What is meant by abiotic stress?

Abiotic stress refers to the negative impacts on plant growth and development caused by environmental conditions. This can include a variety of factors such as extreme temperatures (both hot and cold), drought, salinity, nutrient deficiencies, and excessive rainfall. These environmental stresses can lead to physiological changes in plants, affecting their ability to grow, reproduce, and ultimately survive.

Understanding abiotic stress is crucial for growers and agronomists as it helps in developing strategies to mitigate these effects, thereby enhancing crop resilience and improving yield. For instance, knowing that drought is a form of abiotic stress can lead to the adoption of irrigation practices or the selection of drought-resistant crop varieties.

Other options relate to biotic stresses, such as pests or competitive plant species, which involve living organisms rather than environmental conditions. Therefore, the focus of the question specifically points toward the influence of non-living factors on plant health and productivity.