Medicinal plants grown under drought stress produce much higher amounts of active substances thas the same plant species cultivated with sufficient water. This phenomenon was so far poorly understood. In a literature review, plant scientists Kleinwächter and Selmar deduce for the first time that a modification of the photosynthetic apparatus under drought stress is responsible for higher yields of medicinal substances. Such knowledge can be applied to enhance the production of spice and medicinal plants by applying moderate drought stress during cultivation.
