Regulatory Mechanisms of Exogenous Natural Compounds in the Growth and Stress Resistance of Horticultural Crops
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Genetics, Genomics and Breeding".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: agricultural plant science; biochemistry; brassica crops; novel food
Interests: plant physiology; plant growth; conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Exogenous natural compounds—including plant growth regulators, signaling molecules, biostimulants, and elicitors—play pivotal roles in enhancing the growth, stress resilience, and quality of horticultural crops. These compounds function through multifaceted regulatory mechanisms, modulating metabolic pathways, improving nutrient assimilation, and fine-tuning gene expression associated with stress responses. Their application has been shown to enhance antioxidant activity, mitigate both abiotic (e.g., drought, salinity, extreme temperatures) and biotic (e.g., fungal, bacterial) stresses, and elevate the content of bioactive compounds in plants. Beyond stress mitigation, these natural compounds contribute to increased crop yield and improved nutritional quality, aligning with consumer demand for healthier and more sustainable horticultural products.
Integrating these compounds into sustainable crop management strategies represents a promising approach to address climate challenges and the growing demand for agricultural productivity. This Special Issue aims to collect the application of natural compounds in horticultural science and practice, highlighting the regulatory mechanisms by which exogenous natural compounds influence the plants growth, development, and stress responses, particularly in horticultural crops.
Dr. Donata Arena
Prof. Dr. Ferdinando Branca
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- biostimulants
- elicitors
- horticulture crops
- organic farming system
- abiotic/biotic stress
- plant growth and development
- plant physiology
- functional food
- biochemical analysis
- microbiome
- genetic traits
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