Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and hydraulic-thermal coordination under combined drought and heat stress in soybean.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are linked to higher stomatal conductance in soybean under combined drought and heat stress, potentially supporting transpirational cooling.

• Why it matters: Understanding how plants cope with simultaneous drought and heat is crucial for developing resilient crops amid climate change, but the mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: The review synthesizes physiological and molecular evidence, highlighting that improved plant water status in mycorrhizal soybean may explain increased stomatal conductance under combined stress.
• The result: This suggests that AMF-mediated water status enhancement could be key to maintaining crop performance during climate extremes, informing agricultural management strategies.