Drought Stress Tolerance in Plants: Interplay of Molecular, Biochemical and Physiological Responses in Important Development Stages

Drought is an important abiotic stress factor limiting crop productivity worldwide and its impact increasing with climate change. Regardless of the plant growth period, drought has a deadly yield-reducing effect on at every stage development. As many environmental stressors, drought-exposed plants trigger series molecular, biochemical, physiological responses to overcome stress. Currently, researchers are trying determine complex functioning response in different approaches. Plants more sensitive during certain critical stages like germination, seedling formation, flowering, fertilization, grain formation periods. have high success reducing effects vegetative development periods activity tolerance mechanisms. On other hand, generative period can cause irreversible losses yield. This review focuses progression mechanisms involved field crops stages.