The article "The Physiology of Plant Responses to Drought" by Aditi Gupta, Andrés Rico-Medina, and Ana I. Caño-Delgado discusses the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which plants adapt to drought conditions. Drought is a significant threat to agriculture, causing more yield loss annually than all pathogens combined. Plants respond to moisture gradients in soil by altering their physiology, root growth, and stomatal closure, which can lead to early flowering or stunted growth. The authors highlight the role of phytohormone signaling, particularly abscisic acid (ABA) and brassinosteroids, in regulating these responses. They explore how engineering hormone signaling in specific cells and domains can improve plant drought resistance without compromising yield. The article also covers tissue-specific responses, such as root architecture modifications and stomatal closure, and the potential of using optogenetics and small molecules to fine-tune these responses. Finally, the authors discuss future strategies, including traditional breeding, gene mapping tools like GWAS, and CRISPR/Cas9, to develop drought-resistant crops.The article "The Physiology of Plant Responses to Drought" by Aditi Gupta, Andrés Rico-Medina, and Ana I. Caño-Delgado discusses the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which plants adapt to drought conditions. Drought is a significant threat to agriculture, causing more yield loss annually than all pathogens combined. Plants respond to moisture gradients in soil by altering their physiology, root growth, and stomatal closure, which can lead to early flowering or stunted growth. The authors highlight the role of phytohormone signaling, particularly abscisic acid (ABA) and brassinosteroids, in regulating these responses. They explore how engineering hormone signaling in specific cells and domains can improve plant drought resistance without compromising yield. The article also covers tissue-specific responses, such as root architecture modifications and stomatal closure, and the potential of using optogenetics and small molecules to fine-tune these responses. Finally, the authors discuss future strategies, including traditional breeding, gene mapping tools like GWAS, and CRISPR/Cas9, to develop drought-resistant crops.