Abiotic Stress in Plants: Challenges and Strategies for Enhancing Plant Growth and Development

Plants face diverse environmental challenges, including water scarcity, salinity, extreme temperatures, and nutrient deficiency, impeding their growth and productivity. Plants develop molecular mechanisms for adaptation to survive such conditions. Understanding these processes is pivotal for enhancing plant tolerance. This chapter thoroughly investigates the challenges and strategies for improving plant growth and development in stressful environments, delving into the mechanisms of plant adaptation to these stressors. Additionally, it identifies abiotic stress candidate genes for stress tolerance, which are crucial for developing stress-resistant crops. Moreover, the chapter underscores the paramount importance of implementing strategies to ensure food security amid a growing global population and increased environmental abiotic stress. It highlights the critical role of investigating plant responses to abiotic stress in addressing global food security challenges amid climate change.