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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant-Crop Biology and Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2026 | Viewed by 4494

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Fabrício José Pereira

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Instituto de Ciências da Natureza (ICN), Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Centro, Alfenas 37130-001, MG, Brazil
Interests: photosynthesis; leaf anatomy; root anatomy; antioxidant system; growth parameters; plant nutrition; plant metabolism; environmental factors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Crop species are often exposed to unfavorable environmental factors, such as drought, flooding, insufficient or excessive light intensity, UV radiation, nutritional imbalance, and others. Predictive scenarios of climate change warn of further increases in unfavorable environmental events affecting plants, resulting in an urgent need to investigation into how different environmental factors affect the physiology and anatomy of cultivated plants. The objective of this Special Issue is to bring together novel and relevant studies on how unfavorable environmental factors impact crop species. We welcome contributions both in controlled conditions (greenhouse, protected environments, urban agriculture, etc.) and also field experiments. Manuscripts submitted to this Special Issue may focus on any physiological (photosynthesis, water relations, nutrition, metabolism, etc.) or anatomical (leaf anatomy, root anatomy, etc.) traits, and combinations of both physiological and anatomical changes under unfavorable environmental conditions are particularly encouraged. Prospective contributions may focus on any plant species, from large agricultural to minor crops. Cutting-edge contributions with new and exciting information that could help real-world producers or could lay the foundations for future research work will have a decisive advantage.

Dr. Fabrício José Pereira
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. Agronomy 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

photosynthesis
plant anatomy
plant metabolism
crop species

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2065 KB

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen Form Regulates Aluminum Partitioning and Physiological Responses in Young Highbush Blueberry Plants Grown in Acidic Volcanic Soil

by Pamela Artacho, Paulina Fernández, María Ignacia Arias and Claudia Bonomelli

Agronomy 2026, 16(8), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16080842 - 21 Apr 2026

Viewed by 525

Abstract

Aluminum (Al) toxicity constrains plant performance in acidic volcanic soils, yet nitrogen (N) fertilization may influence Al availability and plant responses. This study evaluated the effects of N source and rate under contrasting soil liming conditions on vegetative growth, mineral nutrition, and physiological performance of non-bearing northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. Blue Ribbon^®) plants. A split–split-plot experiment was conducted in southern Chile using urea or potassium nitrate applied at 0, 20, or 40 kg N ha⁻¹ to plants grown in unlimed soil or soil amended with calcium carbonate or magnesium oxide. Vegetative growth, tissue mineral composition, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf chlorophyll were monitored during the first season. Growth responded primarily to soil liming rather than N supply, indicating low N demand and substantial soil N mineralization under the experimental conditions. Foliar N increased from 1.36 to 1.70% with increasing N rates. Urea nutrition reduced foliar Al concentration by 12% compared with nitrate. Under unlimed conditions, representing maximal soil Al availability, urea fertilization was associated with 70% higher Al retention in roots relative to nitrate. Chlorophyll content was consistently higher under urea supply, while the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II remained unaffected. These findings indicate that N form influences plant Al partitioning independently of growth responses. Although the underlying mechanisms were not directly assessed, the observed patterns suggest that urea fertilization may reduce Al translocation to shoots under conditions of high Al availability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Anatomical Responses of Crops to Environmental Factors)

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23 pages, 3358 KB

Open AccessArticle

Methodical Nitrogen–Water Distribution System Enhances Rice Yield While Reducing Environmental Losses: Evidence from ¹⁵N Isotope Tracing

by Zhiyuan Yang, Yu Li, Yuanqing Shi, Hongkun Xie, Binbin Liu, Chuanhai Shu, Qingyue Cheng, Song Chen, Lanpeng Wang, Qiqi Chen, Hongji Liuru, Zhengbo Peng, Zongkui Chen, Jun Ma, Yongjian Sun and Na Li

Agronomy 2026, 16(8), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16080801 - 14 Apr 2026

Viewed by 512

Abstract

Sustainable rice production necessitates innovative strategies optimizing productivity while minimizing environmental impacts. This study developed and evaluated a Methodical Nitrogen–Water Distribution (MNWD) system, employing ¹⁵N isotopic tracing to quantify the fate of nitrogen under three management regimes: Farmer’s Practice (FP), Nitrogen–Water Coupling (NWC), and MNWD. Among them, NWC is conventional N–water coupling management, while MNWD is optimized management with reduced N, saved water and synchronous N–W uniform application. Two-year field experiments (2019–2020) demonstrated that MNWD achieved yield increases of 9.01–15.60% over FP and 2.51–5.73% over NWC, while reducing nitrogen application by 20%. Based on ¹⁵N tracing, the nitrogen recovery efficiency of MNWD reached 52.9–56.6%, and leaching losses were reduced by 65.4% compared to FP. The modular design of MNWD requires only moderate increases in labor input and basic fertigation infrastructure, ensuring its applicability to smallholder systems. The trade-off between emissions and efficiency confirmed the environmental benefits of MNWD: it resulted in 34.0% lower N₂O emissions than NWC while achieving a 5.45–5.49 percentage-point higher nitrogen recovery efficiency. Relative to FP, MNWD reduced total nitrogen losses by 48.5–61.4% with only a 3.4% increase in N₂O emissions. This indicates that nitrogen conservation was predominantly achieved through enhanced plant uptake rather than conversion to alternative loss pathways. The MNWD system demonstrates a viable pathway for sustainable rice intensification by successfully decoupling productivity gains from nitrogen input intensity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Anatomical Responses of Crops to Environmental Factors)

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15 pages, 1444 KB

Open AccessArticle

Xylem Hydraulic Conductance and Stomatal Aperture Ratio Are Key Factors in Enhancing Drought Tolerance in Cotton

by Yang Nan, Yunrui Chen, Ziliang Li, Fubin Liang, Dongsheng Sun, Qipeng Zhang, Wangfeng Zhang, Lan Zhu and Yali Zhang

Agronomy 2026, 16(5), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16050546 - 28 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 483

Abstract

Plant leaf drought tolerance is regulated by the coordinated effects of water transport efficiency, transpirational water loss, and hydraulic safety. Although cotton is considered drought-tolerant, the mechanisms that coordinate water transport and gas exchange to confer drought tolerance remain incompletely understood. In this study, four soil moisture gradients were established under field conditions and maintained consistently throughout the growing season. The relationships among leaf turgor loss point (Ψ_tlp), gas exchange, and hydraulic traits were examined in two cotton cultivars at the peak flowering stage. With increasing drought treatments, Ψ_tlp, stomatal aperture ratio (g_ratio), leaf hydraulic conductance (K_leaf), leaf hydraulic conductance inside the xylem (K_x) and leaf hydraulic conductance outside the xylem (K_ox) declined significantly, with K_x showing the greatest reduction. Both K_x and g_ratio were strongly positively correlated with Ψ_tlp. Anatomically, vein density (D_v) and vessel number (Np) increased, whereas xylem vessel area (Ap) decreased. The reduction in Ap was the primary structural factor driving the decline in K_x and contributing to lower Ψ_tlp. We conclude that cotton enhances drought tolerance through a coordinated hydraulic and osmotic strategy, by modifying xylem anatomy (reducing Ap) to downregulate K_x and by adjusting osmotically to depress Ψ_tlp. The synergistic reduction in K_x and g_ratio slows the decline in leaf water potential, thereby delaying Ψ_tlp and enhancing leaf hydraulic safety during drought. This integration optimizes stomatal regulation and water transport while ensuring hydraulic safety. The findings provide a key theoretical basis and potential breeding targets for the targeted improvement of drought tolerance and water use efficiency in cotton. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Anatomical Responses of Crops to Environmental Factors)

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14 pages, 2856 KB

Open AccessArticle

Promotion of Sweet Potato Growth and Yield by Decreasing Soil CO₂ Concentrations with Forced Aeration

by Yoshiaki Kitaya

Agronomy 2026, 16(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16010114 - 1 Jan 2026

Viewed by 496

Abstract

Effects of forced aeration on sweet potato growth and yield by decreasing CO₂ concentrations in the rooting zone were investigated. The following four experiments were conducted with forced aeration in the rooting zone of sweet potato: (1) with air containing different CO₂ concentrations to clarify the effects of CO₂ in the rooting zone on the net photosynthetic rate and leaf conductance, (2) with atmospheric air into cultivating soil ridges through porous pipes as a feasibility study, (3) with varying forced-aeration rates, and (4) with varying time intervals of forced aeration to find a more efficient aeration method. The results are summarized as follows: (1) During the six-week growing period, the mean values of net photosynthetic rates and leaf conductance for 1% CO₂ and 2% CO₂ were 0.8 and 0.7 times, respectively, those in the Control with 0.04% CO₂. (2) When the aeration rate was 1.5 L min⁻¹ per 1 m of ridge length, the CO₂ concentration reduced to 0.1–0.2% in the rooting zone, whereas the control ridge with non-forced aeration was 0.5–1.4% CO₂. The fresh and dry weight yields of sweet potato tubers were 1.18 and 1.19 times those of the control, respectively. (3) The CO₂ concentrations decreased as the aeration rate increased. The dry weights of tuberous roots in forced-aeration ridges at aeration rates of 1.25 and 2.5 L min⁻¹ were 1.19 and 1.26 times those in the control, respectively. Sweet potato growth was promoted when forced aeration reduced CO₂ in the rooting zone. (4) The yield increased by 24% even when forced aeration was performed for just 15 min per day after irrigation. In conclusion, reducing rooting zone CO₂ concentrations through forced aeration, even for 15 minutes daily, improves sweet potato yield by approximately 20%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Anatomical Responses of Crops to Environmental Factors)

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21 pages, 1736 KB

Open AccessArticle

Screening of Sunflower Hybrids Using Physiological and Agronomic Traits

by Antonela Markulj Kulundžić, Dario Iljkić and Ivana Varga

Agronomy 2025, 15(9), 2181; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15092181 - 13 Sep 2025

Viewed by 1704

Abstract

Researching the photosynthetic activity of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is essential for understanding how different genotypes respond to environmental conditions and utilise solar energy for growth and productivity. The objective of this study was to gain insight into and quantify the adaptation of ten sunflower hybrids during the flowering stage under field conditions. As part of an ongoing sunflower breeding programme, this research aimed to assess genotypic differences in photosynthetic performance and yield-related traits in response to variable environmental conditions. During the flowering stage, chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) parameters revealed significant genotypic differences in energy fluxes, particularly in ABS/RC, DI₀/RC, ET₀/RC, and RE₀/RC. Those results indicate variability in light-harvesting efficiency and electron transport capacity. Although specific photochemical efficiency indicators (e.g., TR₀/RC, TR₀/ABS, ET₀/TR₀) showed slight variation, energy dissipation and photosystem I-related parameters differed significantly among hybrids. Leaf temperature and chlorophyll content also varied and showed moderate correlations with fluorescence-based indicators. Yield components (plant height, head diameter, and seed mass per head) displayed significant differences among sunflower hybrids, with notable opposite patterns between plant height and head size. Revealed strong relationships between photosynthetic performance (PI_TOTAL, RE₀/ABS) and yield traits, particularly plant height and number of seeds per head, were confirmed with correlation analysis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) distinguished the hybrids into distinct groups. The analysis confirmed physiological and morphological variability among hybrids, enabling effective screening of genotypes for breeding purposes. Photosynthesis is a key physiological trait that directly influences biomass accumulation and seed yield, making it a critical parameter in evaluating the performance and adaptability of various sunflower genotypes. Thus, this study demonstrates the integrative value of combining ChlF, thermal, and agronomic traits for identifying high-performing sunflower hybrids under optimal field conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Anatomical Responses of Crops to Environmental Factors)

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