Genetic and molecular dissection of drought tolerance in wheat and barley

Drought stress has become a major threat to international food security. Drought resistance is regulated by various small effect loci and polygenes that control morphological and physiological responses to drought. In this review, we summarize the status of mapping studies for the various traits associated with drought tolerance in wheat and barley. To meet the challenges of climate change, there is a need to explore natural diversity in the existing genetic resource pool of wheat and barley as these resources are yet untapped and provide potential sources to develop elite genotypes with improved adaptation to drought stress. Recent advancements in genome mapping and functional genomics technologies have provided powerful tools for molecular dissection of drought tolerance. Deciphering this complex mechanism in crops will accelerate the development of new cultivars with enhanced drought tolerance.