The battle of crops against drought: Genetic dissection and improvement

With ongoing global climate change, water scarcity-induced drought stress remains a major threat to agricultural productivity. Plants undergo a series of physiological and morphological changes to cope with drought stress, including stomatal closure to reduce transpiration and changes in root architecture to optimize water uptake. Combined phenotypic and multi-omics studies have recently identified a number of drought-related genetic resources in different crop species. The functional dissection of these genes using molecular techniques has enriched our understanding of drought responses in crops and has provided genetic targets for enhancing resistance to drought. Here, we review recent advances in the cloning and functional analysis of drought resistance genes and the development of technologies to mitigate the threat of drought to crop production.

Automated summary

With global climate change, water scarcity-induced drought stress poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity. Plants adapt to drought stress through physiological and morphological changes, such as stomatal closure and altered root architecture. Recent studies have identified drought-related genetic resources in various crop species, and the molecular analysis of these genes has enhanced our understanding of drought responses in crops and provided targets for improving drought resistance. This review summarizes recent advances in cloning and functional analysis of drought resistance genes, as well as the development of technologies to mitigate the impacts of drought on crop production.