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Agronomy QUESTION #2092
Question 1
Drought escape as a mechanism of crop adaptation to water deficit differs from drought tolerance in that:
  • Drought escape requires genetic modification while tolerance is a natural trait
  • Drought escape is a phenological strategy — completing the life cycle (particularly the sensitive reproductive stage) before or during periods when water deficit occurs — without requiring the plant to physiologically withstand low tissue water potentials✔️
  • Drought escape results in higher yield than drought tolerance under all conditions
  • Drought escape involves waxy leaf surfaces to reduce transpiration
Correct Answer Explanation
Drought adaptation mechanisms: Escape (phenological — early maturity, photoperiod sensitivity completes grain fill before drought); Avoidance (reducing water loss: deep roots, stomatal closure, leaf rolling, reduced leaf area); Tolerance (maintaining function at low tissue water potential: osmotic adjustment, desiccation tolerance). Escape is a timing strategy, not a physiological response to stress.