Engineering Abiotic Stresses in Crops by Using Biotechnological Approaches

Abstract

It is well known that abiotic stresses, such as extreme temperatures, high salinity, and drought, can have a detrimental impact on crops all over the world. Abiotic stress is caused by distressing environmental conditions that make it hard for plants to grow and develop. Plants may face abiotic stresses like a lack of water from drought or osmotic stress, too much salt in the soil, which causes salt stress, or high or low temperatures (heat or cold stress). The environmental conditions are widely acknowledged as posing significant threats to crop productivity. Plants have developed diverse adaptive mechanisms at the cellular and metabolic levels to counteract and recuperate from the deleterious consequences of abiotic stress. These strategies are activated promptly upon the onset of stress. At cellular and metabolic levels, plants have developed several ways to adapt to and recover from the harmful effects of abiotic stress. These strategies are triggered upon the onset of stress.