Drought Stress Tolerance in Plants, Vol 1

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Abiotic stress significantly impacts global crop production, reducing average yields by up to 50%. Among these stresses, drought is the primary cause of yield loss worldwide. With the global population projected to rise, the threat of food shortages by 2050 due to drought stress is alarming. This situation is exacerbated by climate change, which is expected to increase the frequency and severity of such stresses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to enhance our understanding of drought stress tolerance mechanisms and develop resilient crop varieties. Identifying novel genes linked to drought tolerance is crucial for unraveling the molecular responses of crops to drought. Discovering these genes, analyzing their expression under drought conditions, and understanding their roles in adaptation will inform effective engineering strategies to boost drought resilience. While the intricate mechanisms of water stress tolerance remain partially understood, they can be partially explained through ion homeostasis, toxic radical scavenging, osmolyte biosynthesis, water transport, and signaling coordination. However, fully elucidating the physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes involved in drought perception, transduction, and tolerance remains a challenge for plant biologists. The findings in the first volume emphasize the physiological and biochemical aspects of drought stress affecting crop productivity, while the second vo