Question

Define the term ‘stress’ for plants. Discuss briefly the two types of stress encountered by plants.

Answer 1

Stress for plants:

Stress for plants refers to the external conditions that have an adverse effect on the growth, development and productivity of the plants. Stress induces undesirable changes in growth rates, crop yields, gene expression and cellular metabolism etc. in plants.

Types of stress in plants:

Stress for plants is of two types: abiotic stress and biotic stress.

Abiotic stress:

Abiotic stress is caused by environmental factors, like extreme cold or hot temperature, excessive watering, drought and salinity of the soil.

Biotic stress:

Biotic stress is caused by biological factors like disease causing microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and virus) or pests and insects.