Applying microbial biostimulants and drought-tolerant genotypes to enhance barley growth and yield under drought stress.

With climate change, the frequency of regions experiencing water scarcity is increasing annually, posing a significant challenge to crop yield. Barley, a staple crop consumed and cultivated globally, is particularly susceptible to the detrimental effects of drought stress, leading to reduced yield production. Water scarcity adversely affects multiple aspects of barley growth, including seed germination, biomass production, shoot and root characteristics, water and osmotic status, photosynthesis, and induces oxidative stress, resulting in considerable losses in grain yield and its components.

Physiological and biochemical changes in Moroccan barley ( L.) cultivars submitted to drought stress.

Barley ( L.) is the second most consumed and cultivated cereal by the Moroccan population. However, it is predicted that frequent drought periods, caused by climate change, can cause problems in plant growth.