Mechanisms of drought tolerance in legumes: physiological impacts, adaptive responses, and phenotyping strategies

DROUGHT STRESS IN Brassica napus: PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES, MOLECULAR MECHANISMS, AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

This review synthesizes existing knowledge on the morpho-physiological, biochemical, and molecular response of B. napus to drought stress and emphasizes the importance of phytohormone signaling, osmotic adjustment, and stress response gene and transcription factors in enhancing plant adaptation to drought conditions.

Emerging molecules for drought resilience in plants

Abiotic stress response mechanisms, molecular mitigation, and future strategies in millets

Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, temperature extremes, heavy metals, and pesticide toxicity, severely impact plant growth and productivity, primarily through the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metabolic imbalances. In the era of climate change and declining agricultural sustainability, the development of stress-resilient crops has become essential for ensuring global food and nutritional security. Millets, also known as ‘super grain’ or ‘miracle grain’ due to their nutritional value, are recognized for their inherent resilience and exhibit superior adaptability in arid and semi-arid ecosystems towards these abiotic stresses. It is due to their C4 photosynthetic efficiency, rapid life cycles, and deep root architecture. These cereals deploy integrated morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms, including antioxidant defense systems, osmolyte accumulation, stress-responsive gene expression, and hormonal regulation to maintain homeostasis under stress. Despite these traits, millet improvement lags behind that of major cereals due to limited breeding efforts and underdeveloped molecular resources. This review focuses on recent advances in stress tolerance mechanisms, highlighting omics-driven insights, microbial and phytohormonal mitigation strategies, and exploring genome editing and modern breeding tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9 and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), for developing climate-resilient millet cultivars suitable for sustainable agriculture and future food security. The article explores the development of climate-resilient millet varieties by integrating molecular innovations into traditional agronomic practices, which will provide future benefits framework for developing new varieties. Overall, the article will deepen understanding of the molecular processes underlying stress responses and provide targeted solutions to enhance stress tolerance in millets.

Climate-smart breeding for abiotic stress tolerance in tomato

Abiotic stress remains a significant barrier to maximizing tomato yield and quality. Climate variability, water scarcity, and soil degradation are expected to intensify these challenges. Future research should focus on identification of novel stress-responsive genes through omics approaches, development of stress-resilient cultivars via marker-assisted selection or genome editing, integration of agronomic strategies such as mulching, controlled irrigation, and balanced fertilization, and a multidisciplinary approach combining genetics, physiology, and agronomy is essential for mitigating the adverse effects of abiotic stress and ensuring sustainable tomato production.

Reducing wheat yield loss under drought: A review of physiological mechanisms and practical countermeasures

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.

Molecular and physiological mechanisms of drought tolerance in grapevine

This review synthesizes recent advances in elucidating the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in Vitis vinifera to provide an integrative conceptual framework to support sustainable viticulture in water-limited environments.