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Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and...
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Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and Approaches

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Genetics, Genomics and Breeding".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 6473

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alvaro Lopez-Zaplana

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
R&D Department, 3A Biotech, 30565 Las Torres de Cotillas, Murcia, Spain
Interests: stress tolerance; crop sciences; abiotic stress; molecular biology; plant biotechnology; bioinformatics; metagenomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, climate change and environmental degradation have intensified the frequency and severity of the abiotic and biotic stresses affecting crop systems worldwide. Understanding how crops respond and adapt to these environmental challenges is a central question in plant science and agricultural innovation. Historically, research has focused on individual stressors, but current efforts are shifting toward integrated approaches that consider complex and simultaneous stress interactions.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in our understanding of the physiological, molecular, and genetic responses of crops to various environmental stresses—including drought, salinity, heat, cold, flooding, and pest pressures. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary research that links fundamental mechanisms with applied strategies to improve crop resilience and productivity.

We invite contributions that explore novel insights into plant signaling pathways, stress-responsive gene networks, microbiome interactions, phenotyping technologies, and breeding or biotechnological approaches aimed at enhancing stress tolerance. Studies that include omics tools, systems biology, modeling, or field-based validations are particularly welcome.

Original research articles, reviews, and opinion pieces that provide a forward-looking perspective on the adaptation of crops to a changing environment will form the backbone of this Special Issue. Our goal is to provide a platform for cutting-edge research that bridges knowledge gaps and supports the development of sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

Dr. Alvaro Lopez-Zaplana
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Agriculture 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 2600 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

  • abiotic stress
  • biotic stress
  • plant adaptation
  • crop physiology
  • molecular responses
  • stress tolerance
  • climate change

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2374 KB  
Article
Field-Induced Chilling Injury in Banana: Physiological and Quality Responses of Cultivars to Natural Cold Front
by Juliana Domingues Lima, Mariane Rodrigues Pereira, Danilo Eduardo Rozane, Silvia Helena Modenese Gorla da Silva, Eduardo Nardini Gomes, Edson Shigueaki Nomura and Poliana Fernanda Giachetto
Agriculture 2026, 16(11), 1193; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16111193 - 29 May 2026
Viewed by 245
Abstract
Banana fruits are susceptible to chilling injury (CI) under field conditions, which significantly impairs fruit quality. Cold tolerance varies among genotypes; however, only a limited number of cultivars have been identified as tolerant and are commercially cultivated. This study aimed to investigate the [...] Read more.
Banana fruits are susceptible to chilling injury (CI) under field conditions, which significantly impairs fruit quality. Cold tolerance varies among genotypes; however, only a limited number of cultivars have been identified as tolerant and are commercially cultivated. This study aimed to investigate the physiological responses and quality attributes of banana cultivars exposed to natural cold fronts during development, compared with fruits developed under summer conditions. Furthermore, it evaluated whether the B genome confers greater cold tolerance, driven by a more efficient antioxidant mechanism, thereby supporting its recommendation for cultivation in regions prone to low temperatures. Bunches were harvested in winter following five natural cold fronts, during which air temperatures fell below 12 °C (137 h). The experimental design followed a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement. Consecutive cold fronts intensified CI symptoms up to the fourth exposure event. CI severity was highest in ‘Grande Naine’ (AAA), which exhibited lower L*, a*, and b* values at the ripe stage compared to ‘BRS Princesa’ (AAAB) and ‘Prata Catarina’ (AAB), along with greater deviations relative to summer-harvested fruits. Malondialdehyde (MDA), total phenolic content, and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, APX, and POD) in the peel of unripe fruits were significantly higher during winter, particularly in ‘BRS Princesa’ and ‘Prata Catarina’, compared to ‘Grande Naine’. Proline accumulation followed a similar pattern, with the highest levels observed in ‘BRS Princesa’, followed by ‘Prata Catarina’ and ‘Grande Naine’. The findings indicate that ‘BRS Princesa’ exhibits greater tolerance to cold stress and highlights of the contribution of the B genome. Phenolic content was identified as a consistent marker of seasonal variation across cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and Approaches)
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19 pages, 2981 KB  
Article
Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses of Xinjiang Wheat ‘Xindong 22’ (Triticum aestivum L.) to Drought Stress During Early Development
by Kunkun Wu, Xiaoya Li, Chen Gao, Xin Li, Yuhao Zhao, Xinyu Li and Weihong Sun
Agriculture 2026, 16(4), 483; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16040483 - 21 Feb 2026
Viewed by 455
Abstract
The Xinjiang wheat variety ‘Xindong 22’ was used as experimental material. Two soil moisture treatments were established: control (CK, 70–75% field capacity), drought (X1, 60–65%). The photosynthetic characteristics and resistance physiological indexes of wheat leaves under different stress levels were analyzed, and RNA-Seq [...] Read more.
The Xinjiang wheat variety ‘Xindong 22’ was used as experimental material. Two soil moisture treatments were established: control (CK, 70–75% field capacity), drought (X1, 60–65%). The photosynthetic characteristics and resistance physiological indexes of wheat leaves under different stress levels were analyzed, and RNA-Seq technology was used to conduct transcriptome sequencing and analysis were performed on wheat leaves. The results showed that under drought stress, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly enhanced, while peroxidase (POD) activity decreased. Soluble sugar and proline contents also increased. These changes likely enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging, thereby reducing the content of malondialdehyde in the leaves. Meanwhile, under the X1 treatment, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of wheat leaves showed a slow decreasing trend, the intercellular CO2 concentration decreased slightly, the decline in Fv/Fm was relatively small, and the value of the non-photochemical quenching coefficient gradually increased. Transcriptome analysis identified 1881 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Notably, drought stress induced the up-regulation of key genes involved in the ABA signaling pathway (e.g., SnRK2 and ABF) and the MAPK cascade, suggesting their crucial roles in mediating drought responses in this wheat variety. In the jasmonic acid signaling pathway, MYC2 functions as a positive regulator by interacting with JAZ proteins. These findings demonstrate that Xinjiang wheat employs integrated physiological and molecular strategies to cope with drought stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and Approaches)
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22 pages, 3112 KB  
Article
Zinc Nanoparticle Effects on the Green Leaf Volatiles and Phyllosphere Bacteriome in Capsicum annum Seedling
by Luis Alberto García-Casillas, Oscar Kevin Reyes-Maldonado, Rosa Sánchez-Fernández, Víctor Manuel Zúñiga-Mayo, Adalberto Zamudio-Ojeda, Diego Alberto Lomelí-Rosales, César Ricardo Cortez-Álvarez, Rebeca Escutia-Gutiérrez, Santiago José Guevara-Martínez and Gilberto Velázquez-Juárez
Agriculture 2026, 16(3), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16030345 - 30 Jan 2026
Viewed by 830
Abstract
The application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in agriculture is expanding due to their biostimulant potential; however, their influence on plant chemical communication and associated microbial communities remains not fully characterized. This study presents a multi-perspective analysis contrasting the effects of ZnONPs with [...] Read more.
The application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in agriculture is expanding due to their biostimulant potential; however, their influence on plant chemical communication and associated microbial communities remains not fully characterized. This study presents a multi-perspective analysis contrasting the effects of ZnONPs with those of conventional microparticulate ZnO (Bulk) on Capsicum annuum seedlings grown in substrate at 50 and 500 mg kg−1. Results indicate that, at high doses, the bulk material (B500) led to higher foliar zinc accumulation (128.7 mg kg−1) compared to ZnONPs (NP500, 119.7 mg kg−1), a difference potentially linked to nanoparticle aggregation in the soil matrix limiting root uptake. At the physiological level, a distinct response was observed: while Bulk ZnO stimulated superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, ZnONPs resulted in a marked reduction (93%), suggesting a shift in the antioxidant strategy toward non-enzymatic mechanisms, such as increased total phenol content. Regarding the volatilomic profile, ZnONPs induced specific metabolic alterations in the green leaf volatile (GLV) pathway, characterized by hexanal accumulation and reduced levels of hexanol and hexyl acetate. Additionally, ZnONPs were associated with lower methyl salicylate (MeSA) emissions, whereas the Bulk treatment increased its relative abundance to 41.7%. Finally, metagenomic analysis revealed that zinc treatments modulated the phyllosphere microbiota, favoring the proliferation of Actinobacteria while decreasing the abundance of sensitive taxa, such as Spirochaetes. Taken together, these findings suggest that ZnONPs act as a distinct metabolic modulator, altering internal physiology and chemical signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and Approaches)
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16 pages, 4412 KB  
Article
DNA Methylation and mRNA Exon Sequence Variations in the Salt Stress Adaptation of Paspalum vaginatum
by Youhao Wei, Qing Zhu, Xinyi Zheng, Zhiyong Wang and Minqiang Tang
Agriculture 2025, 15(17), 1875; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15171875 - 3 Sep 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1134
Abstract
Background: DNA methylation, as an epigenetic modification, is crucial in the regulatory mechanism of salt resistance in plants. Methods: To gain deeper insight into the relationship between DNA methylation and mRNA exons in halophytes and their potential roles in regulating salt tolerance, this [...] Read more.
Background: DNA methylation, as an epigenetic modification, is crucial in the regulatory mechanism of salt resistance in plants. Methods: To gain deeper insight into the relationship between DNA methylation and mRNA exons in halophytes and their potential roles in regulating salt tolerance, this study employed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and transcriptome sequencing data to analyze the leaves of the halophyte Paspalum vaginatum, widely distributed in tropical regions. Results: The findings revealed that the methylation level of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in the genomic elements of P. vaginatum increased with prolonged salt treatment under salt stress conditions. This observation suggested that the methylation level plays a pivotal role in the salt stress response of P. vaginatum. Notably, under salt stress, the number of variants at the mRNA exon level was significantly higher than that at the DNA level. Furthermore, comparative analysis revealed sequence variants within exonic regions of mature mRNA transcripts for several genes in salt-treated samples relative to pre-stress controls, and these changes were found to be enriched in several salt-tolerance pathways, including unsaturated fatty acid metabolism and ascorbic acid metabolism, among others. Further analysis demonstrated that the occurrence of these variants changed concomitantly with the dynamic changes in CG methylation levels in the gene body of some salt-tolerant genes. Therefore, it was speculated that mRNA exon variations probably promoted the elevation of CG 5mC methylation levels at the DNA level under salt stress conditions, further enabling the plant to adapt to the salt-stress environment. Conclusions: These findings offer preliminary insights into the relationship between DNA methylation and mRNA exon variations in P. vaginatum under salt stress, providing valuable information and avenues for further investigation into the regulatory role of mRNA in DNA methylation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and Approaches)
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14 pages, 2881 KB  
Article
Nano-Titanium Dioxide Regulates the Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and Alleviates the Growth Inhibition Induced by Polylactic Acid Microplastics
by Lisi Jiang, Wenyuan Li, Yuqi Zhang, Zirui Liu, Yangwendi Yang, Lixin Guo, Chang Guo, Zirui Yu and Wei Fu
Agriculture 2025, 15(14), 1478; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15141478 - 11 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1503
Abstract
Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) can alleviate oxidative damage in plants subjected to abiotic stress, interfere with related gene expression, and change metabolite content. Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics can inhibit plant growth, induce oxidative stress in plant cells, and alter the biophysical properties [...] Read more.
Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) can alleviate oxidative damage in plants subjected to abiotic stress, interfere with related gene expression, and change metabolite content. Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics can inhibit plant growth, induce oxidative stress in plant cells, and alter the biophysical properties of rhizosphere soil. In this study, untargeted metabolomics (LC-MS) and RNA-seq sequencing were performed on radish root cells exposed to nano-TiO2 and PLA. The results showed that nano-TiO2 alleviated the growth inhibition of radish roots induced by PLA. Nano-TiO2 alleviated PLA-induced oxidative stress, and the activities of SOD and POD were decreased by 28.6% and 36.0%, respectively. A total of 1673 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 844 upregulated genes, and 829 downregulated genes) were detected by transcriptome analysis. Metabolomics analysis showed that 5041 differential metabolites were involved; they mainly include terpenoids, fatty acids, alkaloids, shikimic acid, and phenylpropionic acid. Among them, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis as well as flavone and flavonol biosynthesis were the key metabolic pathways. This study demonstrates that nano-TiO2 mitigates PLA phytotoxicity in radish via transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. These findings provide important references for enhancing crop resilience against pollutants and underscore the need for ecological risk assessment of co-existing novel pollutants in agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and Approaches)
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Review

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17 pages, 656 KB  
Review
Ethylene-Triggered Rice Root System Architecture Adaptation Response to Soil Compaction
by Yuxiang Li, Bingkun Ge, Chunxia Yan, Zhi Qi, Rongfeng Huang and Hua Qin
Agriculture 2025, 15(19), 2071; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15192071 - 2 Oct 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1608
Abstract
Soil compaction is a major constraint on global agriculture productivity. It disrupts soil structure, reduces soil porosity and fertility, and increases mechanical impedance, thereby restricting root growth and crop yield. Recent studies on rice (Oryza sativa) reveal that the phytohormone ethylene [...] Read more.
Soil compaction is a major constraint on global agriculture productivity. It disrupts soil structure, reduces soil porosity and fertility, and increases mechanical impedance, thereby restricting root growth and crop yield. Recent studies on rice (Oryza sativa) reveal that the phytohormone ethylene serves as a primary signal and functions as a hub in orchestrating root response to soil compaction. Mechanical impedance promotes ethylene biosynthesis and compacted soil impedes ethylene diffusion, resulting in ethylene accumulation in root tissues and triggering a complex hormonal crosstalk network to orchestrate root system architectural modification to facilitate plant adaptation to compacted soil. This review summarizes the recent advances on rice root adaptation response to compacted soil and emphasizes the regulatory network triggered by ethylene, which will improve our understanding of the role of ethylene in root growth and development and provide a pathway for breeders to optimize crop performance under specific agronomic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Stresses: New Insights and Approaches)
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