Water Use Efficiency (WUE): Enhancing Crop Resilience Using Agronomic and Genetic Strategies Under Abiotic Stress Conditions

Water use efficiency (WUE) is critical factor for the sustainability of crop production, especially under abiotic stresses like salinity, alkalinity, drought, and extreme temperatures. Enhancing WUE in plants requires a comprehensive approach that combines agronomic and genetic strategies to optimize water uptake, minimize water loss, and improve overall plant resilience.

Agronomic approaches focus on practices such as irrigation management, soil amendments, and cultivation techniques that conserve soil moisture and improve water availability. Techniques like deficit irrigation, mulching, and the application of biochar or other organic/inorganic amendments have proven effective in enhancing soil structure and water retention, leading to improved WUE. On the genetic side, identifying and engineering key genes associated with stress tolerance and WUE have become pivotal to modern breeding programs. Advances in molecular breeding, gene editing, and genomics have enabled the development of crop varieties that exhibit enhanced water uptake, reduced transpiration rates, and improved tolerance to water-limited conditions. Such approaches include the overexpression of aquaporins, modulation of stomatal conductance, and optimization of root system architecture are being explored to enhance WUE at the molecular level. Integrating agronomic and genetic approaches is fundamental to increasing crop resilience under fluctuating climate conditions. By optimizing both management practices and intrinsic plant mechanisms, it is possible to sustain crop productivity with reduced water inputs, even under challenging environmental conditions.

This Research Topic aims to explore the latest advancements in optimizing water use efficiency in agriculture. Our objective is to gather research that delves into the intricate relationship between crop water physiology and the evolving strategies for managing water under stress conditions. Central to this investigation are the promising results from recent gene editing techniques, which hold the potential to revolutionize current approaches to crop water management by promoting plant varieties with enhanced WUE characteristics. The goal is to address questions such as: How can genetic and agronomic approaches be integrated effectively? What specific phenotypic traits and expressions contribute most to increased WUE?

To gain further insights into this crucial area, our scope focuses on converging different research methodologies. We welcome articles that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Crop water physiology under varying environmental conditions
• Real-time monitoring and management of crop water status
• Precision fertigation and its role in irrigation efficiency
• Innovations in crop water productivity and water-saving cultivation techniques
• Integrating technological solutions to address abiotic stress-induced challenges

We invite a wide array of article types, including original research articles and comprehensive reviews, to enrich this Research Topic with diverse perspectives and innovative solutions. We look forward to your valuable contributions.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Water Use Efficiency in Crops, Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants, Agronomic Strategies for Drought Resistance, Genetic Improvement of Water Use Efficiency, Sustainable Irrigation Practices

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.