3rd Edition Of Plant Science and Molecular Biology World Conference 2026

Abstract

Agriculture is pivotal in sustaining the world's growing population through extensive food production. However, crop plants face numerous challenges in their natural environment, including abiotic stresses such as drought and salt stress. Plants have developed complex survival mechanisms. Understanding pearl millet's response mechanisms to these stresses is vital for improving resilience in water-deficit and saline environments. Our study subjected pearl millet to separate and combined drought and salt stress for 25 days. The results showed significant reductions in morphological traits, such as plant height, fresh weights and lengths of both shoots and roots, and the number of leaves observed. Furthermore, key physiological parameters, including chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, and transpiration rates notably declined, indicating a complex interaction between stress factors and water regulation mechanisms. Proteomic analysis revealed altered protein expression in response to stress, suggesting potential upregulation or downregulation of proteins. Gene ontology analysis identified various unclassified proteins involved in essential biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the detrimental effects of drought and salinity on pearl millet at the morphological, physiological, and proteomic levels, uncovering previously unexplored proteomic responses. It also offers valuable insights for researchers and agricultural experts studying stress responses in pearl millet and related crops, serving as a reference tool for understanding drought and salt stress pathways.