Comparative Analysis of Seed Germination Strategies under Abiotic Stress Conditions

Abstract

Seed germination is an important phase in plant development, and it is sensitive to abiotic stress, making it an important determinant of plant survival and productivity. Various species have developed different strategies to germinate so that they can deal with salinity, drought, temperature variation, and toxicity of heavy metals. The understanding of these strategies is critical to boosting the resiliency of crops to a changing environment brought about by climate induced environmental changes. This study contains a comparative analysis of physiological, biochemical, or molecular mechanism adopted by different plant species during germination under abiotic stress. Based on this review of empirical evidence, the role of osmotic adjustment, hormonal regulation, antioxidant defense and modifications in the structure of the seed are emphasized in differential stress tolerance. The results highlight the need for incorporating genetic screening and stress-adaptive traits into breeding with sustainability being the territorial goal regarding agriculture.