Abstract

Drought stress represents one of the most significant abiotic stressors affecting agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability worldwide. This comparative study investigates the complex tripartite interactions between soil properties, plant physiological responses, and microbial community dynamics under varying degrees of drought stress. We examined three plant species (Triticum aestivum, Zea mays, and Glycine max) across different soil types under controlled drought conditions over a 12-week period. Our results demonstrate that drought stress significantly alters soil microbial diversity (Shannon index decreased from 3.2±0.15 to 2.1±0.23, p<0.001), reduces plant biomass by 35-60% depending on species, and modifies soil physicochemical properties. Notably, mycorrhizal associations showed enhanced resilience in drought-stressed conditions, with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization rates increasing by 40-65% in stressed plants compared to controls. Soil organic carbon content decreased by 18-25% under severe drought, while soil pH increased by 0.3-0.7 units. These findings highlight the interconnected nature of soil-plant-microbe systems and provide insights for developing drought-resilient agricultural practices. The study emphasizes the critical role of beneficial microorganisms in maintaining plant productivity under water-limited conditions and suggests targeted microbial inoculation as a potential mitigation strategy.