Glutathione (GSH) is an abundant tripeptide that can enhance plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Its main role is to counter free radicals and detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in cells under unfavorable conditions. Moreover, along with other second messengers (such as ROS, calcium, nitric oxide, cyclic nucleotides, etc.), GSH also acts as a cellular signal involved in stress signal pathways in plants, directly or along with the glutaredoxin and thioredoxin systems. While associated biochemical activities and roles in cellular stress response have been widely presented, the relationship between phytohormones and GSH has received comparatively less attention. This review, after presenting glutathione as part of plants’ feedback to main abiotic stress factors, focuses on the interaction between GSH and phytohormones, and their roles in the modulation of the acclimatation and tolerance to abiotic stress in crops plants.

With increasing frequency and severity of droughts in various parts of the world, agricultural productivity may suffer major setbacks. Among all the abiotic factors, drought is likely to have one of the most detrimental effects on soil organisms and plants. Drought is a major problem for crops because it limits the availability of water, and consequently nutrients which are crucial for plant growth and survival. This results in reduced crop yields, stunted growth, and even plant death, according to the severity and duration of the drought, the plant’s developmental stage, and the plant’s genetic background. The ability to withstand drought is a highly complex characteristic that is controlled by multiple genes, making it one of the most challenging attributes to study, classify, and improve. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) technology has opened a new frontier in crop enhancement, revolutionizing plant molecular breeding. The current review provides a general understanding of principles as well as optimization of CRISPR system, and presents applications on genetic enhancement of crops, specifically in terms of drought resistance and yield. Moreover, we discuss how innovative genome editing techniques can aid in the identification and modification of genes conferring drought tolerance.

Drought poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity, particularly affecting economic crops like tomatoes. To address this challenge, various alternatives have been explored, including the use of elicitors or biostimulants such as salicylic acid (SA). This study aims to assess the stimulatory action of SA in alleviating drought stress in tomato plants under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was designed with two main factors: water availability (controlled versus drought) and the foliar application of SA at four different concentrations ranging from 100 to 250 mg L⁻¹. The application of SA, particularly at a concentration of 250 mg L⁻¹, showed promising results in mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress followed by 200 mg L⁻¹. This was evidenced by the increased activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT). Gene expression analysis revealed optimal APX expression with SA application at concentrations of 200 mg L⁻¹ or 250 mg L⁻¹. Additionally, the application of SA at 250 mg L⁻¹ led to a high accumulation of bioactive compounds without compromising yield. Furthermore, SA application positively influenced both shoot and root weights, with the highest values observed at a concentration of 250 mg L⁻¹. While SA is known to enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stress, further research is needed to fully elucidate its biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms in supporting plant tolerance to drought stress. Utilizing salicylic acid can help growers mitigate environmental stresses, enhancing tomato crop yield and quality. Integrating SA treatments into agriculture offers a sustainable alternative elicitor for ensuring food security under challenging climate conditions.