Drought stress effect, tolerance, and management in wheat – a review

Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the world. It contributes as a major source of protein and calories in the daily human diet. Drought has become a major abiotic stress that severely affects wheat production globally. Changing rainfall patterns, increased atmospheric CO2 levels, rises in atmospheric temperature and hot and dry winds are the major causes of drought stress. It has morphological, physiological, and biochemical consequences such as reduced yield performance, yield attributing parameters, germination, and seed vigor, early leaf senescence, early maturity, decreased chlorophyll content, decreased Rubisco activity, decreased photosynthesis, and decreased starch accumulation. Drought produces…