Molecular and Biotechnological Strategies for Plant Abiotic Stress Management

Abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and heavy metal toxicity, are major constraints to plant growth and agricultural productivity worldwide. Developing crops that can tolerate such harsh conditions has become increasingly important under changing climate scenarios. Traditional breeding alone is often insufficient because stress tolerance involves multiple genes and complex regulatory networks. Advances in molecular biology and plant biotechnology now offer deeper insight into how plants perceive and respond to environmental stress at the cellular and genetic levels. Stress-responsive genes, transcription factors, signalling molecules, osmolytes, and antioxidant defences play central roles in plant adaptation. Modern biotechnological tools such as genetic engineering, genome editing, omics technologies, marker-assisted breeding, and beneficial microbial applications enable targeted improvement of stress tolerance traits. These approaches support the development of resilient crop varieties with better performance under adverse environments. This mini review highlights key molecular mechanisms and emerging biotechnological strategies that contribute to sustainable abiotic stress management and climate-ready agriculture.