Abstract
Drought is one of the key abiotic stresses limiting rice yield, with its impacts spanning the entire growth cycle and varying significantly across different growth stages. This paper systematically reviews the physiological and ecological effects of drought stress on rice growth and yield formation during the seedling, tillering, heading, flowering, and grain-filling stages, focusing on key mechanisms such as photosynthesis inhibition, reduced carbon assimilation efficiency, abnormal nutrient allocation, and intensified oxidative stress. Additionally, it summarizes commonly used experimental methods and evaluation indicators in current research and evaluates the application potential and progress of drought-tolerant variety breeding, optimized agronomic management, and smart irrigation technologies in mitigating drought stress. This paper aims to provide theoretical support for understanding the mechanisms of drought stress at different growth stages of rice and offers a scientific basis for the innovation and promotion of drought-resistant technologies.
