Understanding Molecular Mechanisms: Recent Advancements in Plant Resilience to Drought and Salinity

Abstract

Plant stress, drought, and salt reduce agricultural output and food security
worldwide. Rising cultivable land salinity is expected to reduce land availability by 30% in
25 years and maybe 50% by 2050. Therefore, plant biotechnology initiatives must prioritize
drought and salinity stress tolerance in agricultural plants (to assure food security) and
forest trees (which are vital to world ecology). Salt and drought stress have a large impact
on plant development, photosynthesis, ionic equilibrium, and oxidative balance than each
stress alone. CRISPR/Cas9, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short
palindromic repeats, is a new way to edit plant genomes correctly and quickly. The
metabolic abilities of several plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) may reduce
the impacts of abiotic stresses. Plant-microbe interaction impacts non-living stress factors,
and PGPR (Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria) such as mycorrhizal fungi and
endophytes manage these stresses to enhance agricultural productivity and minimize
losses. We also discuss their role in aquaporin water absorption and transport. Drought
stress mobilizes plant energy to produce defense components and osmo-protectants like

proline, which damages plant development. This review aims more research into plant-
microbe interactions and stress tolerance ways at the molecular level. By improving our

knowledge in this domain, we can develop innovative solutions to reduce soil salinity and
drought stress, ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture in changing climates.