This invention provides for novel methods for preparing a plant tolerant to abiotic stress, such as drought or salt. This invention also provides for transgenic plants and transgenic seeds that are tolerant to abiotic stress. The methods of the present invention comprises introducing a recombinant expression cassette comprising a hydroperoxide lyase polynucleotide encoding a hydroperoxide lyase enzyme into the plants, and selecting a plant that is tolerant to abiotic stress. The transgenic plants and seeds generated by the methods of the invention accordingly comprise a recombinant expression cassette comprising a HPL polynucleotide encoding HPL enzyme.
