Aug 2026· Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology· 0 citations
Abstract
Drought constitutes one of the most pervasive abiotic constraints limiting global crop productivity, with its frequency and intensity projected to increase substantially under ongoing climate change. This narrative review synthesises contemporary evidence on the genetic, physiological, and agronomic dimensions of drought resilience in major food crops, drawing on peer-reviewed literature published primarily between 2000 and 2026. Physiologically, drought impairs stomatal conductance, suppresses photosynthetic carbon assimilation, disturbs osmotic equilibrium, and restricts root-mediated water acquisition, with reproductive stages being disproportionately vulnerable. At the genetic level, the deployment of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, transcription-factor engineering, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, and the overexpression of stress-responsive functional genes has opened novel avenues for enhancing tolerance without compromising yield potential. Breeding programmes have increasingly integrated marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection to accelerate genetic gain, whilst high-throughput phenotyping platforms now enable rapid assessment of drought-adaptive traits at a population scale. Agronomic strategies, including deficit irrigation, conservation tillage, intercropping, and application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), provide complementary levers for sustaining productivity under water-limited conditions. Emerging integrative approaches that combine multi-omics, digital precision agriculture, and policy-enabled climate-smart frameworks are highlighted as critical pathways for translating laboratory and field insights into scalable solutions. The review identifies persistent knowledge gaps—including the limited translation of genomic advances to smallholder contexts and the underexplored potential of microbiome engineering—and calls for a convergence of disciplinary expertise, equitable technology transfer, and coherent policy support to achieve drought-resilient food systems globally.
Drought increasingly constrains global wheat production, reducing photosynthetic capacity, accelerating senescence, and shortening grain-filling periods. This review analyses current knowledge on physiological responses (root architecture, reactive oxygen species dynamics, photosystem stability, and abscisic acid signaling) and evaluates agronomic, chemical, nutritional, and genetic countermeasures that aim to protect yield under water deficit. We compare evidence from controlled experiments and field trials to assess which interventions deliver consistent yield benefits, and we highlight trade-offs between water conservation and carbon assimilation. Root traits that access deeper soil moisture, robust antioxidant systems, and balanced hormonal regulation emerge as key biological targets; meanwhile, seed priming, targeted nutrient management, and selected biochemical treatments show promise as near-term, scalable practices. Genetic approaches, including marker-assisted selection and introgression of drought-adaptive alleles, offer longer-term gains but require multi-environment validation. We identify gaps in cross-scale evidence, notably a shortage of multi-location, farmer-level trials that quantify the cost-effectiveness and environmental safety of chemical agents. Finally, we propose an integrated research agenda combining trait-based breeding, optimized nutrient regimes, and pragmatic agronomy to improve wheat resilience to drought. Implementing coordinated strategies across breeding and management is essential to sustain wheat yields as climate variability intensifies.
Rei Waki, Chayara Salsabila, Kiyoka Sakamoto et al.· BIO Web of Conferences· 0 citations
By combining genomic data with precision breeding techniques, researchers are developing crops that are better adapted to a growing population and a changing climate, positioning the integration of molecular breeding and bioinformatics as a central pillar of future global food security.
Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, Z. Sarfraz, Muhammad Mujahid et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
This review constructs an explicit conceptual framework integrating cross-scale defense mechanisms—mechanistically linking molecular signal transduction and post-transcriptional regulation to cellular homeostasis and field-scale yield stability—and spotlight the emerging integration of machine learning-assisted breeding and genomic prediction for the efficient evaluation of superior germplasms.
Gan Liu, Shaohua Li, Qi He et al.· Water· 0 citations
Photosynthesis is the fundamental biological process underlying plant growth, crop productivity, and global food security. However, its efficiency is highly vulnerable to abiotic stresses, which disrupt chlorophyll biosynthesis, electron transport, carbon assimilation, stomatal regulation, and photoprotective mechanisms, ultimately reducing crop yield. Improving photosynthetic resilience under adverse environments has therefore become a major objective of modern crop improvement. Recent advances in phenomics and high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) have transformed the evaluation of photosynthesis-related traits by enabling rapid, non-destructive, and large-scale assessment across diverse environments, while facilitating quantitative characterization of structural, physiological, biochemical, and thermal responses to abiotic stress. Technologies including chlorophyll fluorescence, gas-exchange analysis, thermal imaging, hyperspectral imaging, LiDAR, and UAV-based sensing provide comprehensive insights into plant physiological responses and stress adaptation. Integration of these phenomic approaches with genomic information and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analytical frameworks has strengthened genomic and phenomic prediction, enabling more accurate identification of candidate genes, selection of superior genotypes, and accelerated genetic gain. This review critically synthesizes recent advances in photosynthesis-related traits, phenomics, HTP technologies, and their integration with genomics and AI-assisted breeding, highlighting current challenges, knowledge gaps, and future opportunities for developing climate-resilient wheat and rice cultivars and promoting sustainable crop production.
A. Yadav, Anuradha Singh, Saurabh Pandey et al.· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
This review systematically examines how CRISPR-Cas9 enables targeted engineering of stress tolerance in major crops through gene knockout and knock-in strategies, and highlights emerging synergies with functional genomics, multi-omics integration, and high-throughput phenotyping to accelerate target discovery and validation.
T. Khan, A. A. Abro, U. Zulfiqar et al.· Functional & Integrative Gen...· 0 citations
Plant breeding has progressed from phenotype-based selection to increasingly precise genetic and agronomic interventions. Advances in molecular breeding, genome engineering, and crop management have improved productivity, but have also promoted the widespread use of genetically uniform cultivars optimized for controlled production systems. While uniformity facilitates predictability and mechanization, it may constrain adaptive capacity under increasingly variable environmental conditions. In parallel, recent developments in digital agriculture, including high-resolution phenotyping, remote-sensing, molecular diagnostics, and AI-assisted decision support, are transforming the ability to monitor and manage biological variation across spatial and temporal scales. In this review, we examine how these technological advances intersect with emerging concepts in crop diversity and reproductive biology. We discuss how digital agriculture enables improved characterization of genotype-environment interactions and consider reproductive mechanisms that expand the accessible breeding space beyond conventional biparental crossing schemes, including haploid induction and multi-parental breeding. These approaches provide opportunities to accelerate trait introgression, generate novel genetic combinations, and overcome reproductive barriers. We argue that digital and diagnostic agriculture provide an informational framework for the deployment and evaluation of genetically heterogeneous plant populations. Together, recent advances suggest that technological precision and biological diversity can be integrated into breeding strategies that improve productivity and resilience.
