Mild alternate wetting and drying irrigation improves stomatal and mesophyll conductance of WDR under drought in association with anatomical and hormonal traits.

Mild alternate wetting and drying irrigation enhances stomatal and mesophyll conductance in WDR rice under drought, linked to anatomical and hormonal changes.

• Why it matters: Understanding how irrigation methods influence plant physiology and structure under drought can improve rice resilience and yield, addressing critical water management challenges.
• What they did: A pot experiment with cultivars Hanyou73 and Huanghuazhan subjected to severe drought during heading assessed gas exchange, anatomical traits, and hormone levels under three irrigation regimes, focusing on the effects of mild alternate wetting and drying.
• The result: Mild alternate wetting and drying produced the highest grain yield and net photosynthetic rate, associated with increased g s , g m , and structural and hormonal adjustments, suggesting improved drought adaptation mechanisms.