PHYSIOLOGICAL AND GENETIC DISSECTION OF ABIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE FOR ENHANCED YIELD STABILITY IN STAPLE CROPS THROUGH PRECISION BREEDING APPROACHES FOR ENHANCED YIELD STABILITY IN STAPLE CROPS

Abstract

Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and heavy metal toxicity pose major threats to global food security by severely constraining crop productivity and yield stability. In this study, an integrated experimental framework was employed to evaluate abiotic stress tolerance in staple crops through comprehensive performance comparison, physiological assessment, and multi-dimensional data interpretation. Comparative analyses revealed substantial genotypic variability across stress conditions, with distinct differences in stress modulation indices (α and β), photosynthetic efficiency, metabolic assimilation rates (μ), variance stability (σ²), and composite stress tolerance scores. Several genotypes consistently exhibited superior performance under both individual and combined stress treatments, indicating broad-spectrum resilience rather than stress-specific tolerance. Graphical and multidimensional visualizations further demonstrated nonlinear and synergistic interactions among stress factors, particularly under drought–heat and drought–salinity combinations. Integrated performance ranking identified elite genotypes with enhanced antioxidant capacity, improved ionic balance, and stable physiological functioning under adverse conditions. Collectively, the results highlight that abiotic stress tolerance is a systems-level trait requiring coordinated physiological, biochemical, and molecular regulation. The study provides a robust analytical framework for identifying climate-resilient genotypes and supports the application of precision breeding and advanced biotechnological strategies to enhance crop adaptation under changing climatic conditions.