Abstract
Wheat is one of the most important food crops globally, and its yield is significantly affected by environmental stresses such as drought. As the key structure for water and nutrient absorption, the root system is critical in wheat’s drought resistance. This paper systematically reviews the biological characteristics of wheat root system architecture, explores how parameters such as root depth and density affect water acquisition efficiency, and analyzes the morphological adaptive responses of roots under drought conditions. Studies have shown that root depth, spread, and activity are closely related to wheat’s drought resistance. Additionally, genes and signaling pathways that regulate root development are vital in enhancing wheat’s drought tolerance. With the rapid development of molecular breeding technologies, such as gene editing and marker-assisted selection, optimizing root system architecture has improved wheat’s drought resistance. This paper aims to summarize the latest research on wheat root system architecture and drought resistance, uncover the genetic regulatory mechanisms, and outline future research directions, providing a technical reference for breeding drought-resistant wheat varieties.
