Molecular Soil Biology 2024, Vol.15, No.5, 205-215 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 212 8 Concluding Remarks As mentioned above, the comprehensive response mechanisms of plants to water deficit encompass a wide array of physiological, biochemical, molecular, and ecological adaptations. Physiologically, plants alter root architecture, close stomata, and adjust WUE to mitigate the effects of drought. Biochemically, the plant increases the production of ROS and activate antioxidant enzymes to combat oxidative stress. Molecularly, plants regulate the expression of drought-responsive genes and phytohormones such as ABA, which play crucial roles in signaling pathways that mediate stress responses. Ecologically, water deficit can lead to community rearrangement, resulting in changes to the dominant species, alterations in important ecosystem functions. The importance of integrated multidisciplinary approaches in research cannot be overstated. Combining physiological, biochemical, molecular, and ecological perspectives provides a holistic understanding of plant responses to water deficit. This integrated approach allows for the identification of key regulatory mechanisms and the development of strategies to enhance drought tolerance in crops. For instance, understanding the role of phytohormones in drought response can lead to the engineering of hormone signaling pathways to improve plant resilience. Looking forward, future research should focus on the application of advanced genetic and biotechnological tools to develop drought-resistant plant varieties. Additionally, there is a need for more field-based studies to validate laboratory findings and understand the plant performance under water deficit and ecosystem services. The integration the omics technologies, such as genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, will further elucidate the complex networks involved in drought response and facilitate the development of comprehensive models to predict plant behavior under varying environmental conditions. In conclusion, addressing the challenges posed by water deficit requires a concerted effort from multiple scientific disciplines. By leveraging the strengths of each field, we can develop innovative solutions to ensure sustainable agricultural practices and maintain healthy ecosystems to face with increasing water scarcity. Acknowledgments We extend our sincere thanks to two anonymous peer reviewers for their invaluable feedback on the initial draft of this paper, whose critical evaluations and constructive suggestions have greatly contributed to the improvement of our manuscript. Funding This work was supported by the grants from the Central Leading Local Science and Technology Development Project (grant no. 202207AA110010) and the Key and Major Science and Technology Projects of Yunnan (grant nos. 202202AE09002102, 202402AE090026-04). Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Abraham P.E., Garcia B.J., Gunter L.E., Jawdy S.S., Engle N., Yang X., Jacobson D.A., Hettich R.L., Tuskan G.A., and Tschaplinski T.J., 2018, Quantitative proteome profile of water deficit stress responses in eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) leaves, PLOS ONE, 13(2): e0190019. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190019 Ahluwalia O., Singh P.C., and Bhatia R., 2021, A review on drought stress in plants: Implications, mitigation and the role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, Resources, Environment and Sustainability, 5: 100032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resenv.2021.100032 Asghari B., Khademian R., and Sedaghati B., 2020, Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) confer drought resistance andstimulate biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in pennyroyal (Mentha pulegiumL.) under water shortage condition, Scientia Horticulturae, 263: 109132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2019.109132 Bray E.A., 1997, Plant responses to water deficit, Trends in Plant Science, 2(2): 48-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1360-1385(97)82562-9
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