Research & Reviews : Journal of Botany Original Research
Plant Adaptations to Drought Stress: Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Responses
Abstract
Drought stress is one of the major abiotic constraints affecting plant growth, development, productivity and survival. Water deficiency disrupts cellular water relations and subsequently influences plant morphology, physiology, metabolism and molecular regulation. Plants respond to drought through a combination of adaptive mechanisms rather than through a single tolerance trait. Morphological responses include modification of root architecture, reduction in leaf area, leaf rolling, changes in shoot growth and altered biomass allocation. Physiological responses involve stomatal regulation, reduction in transpiration, maintenance of cellular water status, osmotic adjustment, changes in photosynthesis and improvement of water-use efficiency. At the biochemical level, drought induces accumulation of compatible solutes, activation of antioxidant defence, changes in secondary metabolism and regulation of phytohormones and stress-responsive proteins. These responses are coordinated through signalling networks involving abscisic acid, reactive oxygen species, calcium and other signalling molecules. Recent research also highlights the importance of root–shoot communication, plant–microbiome interactions, genomic and proteomic regulation, and the capacity of plants to recover after rewatering. This review synthesizes the major morphological, physiological and biochemical adaptations of plants to drought stress and discusses their integration, influencing factors, current research gaps and future directions.
Keywords
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