Integrated strategies for enhanced drought tolerance in tomato: from molecular mechanisms to field applications

Drought stress is a major abiotic constraint on agricultural production, and cultivated tomato varieties are generally sensitive to water deficit. This review systematically summarizes the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying tomato drought responses. It also integrates recent high-impact insights to advance our understanding of this topic. It then surveys multidimensional improvement strategies. These include biostimulants, chemical regulators, nanomaterials, grafting, water management, and genetic engineering approaches such as transgenesis and CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing. Current research faces bottlenecks in translating laboratory findings to field applications, particularly due to the inherent trade-off between drought tolerance and fruit yield and quality. To address this challenge, we propose a framework that integrates several key components: precision editing tools (e.g. base editing and promoter editing), tissue-specific or stress-inducible expression systems, and parallel phenotyping of yield components and fruit quality traits under both well-watered and drought conditions. This framework is designed to balance stress resilience with productivity. Moving forward, a systematic multidisciplinary approach is required to overcome this trade-off, enabling water-efficient, stable-yielding, and high-quality sustainable tomato production. This review provides an integrative perspective and forward-looking guidance for future research and practical applications.