Targeting metabolic pathways for genetic engineering abiotic stress-tolerance in crops

Abiotic stress conditions are the major limitations in modern agriculture. Although many genes associated with plant response(s) to abiotic stresses have been indentified and used to generate stress tolerant plants, the success in producing stress-tolerant crops is limited. New technologies are providing opportunities to generate stress tolerant crops. Biotechnological approaches that emphasize the development of transgenic crops under conditions that mimic the field situation and focus on the plant reproductive stage will significantly improve the opportunities of producing stress tolerant crops. Here, we highlight recent advances and discuss the limitations that hinder the fast integration of transgenic crops into agriculture and suggest possible research directions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Plant gene regulation in response to abiotic stress.

► A limited success in producing abiotic-stress tolerant cultivars through genetic engineering has been achieved.
► Stresses occurring simultaneously is a common situation for crops that results in a complex system to cope with.
► New technologies provide opportunities to generate transgenic crops able to maintain high yields under stress.
► More emphasis should be given to study abiotic-stress tolerant crops under field conditions focusing on reproductive stage.