'''Abiotic stress''' is caused in living [[organism]]s by nonliving [[natural environment|environmental]] factors, such as [[drought]], extreme [[temperature]]s, [[soil|edaphic]] conditions, and high winds. [[Plant]]s are especially dependent on environmental factors, and continued abiotic stress can have harmful effects on them or force [[natural selection]]. Abiotic stress is a major constraint in crop and food production. Most agricultural and agronomic practices are designated to optimize crop growth by avoiding or reducing abiotic stress (irrigation, fertilization, etc'). Plant breeding is designed, among other things, to develop genetically stable crop cultivars that are more resilient under such stresses.Abiotic stress can be defined as "stress caused by the inanimate components of the environment associated with climatic, edaphic and physiographic factors that substantially limit plant growth and survival".

==Further reading==
*{{web cite|url=http://www.plantstress.com|accessdate=2006-05-27|title=Plant Stress: coping with plant environmental stress is the foundation of sustainable agriculture}}

[[Category:Physiology]]


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