Advanced Studies in Abiotic Stress Response Mechanism of Horticultural Plants

Dear Colleagues,

Abiotic stress has a significantly negative impact on the productivity and survival of the main agricultural crops and ornamental plants. Current trends in climate change predict an increase in the severity and frequency of climatic phenomena and adverse environmental conditions, such as drought, water and soil salinity, as well as extreme temperatures, causing oxidative stress in plants.

Plants have developed several strategies to overcome abiotic stress, adopting a mechanism that allows them to survive adverse conditions. Therefore, many plants, especially tolerant species, can detect abiotic stress and elicit an appropriate response. These response mechanisms range from morphological and anatomical adaptations in organs to changes in physiological and biochemical processes. These adversely affect the plant’s growth and productivity and cause interference in stress tolerance and adaptation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are created in plant cells as a result of these stresses, which also cause oxidative damage. Plant defense against oxidative damage includes the activation of antioxidant enzymes and the buildup of complementary solutes that efficiently scavenge ROS. However, harmful degenerative processes do happen if the amount of activated oxygen produced surpasses the plant's ability to detoxify it; typical symptoms include loss of osmotic responsiveness, wilting, and necrosis. Plants must be able to sense, analyze, and translate various stimuli into adaptive responses, when faced with stressful situations imposed by shifting environmental variables that affect their growth and development during their life cycle.

The current Special Issue of Horticulturae aims to analyze the response mechanisms involved in plant tolerance to different types of abiotic stress, such as drought, soil salinity or high temperatures, among others, as well as in the recovery process when the stress situation is relieved.

Dr. Sara González-Orenga
Dr. M. Iftikhar Hussain
Dr. Muhammad Ikram
Guest Editors

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