Drought-resilient crops: LUMS researchers help identify compounds
LAHORE: Researchers at the Lahore University of Management Sciences have contributed to an international study that has identified two chemical compounds capable of helping plants withstand drought stress, a discovery that could pave the way for more water-resilient crops at a time when agriculture worldwide is grappling with mounting water scarcity.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, was co-authored by Dr Khurram Bashir, Associate Professor at LUMS, and PhD researcher Farhan Aziz, alongside scientists from Japan, Italy, Germany and Spain.
According to the findings, a small molecule known as NS5806 and its derivative, UA49, improve drought tolerance by influencing potassium channel activity and regulating the opening and closing of stomata, the microscopic pores on plant leaves that control water loss and gas exchange.
Under normal circumstances, drought-stressed plants produce the hormone abscisic acid, which forces stomata to close and thereby reduces water loss. Applying this hormone externally, however, tends to delay seed germination and stunt root growth, limitations that have long constrained its use as a practical treatment.
Laboratory experiments demonstrated that the newly identified compounds could deliver the same drought-tolerance benefits without triggering these side effects, indicating that they operate through an alternative signalling pathway and giving researchers a fresh molecular route to explore in the search for more drought-resistant crops.
The study further revealed a previously unrecognised link between potassium channel activity and calcium signalling in guard cells, the specialised cells that govern stomatal movement, shedding new light on how plants respond to environmental stress at the cellular level.
Researchers say the compounds could prove valuable not only for agricultural application but also as tools for probing the broader molecular mechanisms behind plant adaptation to drought.
The implications carry particular weight for Pakistan, where agriculture remains heavily reliant on water availability and is increasingly threatened by rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and worsening water shortages linked to climate change.
Even so, scientists caution that the discovery represents an early-stage development rather than a ready-made solution, noting that NS5806 and UA49 must still undergo extensive testing on major agricultural crops under real field conditions before their practical value can be confirmed.
Researchers describe the two compounds as promising candidates for enhancing drought tolerance in staple crops, and say that if their effectiveness holds up under further study, the findings could feed into wider efforts to build more climate-resilient agricultural systems.
The involvement of LUMS scientists in the project also reflects Pakistan’s growing role in global research aimed at understanding and countering the impact of drought and other environmental stresses on plant life.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026