MOLECULAR BREEDING STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING DROUGHT RESISTANCE IN RICE: A REVIEW.

Drought poses a significant threat to agricultural food production, particularly in the cultivation of rice, which is semiaquatic plant. Developing drought resistant rice varieties through conventional breeding approaches is a challenging task due to the complex genetics underlying drought resistance. The mechanisms underlying drought resistance in plants are intricate and encompass a range of physiological and biochemical phenomena, contributing to the complexity of the breeding process. The inherent complexity of drought resistance necessitates the intervention of molecular mechanisms in breeding programs. This review aims to shed light on the current molecular breeding methods employed in the development of durable drought resistant rice varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]