Exogenous Elicitors as Inducers of Environmental Stress Tolerance in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Crop

The most significant factors that limit crop productivity and yield are abiotic and biotic stresses. Abiotic stress, such as high temperature, drought, soil salinity, and biotic stress in the form of bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogen impose challenges in crop production. To combat these challenges, crops exhibit a range of morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses. Numerous types of external stressors or stimuli cause plant cells to go through a complicated web of reactions, which eventually result in the synthesis and buildup of defensive metabolites. Exogenous application of these chemical stimuli, called as elicitors have shown promising results in crop protection. These molecules help the plants to develop resistance against environmental stress. Wheat, an important staple crop cultivated worldwide, is also affected by various stresses. Numerous methods have been applied to reduce the harmful effect of environmental stress on wheat productivity. Among which, elicitors have shown to play a significant role in inducing tolerance in wheat crop against biotic and abiotic stress. This chapter summarizes the research work carried out in the past few years, demonstrating the role of elicitors in wheat production.