Impacts and Management of Temperature and Water Stress in Crop Plants

Plant growth and development are affected by various abiotic stresses like drought, submergence, salinity and high and low temperature. These abiotic stresses cause average yield losses of greater than 50% in a majority of crop plants. Food production needs to be doubled by 2050 to meet the growing demands of an increasing global population. Significant damage is being caused to crops, especially through temperature and water stress associated with climate change. High- and low-temperature stresses affect crop productivity by adverse biochemical changes in plants. Similarly, drought and water stress also affect the crop’s performance throughout the growing season. Understanding plant responses and molecular and physiological changes occurring during these stresses is necessary to improve current cultivars and release new cultivars with enhanced resistance to such stresses. An overview of the impacts of high- and low-temperature stress, drought and submergence in plant growth and development and the physiological and molecular responses of plants is discussed. Strategies adopted by plants to overcome these stresses through avoidance and tolerance mechanisms are also briefly discussed