Current Scenario of World

800 million people are still under-nourished in the

developing world. Of them, 232 million are in India, 200
million in Africa, 112 million in China, 152 million
elsewhere in Asia and 56 million in Latin America and
40 million in the Near East and North Africa (UN
Millennium Project 2003).
It is predicted that at least 10 billion people will be
hungry and malnourished in the world by the end of this
century (FAO 2003).

Mittler (2006) Trends in Plant

Science

What is climate change?

Climate
An areas long-term atmospheric conditions
Temperature, moisture, wind, precipitation, etc.
Weather = short-term conditions at localized sites
Climate change
The change in the average weather, such as temperature,
wind patterns, and precipitation, that an area experiences over
time.

Causes of climate change

Natural factors
- Solar variability
- Volcanic dust
- Internal variability
(ENSO, PDO)
Human factors
- Greenhouse gases
- Aerosols
- Ozone depletion
- Land use change

Pacific decadal oscillation(PDO),

El NioSouthern Oscillation(ENSO)

Causes and consequences of climate change

Stress in physical terms is defined as

mechanical force per unit area applied to
an object

Abiotic stress is best defined as any factor exerted

by the environment on the optimal functioningof an
organism.

Crop plants are exposed to several environmental stresses,

all affecting plant growth and development, which
consequently hampers the productivity of crop plants.

Vegetables (2012-2013)

Crop Productivity Gap

Crop

(kg/ha)

USA

China

India

Okra

4900

2900

1200

Paddy

7500

6000

3000

Soy beans

2250

1740

1050

Brinjal

3060

2500

1750

Tomato

6250

2400

1430

Abiotic stress
Drought

stress
Salinity stress
Cold stress
Heat stress
Flooding stress
Heavy metals (Al, Zn, Cd)
Elevated CO2
Ozone and UV-B

Plant-Environment
Interactions.

schematic overview of the reproductive cycle in cereals and the effect of

abiotic stress on different stages of reproductive development
13

MAJOR CAUSES OF CROP LOSS

Source: Australian Centre for International Agricultural

Research
14

DROUGHT STRESS

A continuous shortfall in precipitation (meteorological

drought) coupled with higher evapotranspiration demand
leads to agricultural drought (Mishra and Cherkauer
2010).
Agricultural drought is the lack of ample moisture
required for normal plant growth and
development to complete the life cycle
(Manivannan et al. 2008).
Drought severely affects plant growth and
development with substantial reductions in crop
growth rate and biomass accumulation.

Drought Stress

one third of the worlds population lives in areas where water

is scarce (FAO 2003). Furthermore, climatic changes also
enhanced the frequency and intensity of water shortage in
sub-tropical areas of Asia and Africa. According to the UN
climatic report (http://www.solcomhouse.com/drought.htm)
the Himalayan glaciers that feed to the Asias largest rivers
(Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween
and Yellow) may disappear by 2035 due to rise in
temperature.

In addition, if the present situation prevails over many

years, it is expected that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will
live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity.
For example, in 1960, it was officially recognized that
Indus River is the main source of water for both India and
Pakistan. Similarly, in 1999, Kyrgyzstan succeeded in
getting much needed coal from Kazakhstan after closing
downwaterreservoirs(http://
www.solcomhouse.com/drought.htm).
Thus,
the
availability of fresh water is a major commodity to
improve the economy of a country.

Drought
Drought resistance mechanisms

Postponement
(avoidance)
Ability to maintain
tissue hydration

Tolerance
Ability to function
while dehydrated

Escape
Ability to complete
life cycle during
wet period

Drought

Dehydration
postponement

Maximizing water
uptake
- increasing
investment in roots

Water spenders

Minimizing water
loss
- Quicker stomatal
closure ( efficient
root to shoot
signalling , ABA
- Epicuticular
Waxes ,leaf rolling
Water savers

Dehydration postponement mechanism

resulting in water conservation : leaf Rolling
in corn

In Rice varieites genetic variability is

strong for this trait .related to Capacity for
osmotic adjustment . More the OA ,more
the delay in rolling .

Potato

The content of glycoalkaloids (GAs, -solanine and -chaconine) in

drought-tolerant potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown under drought
stress.
GAs concentration increased an average of 43% and 50% in the
improved and control cultivars, respectively, but never above the
recommended food safety limit (200 mg.kg-1 fresh tubers).
Bejarano et al. (2000)

Eggplant
The plants are subjected to water stress (WS1, WS2, WS3 and WS4 ).
The highest yield, the largest and the heaviest fruit was observed in wellwatered treatment .
Kirnak et al. (2002)

To mitigate drought
Agronomical

practices mulching, water

conservation etc.
Breeding methods screening of
germplasm
marker assisted
selection
Molecular approach by regulating
upstream
or downstream genes

Water Conservation

80% of water in India is consumed for agriculture

Real problem is wastage, not shortage
Water productivity in agriculture is extremely low
California farmer produces 35 times more
cotton/liter
RWH can replenish 10 yrs consumption in one
season
Furrow irrigation can reduce water consumption
50-70%
Deep chiseling can 2x crop yields & water
25

Normal Flat-bed Land Preparation in

TN

26

Tomato with furrows in TN

27

Impact of waterlogging and

flodding.

Plant stratergies.

Root adaptations.

Root adaptations.

Shoot adaptations.

Shoot adaptations.

LOW TEMPERATURE
STRESS
Chilling

stress when plants are

exposed to a low temperature above
00 C

Freezing stress when plants are

exposed to a low temperature below
00 C

PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTION OF
PLANT TO LOW TEMPERATURE
Each

plant has its unique set of temperature

requirements,which are optimum for its
proper growth and development.

set of temperature conditions, which are

optimum for one plant may be stressful for
another plant. many plants, especially
those, which are native to warm habitat,
exhibit symptoms of injury when exposed to
low non-freezing temperatures.

CHILLING INJURY
SYMPTOMS
Cellular

changes : Changes in
membrane structure and
composition, decreased protoplasmic
streaming,plasmolysis.
Altered metabolism : Increased or
reduced respiration, depending on
severity of stress, production of
abnormal metabolites due to
anaerobic condition

COMMON SYMPTOMS

Reduced plant growth and death

Surface lesions on leaves and fruits
Abnormal curling, lobbing and crinkling of
leaves
Water soaking of tissues
Cracking, splitting and dieback of stems
Internal discolouration (vascular browning)
Increased susceptibility to decay
Failure to ripen normally
Loss of vigour (potato lose the ability to
sprout if chilled)

MEMBRANE PERMEABILITY
CHANGES DURING CHILLING
As

temperatures decrease, cell

membranes undergo phase
transition from liquid crystalline to
gel phase

This

phase transition reduces

membrane permeability to small
proteins, solutes,water and damages
cell functions.

CLIMATIC FACTORS AFFECTING

VEGETABLE SEED PRODUCTION

Rainfall

Temperature

Wind

Photoperiod

EFFECT OF drought stress

Early season drought severely reduces germination and stand

establishment principally due to reduced water uptake during the
imbibition phase of germination, reduced energy supply, and impaired
(Okcu et al. 2005; Taiz and Zeiger 2010)
enzyme activities

Flower initiation
leads to a delay in flowering
Winkel et al. (1997 )
Ovary and female gametophyte development
delay in female organ development, while the male inflorescence is less affected
Increase in the ABA concentration of the ovary
inhibit cell division and impair floret and then seed development
Yang et al. (2001)

EFFECT OF drought stress

Effect of water deficiency on pollen development

Increased

pollen

sterility

due

to

abnormalities

in

microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis.

May reduce the grain set by 3575% in various cultivars of

self-pollinated crops
Saini et al.
(1984)

Extreme temperatures and drought are short-term events

Effect
of drought
stress
on fertilization
that will
likely affect
crops,
particularly during anthesis

(Wheeler et al. 1999).

Low water availability before pollination resulted in abortion

(Westgate & Boyer 1986)
49

decrease in germination ability is

due to oxygen deficiency in water
logging soil. Respiration, electron
transport and ATP formation are
inhibited during germination when
oxygen is short. (Hsu ET AL 2000).

EFFECT OF Wind

Excessive wind increases water loss from the crop and soil,
prevents maximum activity of pollinating insects, carries
wind-borne pollen over long distances and increases loss of
seed by enhancing shattering during seed ripening.
(George,
1980).
Strong winds during the reproductive phase can cause severe
crop losses through lodging, shattering and shedding of seed.
On the other hand gentle wind facilitates increased pollination
in cross pollinated crops.

Reviews

Effect of High Temperature Stress on Yield and Yield Components o

Three Brassica Species.

Sangamesh et al.,
(2000)

In Vitro screening of tomato genotypes for

drought resistance
Comparative performance of seedling of tomato genotypes

Manoj Kulkarni et al.

(2007).

Effect of duration of flooding on germination

and emergence of sown Stylosanthes seed
R.J. JONES