AN OVERVIEW ON DROUGHT INDUCED CHANGES IN PLANT GROWTH, WATER RELATIONSAND PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Zlatko Zlatev; Fernando Cebola Lidon

doi:10.9755/ejfa.v24i1.10599

Authors

Zlatko Zlatev Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Agricultural University, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Fernando Cebola Lidon Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2825 Monte de Caparica, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.v24i1.10599

Keywords:

Drought, Growth, Osmotic adjustment, Photosynthesis, Plant water relations

Abstract

At a whole plant level the effects of drought is usually perceived as a decrease in growth and photosynthetic carbon assimilation. That is why this review is focused mainly on recent information about the effects of drought on plant growth, water relations and photosynthesis, as well as mechanisms of adaptation. It is shown that plants have evolved a great number of adaptive mechanisms that allow the biochemical systems to cope with increased water deficit. The literature analyzed in this review shows the complexity of tolerance to water deficit and supports the statements of many authors that the flexibility of cell metabolism and its fast acclimation to changes in environmental conditions is a first essential step in stress avoidance.