Advances in the study of waterlogging tolerance in plants

Waterlogging is one of the major abiotic stresses threatening crop yield globally. Under waterlogging stress, plants suffer from oxidative stress, heavy metal toxicity and energy deficiency, leading to metabolism disorder and growth inhibition. On the other hand, plants have evolved waterlogging-tolerant or adaptive mechanisms, including morphological changes, alternation of respiratory pathways, antioxidant protection and endogenous hormone regulation. In this review, recent advances in studies on effects of waterlogging stress and mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in plants are presented, and the genetic differences in waterlogging tolerance among plant species or genotypes within a species are illustrated. In particular, we summarize the identified QTLs and key genes associated with waterlogging tolerance.