Phytohormonal signaling in plant resilience: advances and strategies for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance

Abstract

Abiotic stressorslike drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures significantly hamper global agricultural productivity by adversely affecting plant growth and crop production. As sessile organisms, plants have developed a sophisticated network of signaling pathways to recognize and address environmental challenges. At the heart of these responses are phytohormones, which play animportant role in conferring abiotic stress tolerance. The signaling pathways governed by these phytohormones are crucial for activating the physiological and molecular responses that enable plants to survive under stress conditions. Hormonal crosstalk, an integral component of the phytohormonal network, involves synergistic and antagonistic interactions that finely balance the growth-defense trade-off, allowing plants to optimize their responses to environmental stimuli. Current developments in genetics and molecular biology have shed light on the mechanisms by which phytohormonal signaling pathways are modulated during abiotic stress. This understanding opens new avenues for developing crop cultivars that are more resilient to stressthrough genetic engineering and biotechnological approaches. By manipulating hormonal pathways, it is possible to fortify plants against abiotic stresses, thus ensuring food production in the face of climate change. The present review emphasizes recent advances in understanding how phytohormones (PHs), the central regulators of plant physiological and biochemical responses, mediate plant resilience to such stresses and a strategic method to improve resistance toabiotic stressin horticultural plants, thereby helping agricultural systems remain resilient and sustainable in the face of escalating climatic challenges.

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