate change factors. This review summarizes the most updated findings on the impact of drought stress on plant morphological, biochemical and physiological features and highlights plant mechanisms of tolerance which could be exploited to increase the plant capability to survive under limited water availability. In addition, possible applicative strategies to help the plant in counteracting unfavorable drought periods are also discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Drought in Plant Metabolism: How to Exploit Tolerance Mechanisms to Increase Crop Production

et al. 2020

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“…in genotypes and ecotypes or in extremophytes. The development of xerophytic traits and succulence are typical adaptive mechanisms for withstanding dehydration (Kuromori et al, 2018;Geilfus, 2019;Laxa et al, 2019;Xu et al, 2019;Lim et al, 2020). Interactions between plant structure, function and the environment need to be investigated during various phases of plant development at the organismal, cellular and molecular levels in order to obtain a full picture of adaptation (Barnábas et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drought and crop yield

2021

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Episodes of water shortage occur in most agricultural regions of the world. Their durations and intensities increase, and their seasonal timing alters with changing climate. During the ontogenic cycle of crop plants, each development stage, such as seed germination, seedling establishment, vegetative root and shoot growth, flowering, pollination and seed and fruit development, is specifically sensitive to dehydration. Desiccation threatens yield and leads to specific patterns, depending on the type of crop plant and the harvested plant parts, e.g. leafy vegetables, tubers, tap roots or fruits. This review summarizes the effects of drought stress on crop plants and relates the dehydration-dependent yield penalty to the harvested organ and tissue. The control of shoot transpiration and the reorganization of root architecture are of core importance for maintaining proper plant water relationships. Upon dehydration, the provision and partitioning of assimilates and the uptake and distribution of nutrients define remaining growth activity. Domestication of crops by selection for high yield under high input has restricted the genetic repertoire for achieving drought stress tolerance. Introgression of suitable alleles from wild relatives into commercial cultivars might improve the ability to grow with less water. Future research activities should focus more on field studies in order to generate more realistic improvements to crops. Robotic field phenotyping should be integrated into genetic mapping for the identification of relevant traits.

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