Journal of Tea Science Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 38-46 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/jtsr 44 7.3 Relevance of stress resistance studies under global climate change With increasing intensity and frequency of environmental stresses due to global climate change, research on stress resistance in tea plants is more relevant than before. Understanding the processes at the molecular and physiological level underlies stress adaptation permits rapid breeding and sharing of climatically resilient tea varieties. This is essential for safeguarding tea yields, quality, and farmer incomes against irregular weather conditions and climatic extremes. In addition, stress resistance research is supportive of producing cultivation strategies that can provide a buffer against climate change impacts on tea production systems (Li et al., 2023). 8 Concluding Remarks The past several years have witnessed significant progress in deciphering the genetic and molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance in tea (Camellia sinensis). Multi-omics approaches, i.e., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have revealed key stress-responding genes, transcription factors, and regulatory networks that regulate abiotic stresses such as drought, cold, and salinity and biotic stresses caused by pathogens and pests. Candidate genes for reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, osmolyte biosynthesis, hormonal signaling, and secondary metabolite production have also been located, which are responsible for the mechanistic aspects of environmental stress perception and adaptation of tea plants. Functional characterization of the NAC, WRKY, and MYB transcription factor families has then highlighted their key roles as master regulators of stress-response pathways. Collectively, they form a solid foundation for rational improvement of tea stress tolerance using molecular breeding and biotechnology methods. Genetics and molecular research is a platform to drive tea breeding for tolerance towards stress. The discovery of genes and factors regulating responses towards stress can make it easier to utilize marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and targeted genome editing approaches, which can shorten the length of breeding cycles and improve selection efficiency. In addition, the integration of genetic data with phenotypic information makes it possible to develop predictive models guiding cultivar selection under different environmental conditions. With this description of heritability of stress adaptation, genetic research provides valuable tools for breeding improvement as well as theoretical insight into plant-environment interactions and hence reconciles basic science and applied breeding. The integrated genetic basis of tea stress tolerance identifies clear paths for enhancing crop resilience, maximizing yield stability, and maintaining leaf quality under stress. Translation of the discovery into high-throughput phenotyping, multi-omics, and functional confirmation will further clarify breeding strategy. Translation of research gains into industrial yield—some of which are stress-tolerant cultivars and climate-resilient management practices development—a few of them are going to ensure long-term sustainability of tea production and economic stability. Lastly, structured genetics research not only progresses plant stress biology knowledge but also contributes to sustainable development and competitiveness of the global tea industry. Acknowledgments The author sincerely appreciate the research team members for their valuable contributions and support in the collection of relevant materials and literature organization during the study of tea plants. The authors also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which played an important role in improving and refining the manuscript. 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 Chaeikar S., Marzvan S., Khiavi S., and Rahimi M., 2020, Changes in growth, biochemical, and chemical characteristics and alteration of the antioxidant defense system in the leaves of tea clones (Camellia sinensis L.) under drought stress, Scientia Horticulturae, 265: 109257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2020.109257 Gamalero E., and Glick B., 2022, Recent advances in bacterial amelioration of plant drought and salt stress, Biology, 11(3): 437. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11030437
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