Impact of drought on photosynthesis: Molecular perspective

Abstract The reduction in the precipitation level and the occurrence of frequent drought will be among the top future worries for humans to tackle on this planet. Globally 80% of the agricultural land area is rainfed. According to current research and predictions of frequent drought in the future, there will be a substantial reduction in the economic yield of crop plants, a major threat to food security. Drought tolerance is a major economic consideration to yield. Various biological processes are getting affected by low water stress. Photosynthesis which is an essential biological process for the survival of plants is getting majorly influenced. However, plants have some inbuilt mechanisms to respond to drought stress to some extent. In this mini review, we have highlighted the impact of drought on crop plants, its impact on photosynthesis and responses of plants to drought stress. Understanding mechanism of drought stress tolerance will lead towards development of drought tolerance in crop plants.