Orchard Management and Incorporation of Biochemical and Molecular Strategies for Improving Drought Tolerance in Fruit Tree Crops

Abstract

Water scarcity is one of the greatest concerns for agronomy worldwide. In recent years, many water resources have been depleted due to multiple factors, especially mismanagement. Water resource shortages lead to cropland expansion, which likely influences climate change and affects global agriculture, especially horticultural crops. Fruit yield is the final aim in commercial orchards; however, drought can slow tree growth and/or decrease fruit yield and quality. It is therefore necessary to find approaches to solve this problem. The main objective of this review is to discuss the most recent horticultural, biochemical, and molecular strategies adopted to improve the response of temperate fruit crops to water stress. We also address the viability of cultivating fruit trees in dry areas and provide precise protection methods for planting fruit trees in arid lands. We review the main factors involved in planting fruit trees in dry areas, including plant material selection, regulated deficit irrigation (DI) strategies, rainwater harvesting (RWH), and anti-water stress materials. We also provide a detailed analysis of the molecular strategies developed to combat drought, such as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) through gene overexpression or gene silencing. Finally, we look at the molecular mechanisms associated with the contribution of the microbiome to improving plant responses to drought.