Author(s):
The biggest and most significant issue that seriously affects global food security for people is drought. Among all the abiotic factors, drought is likely to have one of the most detrimental effects on soil organisms and plants. The most catastrophic abiotic stress that has severely affected crop productivity worldwide is drought. Crops are particularly prone to drought because it reduces the amount of water and nutrients available, both of which are essential for plant survival and growth. The main abiotic limitations in the current and future climate change scenarios is drought stress. The most detrimental abiotic factor is drought, which affects many molecular, biochemical, physiological, morphological, and ecological aspects and processes during the whole growth and development process. Plants under prolonged drought stress have altered metabolic responses linked to growth and yield characteristics. One of the main issues with the current climate is drought, which is also one of the most serious abiotic stresses in many regions of the world. Drought is the single most important environmental stressor that negatively impacts crop productivity and quality worldwide. One of the main environmental variables influencing crop quality and productivity worldwide is drought. Drought stress diminishes a plant’s capacity to yield by diminishing the size of its leaves, stem expansion, and root multiplication inside the soil. It also messes with plant water interactions and lowers water-use efficiency. More than 50 years of climate change and population expansion have forced agriculture into environmentally marginal areas in drier parts of the world. This is projected to have a major impact on agricultural production, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Among abiotic factors, drought is the leading cause of crop yield loss worldwide. Drought is a major global issue that causes food shortages and makes it difficult for small-holder farmers to grow enough crops when rainfall is erratic and low. Crop plants have evolved a variety of morphological, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms of adaptation to withstand drought stress. A plant, however, may display multiple coping mechanisms in response to drought stress. The mechanism(s) resulting in the least amount of yield loss during a drought are known as drought resistance. Some mechanisms of drought resistance include physiological factors, reduced transpiration, dehydration avoidance, and drought escape. Utilizing high-yielding, drought-tolerant cultivars that are well adapted is crucial to maximizing production potential while lowering the risk of climate change for as long as possible. Climatic-smart agriculture is ultimately the only approach that can reduce the detrimental effects of climatic changes on crop adaptability before they have a significant influence on global crop production
