ABSTRACT
Drought stress is an important environmental factor that can negatively impact the growth and development of many plant species. In recent decades, there has been an increase in the frequency and duration of drought events, which is of great agricultural concern worldwide (Karl et al., 2008, 2009; Mishra and Singh, 2010; IPCC, 2014). The demand for water continues to grow, and there is a constant struggle for optimum resources. Drought stress causes various damages, including decreases in leaf water relations, membrane stability and metabolic activities (Hsiao, 1973; Levitt, 1980; Nilsen and Orcutt, 1996). Because an adequate supply of water is essential to the normal functioning of plants, its limited availability due to lack of precipitation can have detrimental ecological and economic effects.
