Physiological Factors of Dry Land Crop Production

Abstract

Soil moisture is the most limiting factor in dry land farming. Understanding the physiological processes that occur during moisture stress is necessary to ameliorate the stress effects either by management practices or by plant improvement. The major physiological principles that affect dry land crops are as follows: Soil moisture stress, Effect on photosynthesis, Assimilate saturation, Respiration, Metabolic reaction, Hormonal relationships, Growth and Leaf area development and reproduction and yield.