**9. Conclusions and perspectives**

This study revealed that soybeans are primarily affected by water deficit. Cultivars highly susceptible to water stress were easily distinguishable from those showing mild stress effects on the basis of the morphological and anatomical characters in stems, leaves and roots. Morphological architecture, anatomical features and chloroplastidic pigments were significantly affected by the induced water stress. This comprehensive insights regarding the internal and external growth characteristics including, aspects that involve the physiological processes is crucial for the pursuit of genetically modified plants. Soybean remains one of the most important oilseeds that are commercially and subsistently cultivated worldwide. The crop contains higher amounts of proteins, oils, fibre and minerals required for poultry feedstocks and human consumption. As a result of this, the elite superior genotypes of this crop still need to be investigated in order to identify the cultivars that would serve as genetic resource for breeding or genetic engineering, ultimately providing cultivars to be used for agricultural purposes showing high tolerance to abiotic stress, especially drought.
