Summary
This comprehensive narrative review, authored by a large multidisciplinary team of Spanish plant scientists, synthesises current knowledge on water-saving strategies in agriculture and the mechanisms underpinning crop adaptation to drought stress. The paper likely covers physiological responses (stomatal behaviour, osmoprotectant accumulation), molecular and genetic approaches to drought tolerance, and practical irrigation management techniques. As a broad review published in Physiologia Plantarum in 2025, it is intended to serve as a reference point for researchers and practitioners working on drought resilience across diverse cropping systems.
UK applicability
Although the authorship is Spanish and the focus is international, the findings are broadly applicable to UK agriculture, where increasingly frequent summer droughts and water-use restrictions are driving demand for drought-adapted varieties and precision irrigation — particularly in arable and horticultural sectors in England.
Key measures
Water-use efficiency (WUE); stomatal conductance; root morphology; osmotic potential; yield under deficit irrigation; drought tolerance indices
Outcomes reported
The review examines advances in water-use efficiency strategies and the physiological, molecular, and agronomic mechanisms by which crops adapt to drought conditions. It likely reports on traits such as stomatal regulation, root architecture, osmotic adjustment, and applied irrigation technologies across multiple crop species.
Topic tags
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