An overview of plant morpho-physiology, biochemicals, and metabolic pathways under water stress

Abstract

Water stress poses a significant risk to achieving global food security. Plants experience water stress due to variations in environmental conditions, which have been identified as the primary factor impacting agricultural production under the current dispensation of global climate change. This review aims to combine data from multiple published research studies in the literature in order to completely analyze and assess the morphological, physio-biochemical, and metabolite responses of plants to water stress. Stress-related variables disturb the regular stability of plants, leading to changes in their structure, function, chemistry, and genetics that ultimately impact their development and productivity. Water stress often leads to reduced leaf-relative water content, loss of turgor, and closure of stomata. Plant secondary metabolites serve as distinct sources for medicines, food additives, and industrially essential biochemicals. Plants exposed to water stress, such as different elicitors or signal molecules, frequently experience the build-up of these metabolites. Secondary metabolites significantly contribute to plant ability to adapt to their environment and overcome stressful conditions. Plants exhibit diverse metabolic reactions to water stress, resulting in alterations in the composition of volatile oils in different herbs. The attempt to tackle water stress conditions by plants is inherently intricate due to the complex network of signaling. This review contributes to our understanding of plant responses to water stress conditions, to the implementation of sustainable agronomic practices, and development of varieties that can tolerate the impact of climate change.

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