Cereal drought adaptation strategies

Abstract

Water stress prevents all cropping systems from reaching their production potential. This stress is likely to be amplified by increased climate variability. Cereals, food crops and staple foods for most of the world's population are significantly affected by drought. By 2050, grain production must increase by about 70% to meet global food needs. However, current studies of adaptive strategies to mitigate the effects of water stress remain limited. Varietal adaptation and the development of new ones, as well as the adoption of appropriate cropping practices, are among the solutions being considered. To reinforce and support these approaches, new ecological and natural methods, including the use of biostimulants, could be adopted for efficient management of production systems and to limit yield losses under stress conditions. In this context, this review focuses on the main cereal adaptation strategies to drought.