Why stress-resistant crops remain a scientific promise rather than a farming reality? Bridging the gap between genetic discovery and agricultural impact

Abstract

Despite decades of intensive research and thousands of publications reporting stress-related genes and QTLs associated with drought, salinity, heat, and other abiotic stresses, one pressing question looms large: Why do stress-resistant crops remain largely absent from our fields? The answer is not rooted in a single flaw but in a complex interplay of scientific, technical, regulatory, and socio-economic barriers that have collectively hindered the translation of genetic discoveries into practical agricultural applications. To understand why stress-resistant varieties have not become mainstream, we must dissect the multifaceted bottlenecks—ranging from biological complexity to policy and adoption hurdles—that impede the path from gene discovery to on-farm impact.