Drought-resistant plants show promise for future food security and sustainability.
The study looked at how different types of ramie plants respond to drought stress. They found that resistant plants had higher water content in their leaves and lower levels of certain compounds compared to sensitive plants. Resistant plants also had higher levels of an enzyme called peroxidase, while sensitive plants had higher levels of proline. Under severe drought, resistant plants accumulated proline faster and had slower increases in a harmful compound called MDA in their leaves.