Drought Stress Physiological Adaptations in Cereal Crops
Summary
Cereal crops such as wheat, barley, rice and maize deploy a suite of physiological and biochemical strategies to withstand periods of limited water availability. At the whole‐plant level, changes in root architecture—deeper rooting patterns and enhanced lateral root proliferation—improve water capture. Leaves reduce transpiration via stomatal closure and cuticular adjustments, while osmotic adjustment through the synthesis of compatible solutes (for example proline, glycine betaine and soluble sugars) helps to maintain cell turgor and enzyme function. Photosynthetic capacity is preserved by adjusting the balance between light capture and electron transport in photosystems, and by augmenting antioxidant defences to scavenge reactive oxygen species generated under stress. Hormonal signals, notably abscisic acid, coordinate stomatal behaviour, gene expression and osmoprotectant biosynthesis. Membrane stability is secured by modifying lipid composition and by heat‐shock and late‐embryogenesis proteins, which protect against dehydration. Upon rehydration, efficient recovery of photosynthetic machinery and controlled senescence pathways underpin yield resilience. Understanding these integrated responses is vital for breeding strategies aimed at securing global food production in increasingly variable climates.
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Drought Stress Physiological Adaptations in Cereal Crops publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in drought stress physiological adaptations in cereal crops across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Stomatal conductance: rate at which CO2 enters and water vapour exits leaf stomata, regulating gas exchange and transpiration.
Osmotic adjustment: accumulation of solutes to lower cell water potential, maintaining turgor under dehydration.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): highly reactive molecules produced under stress that can damage proteins, lipids and nucleic acids unless scavenged.
Quantitative trait locus (QTL): genomic region associated with variation in a quantitative trait, such as drought tolerance or yield.
Compatible solutes: small organic molecules (e.g. proline, sugars) that accumulate to protect cellular structures without interfering with metabolism.
Abscisic acid (ABA): plant hormone that mediates stomatal closure and stress‐responsive gene expression during drought.
References
- Genetic Parameters and QTLs for Total Phenolic Content and Yield of Wheat Mapping Population of CSDH Lines under Drought Stress. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2019).
- Accumulation of Hydrogen Peroxide in Flag Leaves Induces Effective Regeneration of Triticale During Rehydration After Water Stress. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation (2024).
- Cell dehydration of intergeneric hybrid induces subgenome‐related specific responses. Physiologia Plantarum (2023).
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