Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Drought Effects and Survival Mechanisms of Crop Plants

MAA Mamun*
Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh

MMH Akand
Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh

M Akter and
Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh

MAR Khan
Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Drought is a severe environmental constraint to plant productivity. The objective of this review paper is to understand the effects of drought stress on the growth, physiological process and development of crop plants. This paper also describes the morphological and physico-chemical basis of drought tolerance of plants. Drought stress regulates water relation, nutrients uptake, photosynthesis, respiration and other physiological processes of plants. Severe and prolonged drought even causes death to plants. Being very complex, the drought tolerance mechanism involves a number of morphological, physiological and biochemical processes at cell, tissue, organ and whole-plant levels, when activated at different stages of plant development. While the plant is under drought, escape and avoidance, phenotypic flexibility, cell and tissue water conservation, antioxidant defense, had plant growth regulators are some of the important morphological and physiological mechanisms involved for survival of crop plants. Further, development of tolerant variety and agronomic manipulation can also be effective tools for drought management under field condition.

Keywords: Climate change, Crop growth, Photosynthesis, Transpiration

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Drought

Objectives:

The objectives of this paper are to determine the effect of drought on crop, to understand the mechanisms of plants tolerance and to recommend the agricultural technologies to cope with drought.

Methodology:

Drought effects Crop growth: Drought stress severely reduces germination and seedling stand of pea, (Kaya et al. 2006), alfalfa (Zeid and Shedeed 2006). In rice, drought stress during the vegetative stage greatly reduced the plant growth and development (Tripathy et al. 2000). Cell division, expansion, growth are the drought-sensitive physiological processes due to the reduction in turgor pressure (Hussain et al. 2008). Drought stress exposed in different growth stage causes significant yield reduction in crops (Farooq et al. 2009). Water relation: Drought significantly reduces relative water content and water use efficiency (Abbate et al. 2004) in wheat. Leaf water potential, transpiration, stomatal conductance, relative water content reduced drastically when soybean grown in water stress condition (Hossain et al. 2014). Nutrient relation: Water scarcity in soil impaired nutrients uptake by root and their translocation from root to shoot. Low nutrient absorption diminished their tissue concentrations in crop plants and this interferes in the unloading mechanism and reduced transpirational flow (Garg 2003). Thus, drought stress reduces the availability, uptake, translocation and metabolism of nutrients (Munoz Perea et al. 2003) (Table 2). Photosynthesis: Drought stress produced changes in photosynthetic pigments and components, damaged photosynthetic apparatus (Fu and Huang 2001) and diminished activities of Calvin cycle enzymes, which are important causes of reduced crop yield (Monakhova and Chernyad 2002). Very severe drought conditions limit photosynthesis due to a decline in Rubisco activity (Chaves et al. 2002). Respiration: Plants response in drought stress by adjusting respiration (Metcalfe et al. 2010). The fraction of carbohydrate that is lost through respiration determines the overall metabolic efficiency of the plant (Davidson et al. 2000). Drought resistance mechanisms Morphological Escape: Escape from drought is attained through a shortened life cycle or growing season, allowing plants to reproduce before the environment becomes dry. Flowering and maturity time is an important trait related to drought adaptation, where a short life cycle can lead to drought escape (Joshi et al. 2004). Avoidance: Drought avoidance consists of mechanisms that reduce water loss from plants, due to stomatal control of transpiration, and also maintain water uptake through an extensive and prolific root system (Kavar et al. 2007). Phenotypic flexibility: Plants generally limit the number and area of leaves in response to drought stress just to cut down the water budget at the cost of yield loss (Schuppler et al. 1998). Leaf pubescence is a xeromorphic trait that helps protect the leaves from excessive heat load. Hairy leaves as well as spiny leaves have reduced leaf temperatures and transpiration (Sandquist and Ehleringer 2003). Physiological cell and tissue water conservation: It has been identified that among various mechanisms, osmotic adjustment, abscisic acid and induction of dehydrins may confer tolerance against drought injuries by maintaining high tissue water potential (Turner et al. 2001). With the accumulation of solutes, the osmotic potential of the cell is lowered, which attracts water into the cell and helps with turgor maintenance.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Ecol. (2019) 1 (2) : 101-58

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Drought affects water relation, nutrients uptake, photosynthesis and respiration of plants resulting in poor growth and development, production of smaller organs, that hamperes flower production, grain filling and finally crop yield. Water stress effects however can be minimized by selecting drought tolerant crop varieties and to some extent through cultural management.

Knowledge Management: Journal