GUAVA CULTIVATION UNDER CHANGING CLIMATE: NUTRITIONAL AND STRESS ADAPTATION APPROACHES

Abstract

Guava (Psidium guajava L.), valued for its high nutritional profile and adaptability, faces significant challenges from climate change-induced abiotic stresses including terminal heat, drought, and soil salinity, which disrupt phenology, reduce fruit set, impair photosynthetic efficiency, and lower overall productivity. This review synthesizes physiological (antioxidant enzyme upregulation, Osmo protectant accumulation), biochemical (ROS scavenging, ion homeostasis), and molecular (differentially expressed ESTs, miRNAs targeting auxin and stress signaling) adaptation mechanisms in tolerant cultivars such as ‘Surahi (R)’. Nutritional interventions (foliar zinc, boron, silicon, calcium, salicylic acid) and biostimulants enhance stress resilience, while high-density planting, meadow orcharding, precision canopy management, and resilient rootstocks (‘Crioula’) improve resource-use efficiency and yield stability. Integration of transcriptomics, value addition, and postharvest technologies further supports climate-smart guava cultivation. These approaches collectively offer practical strategies to sustain production, maintain fruit quality, and ensure nutritional security in vulnerable tropical and subtropical regions under projected climate scenarios.