Optimizing Nutrient Dynamics for Crop Resilience to Abiotic Stress: An Endogenous Phytohormone Perspective

Plants continuously adapt to dynamic environmental conditions, which include abiotic stress such as drought, salinity, and high temperature. Translocation, availability, and uptake of essential nutrients are suggested to be disrupted, thereby impairing growth, development, and productivity of the plant. The interplay between the root architecture, membrane transporters, and hormonal regulation is suggested to have efficient nutrient acquisition. For mediating nutrient uptake and redistribution under abiotic stress conditions, transporter proteins such as nitrate (NRT), ammonium (AMT), phosphate (PHT), and potassium (HAK) families play a crucial role for the major essential elements (N, P, K). Abiotic stress triggers specific transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of these transporters, modulating their activity in response to external nutrient availability. Under nutrient-deficient conditions, phytohormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinin, and ethylene play a pivotal role in orchestrating plant responses. Moreover, the plant stress tolerance is suggested to be influenced by stress-induced signalling mechanisms, which are mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The current review synthesizes current knowledge of nutrient dynamics under abiotic stress, focusing on the molecular mechanisms governing transporter regulation and phytohormonal crosstalk. By unravelling these complex regulatory networks, this article aims to pave the way for sustainable agricultural practices.