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Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress
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Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 12976

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. S. E. El-Hendawy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Interests: soil and water conservation; agronomy; plant breeding; drip irrigation; salinity; plant physiology; salt tolerance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yaser Hassan Dewir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
2. Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt
Interests: acclimatization; bioreactors; biotechnology; hydroponics; morphogenesis; oxidative stress; plant tissue culture; secondary metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There are various environmental stresses that pose a severe threat to the agriculture sector and sustainable agricultural production worldwide. These stresses are divided into two main groups, namely biotic stress and abiotic stress. The former stress is caused by non-living factors such as salinity, drought, low and high temperature, low and high light intensities, submergence, floods, heavy metals, nutrient deficiency, and oxidative stress, while the latter is caused by living organisms, especially weeds, fungi, viruses, bacteria, nematodes, insects, and intraspecific competition for resources. These different stresses, individually or in combinations, cause many physiological, morphological, anatomical, and biochemical changes, which ultimately impact the productivity and quality of the field and horticultural crops. The most common of the environmental stresses cause up to 70% yield losses in major food crops. Furthermore, the global climate change exacerbates the negative impacts of environmental stress and leads to further losses in the productivity of major crops. Importantly, by the year 2050, the current global food production will need to be increased between 60% and 110% in order to meet the projected demands from the rising population, which will be over 9 billion. Therefore, it is now more pressing than ever to equip crops with various strategies to enhance their tolerance to different environmental stresses and ameliorate the adverse impacts of these stresses on crop productivity.

Alterations in agricultural practices, integration between different agronomic practices, adoption of site-specific agronomic practices, development of stress-tolerance genotypes, improvement of land husbandry practices, fertilizer technology, adaptive microbial technology, exogenous application of key natural primary and secondary metabolites, seed priming, use of suitable rootstocks and transgenic plants, and application of precision agriculture approaches for addressing the negative impacts of environmental stresses on growth and production of crops in a fast and non-destructive manner are proposed strategies that can potentially regulate crop production under environmental stresses.  

Prof. Dr. S. E. El-Hendawy
Prof. Dr. Yaser Hassan Dewir
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agronomic practices
  • biotechnology
  • biotic and abiotic stresses
  • hydroponics
  • mechanisms of stress tolerance and alleviation
  • nano-particles
  • plant growth substances
  • precision phenotyping
  • rootstocks
  • sustainable production of field and horticultural crops
  • yield and growth performance

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1993 KiB  
Article
Wheat Transformation with ScTPS1-TPS2 Bifunctional Enzyme for Trehalose Biosynthesis Protects Photosynthesis during Drought Stress
by Andrea Romero-Reyes, Juan Pablo Valenzuela-Avendaño, Ciria G. Figueroa-Soto, José O. Mascorro-Gallardo, Gabriel Iturriaga, Alejandro Castellanos-Villegas, Marisela Rivera-Domínguez and Elisa M. Valenzuela-Soto
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 7267; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13127267 - 18 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1224
Abstract
Wheat cultivation makes an important contribution to human nutrition. Trehalose synthesis plays a role in the tolerance to drought stress. A bifunctional TPS-TPP enzyme gene from yeast was used to obtain transgenic wheat plants to increase trehalose synthesis. Mature wheat embryos were transformed [...] Read more.
Wheat cultivation makes an important contribution to human nutrition. Trehalose synthesis plays a role in the tolerance to drought stress. A bifunctional TPS-TPP enzyme gene from yeast was used to obtain transgenic wheat plants to increase trehalose synthesis. Mature wheat embryos were transformed using pGreen rd29A::TPS1-TPS2 or pGreen 35S::TPS1-TPS2 constructs. The transgene presence in mature leaves of T3 plants was confirmed by sequencing a PCR fragment of the inserted transgene. Transgenic and NT plants were submitted to drought stress for eight days. Transformed wheat lines retained a higher relative water content than NT plants during drought stress, and the Rubisco activity was unaffected. Plants transformed with the 35S construct showed a lower photosynthetic rate and lower fructose 1–6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) activity during drought, suggesting that constitutive trehalose and sucrose synthesis caused a reduced ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration. Lines transformed with the rd29A promoter showed a higher photosynthetic rate after eight days of drought, as the RuBP regeneration was unaffected. Transgenic wheat plants had higher biomass and grain weight than NT plants after drought. These results suggest that trehalose synthesis improves photosynthesis during stress and induces changes in the activity of some Calvin-cycle enzymes, reflected in plant metabolism and growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress)
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10 pages, 2216 KiB  
Communication
The Technical Parameters of Seaweed Biostimulant Spray Application as a Factor in the Economic Viability of Soybean Production
by Anna Krawczuk, Bruno Huyghebaert, Fabienne Rabier, Stanisław Parafiniuk, Artur Przywara, Milan Koszel, Edmund Lorencowicz and Sławomir Kocira
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13021051 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1273
Abstract
Application of biostimulant in the form of a spraying requires appropriate selection of technical parameters. One of the key factors in ensuring that the liquid is sprayed correctly is the choice of suitable spray nozzles. This study investigated selected technical parameters of seaweed [...] Read more.
Application of biostimulant in the form of a spraying requires appropriate selection of technical parameters. One of the key factors in ensuring that the liquid is sprayed correctly is the choice of suitable spray nozzles. This study investigated selected technical parameters of seaweed biostimulant spray applications as a factor for plant biometrics, crop quality and yield, and the economic viability of production. This objective was achieved by conducting a two-year field experiment involving spraying soybean plants with a biostimulant containing seaweed extract. The spraying was carried out with two types of nozzles (standard and air-injector), for which the droplet size and the degree of plant coverage were tested at 4.0 MPa. The surface tension of the spray liquid and the area and volume of the droplets were tested. The height of soybean plants, the height and the position of the first pod, the number of pods, seed yield, and the weight of 1000 seeds were measured. The physical properties of the liquid sprayed on the plants and the type of nozzles used were factors affecting the height of the first pods, plant height, and protein content. The application of biostimulants using standard nozzles is more economically advantageous compared to nozzles with an air-injector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress)
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19 pages, 1748 KiB  
Article
The Choice of Soybean Cultivar Alters the Underyielding of Protein and Oil under Drought Conditions in Central Poland
by Anna Wenda-Piesik and Krystian Ambroziak
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(15), 7830; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157830 - 4 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1575
Abstract
The popularization of soybean cultivation in Central Poland is progressing due to the European Soy Declaration signed by 13 member states in Brussels on 17 July 2017. Hence, this research was initiated under the European Innovation Partnership on phenotyping soybean cultivars in two [...] Read more.
The popularization of soybean cultivation in Central Poland is progressing due to the European Soy Declaration signed by 13 member states in Brussels on 17 July 2017. Hence, this research was initiated under the European Innovation Partnership on phenotyping soybean cultivars in two regions, i.e., Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Greater Poland for integrated systems. The aim of this study was to determine soybean potential in the agrotechnical and agroclimatic conditions, with the selection of the most suitable cultivars for tillage and no-tillage cultivation in the region of Central Poland. Strict field research was carried out in six locations from 2018–2020 on 20 cultivars selected in terms of their earliness of maturation to the climatic conditions. On the basis of meteorological data, it was found that half of the plantations suffered from drought stress, as evidenced by the hydrothermal coefficients (K) for the growing season of soybean K < 1.2. The significant multivariate relationship (R = 0.67; p < 0.001) between the hydrothermal coefficient K and the vegetation period days (VPD) as the predictors of the soybean yield was determined by the regression equation Y(yield) = 21.8 + 12.0 X(K) + 0.20 X(VPD). A significant multivariate relationship (R = 0.43; p < 0.01) was also found between the seed yield, hydrothermal coefficient K and the protein content, quantified with the regression equation Y(protein) = 32.6 + 0.25 X(Yield) + 0.28 X(K). In the no-tillage system of cultivation, the seed yield of soybean constantly increased with increasing K (+32.3% between dry/relatively dry and optimal periods, +22.4% between optimal and humid periods), while in the tillage system, the yield increased by 22.1% only when K rose from optimal to humid. In the seasons with optimum and humid conditions, no-tilled soybean produced more oil, in comparison to the season of dry conditions, and the opposite trend was found with the greater oil content in the tillage system. Meanwhile, a higher protein content was observed in the tillage system under humid conditions. All soybean cultivars were grouped according to the cluster analysis (k-means) with ANOVA in terms of vegetation period in days, seed yield, oil, and protein content for tillage and no-tillage cultivation. The study confirmed that soybean might be considered in the future as a profitable crop in Central Poland and create perspective for a low-input source of protein and oil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress)
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15 pages, 2050 KiB  
Article
The Hormetic Effects of a Brassica Water Extract Triggered Wheat Growth and Antioxidative Defense under Drought Stress
by Abdul Khaliq, Muhammad Usman Ibrahim, Saddam Hussain, Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Asma A. Al-Huqail, Muhammad Nawaz, Basharat Ali, Faheema Khan, Hyassam M. Ali and Manzer H. Siddiqui
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4582; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094582 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1919
Abstract
Drought is a major environmental constraint, affecting agricultural productivity worldwide. Allelopathic hormesis, the low-dose stimulatory effect of allelochemicals, offers a pragmatic solution in alleviating the adverse effects of drought in plants. This study, therefore, is conducted to evaluate the potential of a brassica [...] Read more.
Drought is a major environmental constraint, affecting agricultural productivity worldwide. Allelopathic hormesis, the low-dose stimulatory effect of allelochemicals, offers a pragmatic solution in alleviating the adverse effects of drought in plants. This study, therefore, is conducted to evaluate the potential of a brassica water extract (BWE) in enhancing drought tolerance in wheat. The experiment was based on three factors, viz, drought with three levels (100%, 60% and 30% field capacity; FC), different concentrations of a brassica water extract (control, water spray, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5% and 3.0%) and two wheat cultivars, Ihsan-2016 (drought tolerant) and Galaxy-2013 (drought-sensitive). Drought stress, particularly at 30% FC, decreased the morpho-physiological attributes of both wheat cultivars; nevertheless, the application of brassica water extract, particularly at 2.0%, effectively enhanced tolerance against drought stress. Compared with the control, the application of 2.0% brassica water extract increased the morphological attributes, such as seedling length and the fresh and dry weights of both wheat cultivars in the range of 2–160% under 30% field capacity. In addition, the 2.0% brassica water extract triggered the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase (11–159%), decreased the hydrogen peroxide content (14–30%) and enhanced chlorophyll a and b and carotenoid contents (19–154%), as compared to the control, in both wheat cultivars under 30% field capacity. The vigorous growth and higher drought tolerance in wheat cultivars with brassica water extract application were related to improved chlorophyll contents and physiological attributes, a better antioxidant defense system and a reduced H2O2-based damaging effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress)
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23 pages, 14703 KiB  
Article
Combining Hyperspectral Reflectance and Multivariate Regression Models to Estimate Plant Biomass of Advanced Spring Wheat Lines in Diverse Phenological Stages under Salinity Conditions
by Salah El-Hendawy, Nasser Al-Suhaibani, Muhammad Mubushar, Muhammad Usman Tahir, Samy Marey, Yahya Refay and ElKamil Tola
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 1983; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041983 - 14 Feb 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1992
Abstract
An area of growing interest in wheat-breeding programs for abiotic stresses is the accurate and expeditious phenotyping of large genotype collections using nondestructive hyperspectral sensing tools. The main goal of this study was to use data from canopy spectral signatures (CSS) in the [...] Read more.
An area of growing interest in wheat-breeding programs for abiotic stresses is the accurate and expeditious phenotyping of large genotype collections using nondestructive hyperspectral sensing tools. The main goal of this study was to use data from canopy spectral signatures (CSS) in the full-spectrum range (400–2500 nm) to estimate and predict the plant biomass dry weight at booting (BDW-BT) and anthesis (BDW-AN) growth stages, and biological yield (BY) of 64 spring wheat germplasms exposed to 150 mM NaCl using 13 spectral reflectance indices (SRIs, consisting of seven vegetation-related SRIs and six water-related SRIs) and partial least squares regression (PLSR). SRI and PLSR performance in estimating plant traits was evaluated during two years at BT, AN, and early milk grain (EMG) growth stages. Results showed significant genotypic differences between the three traits and SRIs, with highly significant two-way and three-way interactions between genotypes, years, and growth stages for all SRIs. Genotypic differences in CSS and the relationships between the three traits and a single wavelength over the full-spectrum range depended on the growth stage. Water-related SRIs were more strongly correlated with the three traits compared with vegetation-related SRIs at the BT stage; the opposite was found at the EMG stage. Both types of SRIs exhibited comparable associations with the three traits at the AN stage. Principal component analysis indicated that it is possible to assess plant biomass variations at an early stage (BT) through published and modified SRIs. SRIs coupled with PLSR models at the BT stage exhibited good prediction capacity of BDW-BT (57%), BDW-AN (82%), and BY (55%). Overall, results demonstrated that the integration of SRIs and multivariate models may present a feasible tool for plant breeders to increase the efficiency of the evaluation process and to improve the genetics for salt tolerance in wheat-breeding programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress)
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16 pages, 346 KiB  
Review
Thinning Methods to Regulate Sweet Cherry Crops—A Review
by Krzysztof Rutkowski and Grzegorz P. Łysiak
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031280 - 25 Jan 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3399
Abstract
In perennial fruit crops, bearing can be influenced by various factors, including environmental conditions, germplasm, rootstocks, and cultivation methods. Cherries, one of the most important and popular fruit species from the temperate climate zone, achieve high prices on the market. New agricultural technologies [...] Read more.
In perennial fruit crops, bearing can be influenced by various factors, including environmental conditions, germplasm, rootstocks, and cultivation methods. Cherries, one of the most important and popular fruit species from the temperate climate zone, achieve high prices on the market. New agricultural technologies and environmental factors force a change in the approach to cherry cultivation. Old-type cherry orchards, with their high demand for water, nutrients, and manual work, are replaced by orchards of self-pollinating cherry cultivars grown on dwarf rootstocks. These changes make it necessary to search for ways to regulate fruiting, in particular to thin buds, flower, and fruit. In light of environmental regulations and consumer pressure, thinning methods are being sought that either do not involve the use of chemicals or that use eco-friendly chemical agents. This review examines recent progress in understanding the effect of thinning methods on the physiology, tree growth, and fruit quality of cherries; discusses horticultural practices aimed to ensure regular cropping and their influence on fruit quality; and provides suggestions for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Production and Regulation under Environmental Stress)
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