Author Description

Agriculture is globally challenged by adverse environmental factors, including drought, heat, waterlogging, cold, soil salinity and sodicity, nutrient deficiency, heavy metal contamination, and other edaphic stresses. These stresses impair plant functioning at multiple levels limiting plant development and crop productivity. In the current climate change scenario, the increase in frequency and intensity of these stresses is posing a serious threat to overall food and nutrition security. Plants respond to these stresses through several tolerance mechanisms operating at molecular, biochemical, physiological, or morpho-anatomical levels depending on their developmental stage and type of species. The cope-up strategy also differs depending on abiotic stress type, duration, and intensity. The extent, to which these changes occur to counteract the impact of abiotic stresses as well as the pathways involved in plant acclimation, is not fully understood. An advance in understanding agricultural crops' adaptation and tolerance mechanisms underlying trans-generational effects, epigenetic changes, and stress memory will significantly help in comprehending the implications as well as devising mitigation strategies for sustainable agriculture and, thus, food security. Additionally, it is crucial to understand the interactions and impacts of combined stresses to efficiently advance the development of combined stress-tolerant crops as well as devising mitigation strategies for various climatic stressors.