Drought stress

Drought stress is physiological strain caused when water supply falls below an organism’s needs, disrupting water balance, growth, and other functions.

Water potential: Water potential measures the potential energy of water relative to a reference state and predicts its movement. Water moves from higher to lower water potential, linking dry soil to reduced water uptake.
Crop drought tolerance: Crop drought tolerance is the capacity of a cultivated plant to maintain survival or yield under water deficit. Breeding and management target this capacity to reduce losses during dry periods.
Soil water: Soil water is water stored in soil pores and available in varying degrees to plants and other organisms. Its amount and binding determine how much water roots can extract.
Waterlogging: Waterlogging is saturation of soil that restricts oxygen availability to plant roots. It is an opposite soil-water extreme, though both conditions can impair plant function.
Stomatal regulation: Stomatal regulation is the control of pore opening and closing in plant leaves. Closing stomata conserves water but restricts carbon dioxide intake for photosynthesis.
Drought escape: Drought escape is completing a vulnerable life stage before seasonal water shortage becomes severe. Early flowering can let crops reproduce before drought stress peaks.
Transpiration: Transpiration is the loss of water vapor from plant surfaces, especially through leaf stomata. It drives water transport but can exceed uptake when soil dries.
Salinity stress: Salinity stress is physiological strain caused by excessive soluble salts in an organism’s environment. Salt can restrict water uptake even when soil contains abundant water.
Abscisic acid: Abscisic acid is a plant hormone involved in stress responses, seed dormancy, and growth regulation. Roots and leaves use this hormone to trigger stomatal closure during drying.
Deficit irrigation: Deficit irrigation deliberately supplies less water than crops could use to maximize growth. It manages limited water by accepting some stress while prioritizing yield or water productivity.

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