Drought Tolerance Mechanisms in Barley Cultivation

Barley exhibits a multifaceted response to drought that encompasses morphological, physiological and molecular adaptations. At the organ level, root system architecture is remodelled to enhance water capture, with deep and dense root networks common in tolerant genotypes. Above ground, stomatal conductance is tightly regulated to limit transpirational loss, while osmotic adjustment through the synthesis of compatible solutes maintains cell turgour under water deficit. At the cellular level antioxidant enzymes scavenge reactive oxygen species generated by stress, and aquaporins adjust water flow across membranes. Hormonal signalling, notably via abscisic acid, orchestrates gene expression and physiological changes that underpin tolerance. Advances in genomics have revealed quantitative trait loci governing key traits such as seedling emergence under drought, osmolyte accumulation, and root architecture, offering targets for marker-assisted selection. Transcription factors from families such as bHLH, MYB and GATA have been implicated in reprogramming stress-responsive networks. Genome editing of hormone-related genes has further demonstrated the potential for tailored improvement of coleoptile length and water-use efficiency. Together, these mechanisms form an integrated platform for breeding barley varieties capable of sustaining yield under increasing aridity and contribute to global food security.

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Drought Tolerance Mechanisms in Barley Cultivation publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in drought tolerance mechanisms in barley cultivation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Quantitative trait locus (QTL): A genomic region that contributes to variation in a quantitative trait.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS): A method that correlates genetic variants across the genome with phenotypic traits.

DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq): A technique to identify DNA regions bound by a transcription factor in vitro.

Stomatal conductance: The rate at which carbon dioxide enters and water vapour exits leaves through stomata.

Osmotic adjustment: The accumulation of solutes in cells to maintain water uptake under drought.

Coleoptile: The protective sheath covering the emerging shoot in cereal seedlings.

References

1. New semi‐dwarfing alleles with increased coleoptile length by gene editing of gibberellin 3‐oxidase 1 using CRISPR‐Cas9 in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Plant Biotechnology Journal (2023).
2. Identification of a novel transcription factor under long-term drought resistance in highland barley: a DNA affinity purification sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture (2023).
3. Genetic basis of drought tolerance during seed germination in barley. PLOS ONE (2018).
4. High-Throughput Phenotyping to Detect Drought Tolerance QTL in Wild Barley Introgression Lines. PLOS ONE (2014).
5. Wild barley introgression lines revealed novel QTL alleles for root and related shoot traits in the cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgareL.). BMC Genomic Data (2014).