Phytohormones for Combating Global Challenges: An Ecofriendly Approach

Adverse climatic conditions cause significant harm to the photosynthetic system in plants. Prior research has indicated that phytohormones are essential not only for the plant development and growth but also for their regulation of responses to various climatic changes and abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Phytohormones are small compounds that have crucial functions in controlling plant growth and development, as well as enhancing stress resistance to ensure survival and adaptability in different conditions. Global agricultural losses are primarily caused by abiotic stress each year. Phytohormones, particularly cytokinins, present in fertilisers enhance plant growth by accelerating progression through the several stages of the plant cell cycle. In this study, we examine the possible influence of various phytohormones on global challenges. Additionally, we provide a summary of the current research advancements in understanding how plants respond to various stresses at both physiological and molecular levels. We focused on the regulation pathways of abscisic acid, indole acetic acid, cytokinins, gibberellic acid, brassinosteroids, jasmonates, and ethylene in response to different stressors. The global climate issue is a significant factor that causes abiotic stress, leading to a permanent reduction in crop yields and posing a threat to environmentally friendly farming. Moreover, external applications of plant hormones have been demonstrated to increase the levels of naturally occurring plant hormones. In this chapter, we examine the existing knowledge on the function of phytohormones in plants during different stress situations and explore potential directions for future investigation.