How does water stress affect crops? A perspective from plant physiology and agricultural sustainability

Water stress is one of the main abiotic factors that limit agricultural yields globally. With the advancement of climate change, the intensification of droughts, and soil degradation, access to freshwater is becoming a bottleneck for the sustainability of agri-food systems.

But what really happens inside plants when water becomes scarce? To understand this, it is crucial to explore the physiological processes that are altered under water deficit conditions.