Question

Drought avoidance mechanism is found in which of the following crops?

• A. Barley
• B. Maize
• C. Sorghum
• D. Sunflower

Hint:

Look for the crop with a deep root system, waxy leaves and leaf rolling that keeps it hydrated in dry soil.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Plants deal with water shortage in different ways, broadly grouped as drought escape (finishing the life cycle before the dry spell gets severe), drought avoidance (keeping tissue water potential high by cutting water loss or reaching more water), and drought tolerance (surviving and functioning even at low tissue water potential). This question asks which crop among the choices is best known for the drought avoidance route.

1. Barley: is grown mostly in cooler, often irrigated or rainier tracts and is not the crop typically cited for a strong drought avoidance mechanism.
2. Maize: needs fairly steady moisture through its growth period and shows visible stress, including leaf rolling, quite early under water shortage, so it is not the standard example of drought avoidance.
3. Sorghum: has a deep and widely spreading root system that keeps drawing water from deeper soil layers, along with a waxy bloom on its leaf surface and the ability to roll its leaves and close its stomata to cut water loss. These traits work together to keep the plant's internal water status high even as the soil dries, which is the textbook definition of drought avoidance.
4. Sunflower: has large leaves with a comparatively high water demand and is more often described in terms of drought sensitivity at key growth stages than as a drought avoider.

Because sorghum combines a deep root system with leaf and stomatal adaptations that specifically reduce water loss and keep tissue water status favorable, it is the crop associated with drought avoidance among these four options.

Let's summarize:

• Drought avoidance means keeping plant water status high by cutting water loss or reaching more water, not by tolerating low water status.
• Sorghum's deep roots, waxy leaves and stomatal control make it the classic drought avoiding crop here, though sorghum can also show elements of true drought tolerance, which is why this option is sometimes debated.

The correct answer is sorghum, option (3).