Drought Stress Responses in Plants, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Defense

Global climate change is currently viewed as the most devastating threat to the environment, and is now gaining considerable attention from farmers, researchers, and policy makers because of its major influence on agriculture. The situation is becoming more serious due to gradual increases in the complex nature of the environment, and due to the unpredictability of environmental conditions and global climate change. One of the most acute environmental stresses presently affecting agriculture is drought, which has pronounced adverse effects on the growth and development of crop plants. The effects of drought stress are expected to increase further with increases in climate change and a growing water crisis. Drought stress usually leads to reductions in crop yield, which can result from…