MUKUL KUMAR, SEVA NAYAK DHEERAVATHU, USHA T. N., SRAVANTHI G, KETHAVATH MADHUDEEPIKA, THULASI BAI VADITHE, AVINASH S, JYOTHI, SAIDA NAIK VADITHE, D. VENKATESHWARLU AND M. ANIL NAYAK
Department of Plant Physiology & Biochemistry, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bihar, India
ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad-500030 (Telangana), India
Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Iruvakki, Sagara (Tq), Shivamogga-577412 (Karnataka), India
Department of Microbiology, Visakha Government Degree College for Women (A), Visakhapatnam-530020 (Andhra Pradesh), India
ANGRAU–Agricultural Research Station, Jangameswarapuram, Palnadu-522415 (Andhra Pradesh), India
CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore (Karnataka), India
ICAR–Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI), Jhansi-284003 (U. P.), India
*(e-mail: sevanayak2005@gmail.com)
(Received: 10 November 2025; Accepted: 25 December 2025)
SUMMARY
Waterlogging, characterized by prolonged soil saturation and oxygen (O2) depletion in the root zone, severely constrains the growth, persistence, and productivity of forage legumes and grasses. Inhibition of aerobic respiration limits energy availability, root growth, and nutrient uptake, ultimately depressing shoot photosynthesis and biomass accumulation. Forage species exhibit diverse adaptive mechanisms-morphological, anatomical, physiological, and biochemical-that confer differential tolerance to waterlogging stress. Key tolerance traits include root aerenchyma formation, adventitious root development, barriers to radial oxygen loss, and the maintenance of nodulation and biological nitrogen (N2) fixation under hypoxic conditions. While cereals such as rice possess well-characterized genetic pathways for flooding tolerance, mechanistic and genomic understanding in forage crops remains limited. This review synthesizes current knowledge on physiological responses and tolerance mechanisms in forage species and highlights research gaps and breeding priorities aimed at developing resilient forage systems under increasing waterlogging risk associated with climate change.
Key words: Adventitious roots. aerenchyma; forage grasses; forage legumes;waterlogging tolerance