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Horticulturae
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Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants
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Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Biotic and Abiotic Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 4901

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Changxia Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, 100 East University Road, Xixiangtang District, Nanning 530004, China
Interests: stress response; fruit ripening; quality regulation; plant hormone; signal molecule
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yue Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Interests: stress physiology of vegetables; regulation of fruit quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the tremendous success of the first edition of the Special Issue "Studies on Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants" (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/horticulturae/special_issues/OS43JB690C), we are eager to further advance research in this area.

Plants are continuously affected by a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Biotic and abiotic stresses, such as increased periods of water shortage, the presence of heavy metals, higher temperatures, salinity, nutrient availability, increased CO2 concentrations, and diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and herbivores, can affect most horticultural plants’ growth and development. Currently, many investigations have highlighted the positive aspects of gas signal molecules as well as plant hormones, such as hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide, auxins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, cytokinins, ethylene, salicylic acid, and jasmonic acid, under biotic and abiotic stresses. The advent of genomic studies and gene discovery has also presented an excellent opportunity to improve the stress tolerance of horticultural plants. This Special Issue will consider the biotic and abiotic stress responses of horticultural plants. Under stress, horticultural plants generate some appropriate regulatory mechanisms, including gas signal molecules, plant hormones, genomics, metabolomics, etc., which are welcome.

Dr. Changxia Li
Dr. Yue Wu
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. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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

  • plant hormones
  • gas signal molecules
  • plant growth and development

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2444 KiB  
Article
Tomato Lines Tolerant to Sodium Chloride at Early Growth Stages
by Alma Aurora Deanda-Tovar, Juan Enrique Rodríguez-Pérez, Jaime Sahagún-Castellanos, María Teresa Beryl Colinas-y-León, Paulino Pérez-Rodríguez and Ana Elizabeth Paredes-Cervantes
Horticulturae 2025, 11(5), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11050532 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 171
Abstract
High concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) in soil and water are increasingly common conditions in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production that impair the development and yield of this crop, generating the need for tolerant varieties. This research aimed to identify tomato lines [...] Read more.
High concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) in soil and water are increasingly common conditions in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production that impair the development and yield of this crop, generating the need for tolerant varieties. This research aimed to identify tomato lines tolerant to salinity during germination and early seedling development. A standard germination test was carried out in which 93 lines were evaluated under conditions of 0 and 80 mM NaCl for 12 days in a germination chamber with a temperature of 28 ± 1 °C and relative humidity of 80 ± 5%. At the seedling stage, 88 lines were evaluated under conditions of 0 and 150 mM NaCl in a floating raft system. During germination, saline conditions decreased germination percentage (37%), plumule (43%) and radicle (47%) length, dry matter (44%) and germination rate index (70%). At the seedling stage, NaCl decreased (p ≤ 0.05) plant height (44%) and leaf area (50%), without modifying root, aerial and total dry matter or root length. Twenty-eight tolerant lines were identified at germination and twenty-three at the seedling stage, seven of which were tolerant at both stages. This implies that salinity tolerance mechanisms differ in the developmental stages studied and makes it possible to combine these mechanisms to prolong tolerance during plant development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants)
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16 pages, 2705 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Increasing Boron on Growth, Yield, and Nutritional Value of Scallion (Allium cepa L.) Grown as a Bunch Harvest
by Halil Samet and Yakup Çikili
Horticulturae 2025, 11(5), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11050450 - 22 Apr 2025
Viewed by 254
Abstract
Scallions are a highly valued leafy vegetable and are enjoyed worldwide due to their appealing taste and nutritional benefits. A combination of short cultivation cycles and high market demand not only enhances food security but also offers a profitable opportunity for growers. In [...] Read more.
Scallions are a highly valued leafy vegetable and are enjoyed worldwide due to their appealing taste and nutritional benefits. A combination of short cultivation cycles and high market demand not only enhances food security but also offers a profitable opportunity for growers. In our study, we aim to evaluate the effect of increasing boron (B) applications, specifically 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 mM B supplied as boric acid (H3BO3) in the nutrient solution, on several key physiological and agronomic parameters in scallions. Results showed that the effects of increasing B levels on biomass production were insignificant, but the root fresh weight (FW) significantly decreased with all B levels. Higher B levels (1.2 and 1.6 mM) caused decreases of 22.9% and 29.6%, respectively. The effects of all B levels on photosynthetic pigment contents [chlorophyll (Chl) a, b, a + b, and carotenoid (Car)], root and shoot membrane permeability (MP), and root, shoot, and leaf nutritional status [phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na) concentrations] were found insignificantly. However, all B levels caused a significant increase in the B concentrations of the root, shoot, and leaf of scallions and plants translocated the majority of applied B into their leaves. The translocation factor (TF) of B from the root to the leaf was found to be 138.2%, 133.3%, and 107.3% with 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 mM B levels, respectively. Moreover, plants exposed to high levels of B showed no significant response or toxicity symptoms. We concluded that B is a phloem mobile element in onion, a non-graminaceous monocotyledonous plant, and therefore accumulates in the upper organs but illustrates partial toxicity symptoms in leaves. Studies with higher B concentrations could be recommended to determine critical B levels for green onion production in B-contaminated areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants)
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17 pages, 9144 KiB  
Article
MIR396d-p3 Negatively Regulates Apple Resistance to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides via MdUGT89A2 and MdRGA3
by Baodong Zhang, Jinqi Tang, Zhirui Ji, Yinan Du, Jialin Cong and Zongshan Zhou
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040351 - 25 Mar 2025
Viewed by 223
Abstract
Apple (Malus domestica) is an economically important fruit crop, but its production is affected by Glomerella leaf spot, a devastating disease caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a kind of non-coding RNA that plays an important [...] Read more.
Apple (Malus domestica) is an economically important fruit crop, but its production is affected by Glomerella leaf spot, a devastating disease caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a kind of non-coding RNA that plays an important role in the process of plant–pathogen interactions. However, little is known about the miRNAs that influence apple resistance against C. gloeosporioides. A novel miRNA, MIR396d-p3, was identified through small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq). Functional analyses revealed that MIR396d-p3 negatively regulates apple resistance to C. gloeosporioides. In addition, MdUGT89A2 and MdRGA3 were confirmed as targets of MIR396d-p3 using 5′ RACE and heterologous expression assays. We further found that overexpressing MdUGT89A2 and MdRGA3 induce apple disease resistance to C. gloeosporioides, while silencing of MdUGT89A2 and MdRGA3 reduces resistance to C. gloeosporioides. These results indicate that MIR396d-p3 plays a role in the response to the infection of C. gloeosporioides through regulating the expressions of MdUGT89A2 and MdRGA3. This research provides a new perspective on the interaction between apples and C. gloeosporioides and offers possible targets for resistance breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants)
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15 pages, 649 KiB  
Article
Impact of Biochar and Hydroretentive Polymers on the Biochemical and Physiological Traits of Satureja rechingeri Jamzad Under Water Deficit Stress
by Mojgan Beiranvandi, Nasser Akbari, Abdolreza Ahmadi, Hasan Mumivand, Farhad Nazarian Firouzabadi and Sergio Argento
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020169 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1096
Abstract
Satureja rechingeri is a valuable medicinal plant, but its growth can be significantly impacted by water deficit stress. To investigate the effects of biochar (BC) and hydroretentive polymers (HPs) on various eco-physiological traits of savory under a water deficit, an experiment was conducted [...] Read more.
Satureja rechingeri is a valuable medicinal plant, but its growth can be significantly impacted by water deficit stress. To investigate the effects of biochar (BC) and hydroretentive polymers (HPs) on various eco-physiological traits of savory under a water deficit, an experiment was conducted over two consecutive cropping seasons (2017–2019). A randomized complete block design with a split-plot factorial arrangement and three replications was used. The treatments consisted of three levels of irrigation (95 ± 5, 75 ± 5, and 55 ± 5% FC), which were applied to the main plots, and combinations of two levels of biochar and two levels of HPs, which were applied to subplots. The results show that a water deficit reduced the relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, and dry matter yield of the shoots. Furthermore, the activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and malondialdehyde (MDA) increased in two-year-old plants. The MDA content significantly decreased by 15.6% in the second year compared to in the first year under a water deficit. The application of HPs caused a decrease of 26.4%, 32.5%, and 27.5% in POD, CAT, and APX enzyme activities, respectively, compared to their control levels. In the biochar treatment, there was a significant reduction in the activity of POD, APX, and CAT in the leaves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants)
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18 pages, 2210 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Salt Tolerance of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Seedlings Illuminated by LED Red Light
by Kexin Xu, Xiaoan Sun, Chitao Sun, Yuqing Wang, Haiyan Zhu, Wanli Xu and Di Feng
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020150 - 1 Feb 2025
Viewed by 737
Abstract
Light quality is an important variable affecting plant growth, so we aimed to explore the impact of light quality on plants under salt stress. The salt tolerance of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings illuminated by LED red light and 4:1 of red/blue [...] Read more.
Light quality is an important variable affecting plant growth, so we aimed to explore the impact of light quality on plants under salt stress. The salt tolerance of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings illuminated by LED red light and 4:1 of red/blue light in a hydroponic system was evaluated at three salinity levels (0, 50, and 100 mmol/L of NaCl) for their morphological and physiological parameters and their root growth characteristics in response to salt stress. Results demonstrated that, as salt stress intensified, the plant height, aboveground fresh/dry mass, root growth indices, and chlorophyll content of pea seedlings exhibited a decreasing trend, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) in leaves increased. Also, more sodium (Na⁺) but less potassium (K⁺) ions were detected due to the change in electrolyte balance. Compared with pea seedlings under no salt stress, the growth rate, plant height, and K⁺ ion content significantly increased with the red light treatments, but both lights did not affect the aboveground fresh/dry mass, chlorophyll content, or root growth index. Under medium salt stress (50 mmol/L), red light helped generate more chlorophylls by 17.06%, accelerate leaf electrolyte exudation by 23.84%, accumulate more K⁺ ions by 46.32%, and increase the K⁺/Na⁺ ratio by 45.45%. When pea seedlings were stressed by 100 mmol/L salinity stress, red light was able to maintain the leaf chlorophyll level by 114.66%, POD enzyme activity by 157.78%, MDA amount by 14.16%, leaf and stem electrolyte leakage rate by 38.76% and 21.80%, respectively, K⁺ ion content by 45.47%, and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio by 69.70%. In conclusion, the use of red light has proven to enhance the salt tolerance of pea seedlings in a hydroponic system, which can and should be a promising approach to prime pea seedlings for more salt tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants)
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17 pages, 5102 KiB  
Article
Molecular, Metabolic, and Physiological Responses to Progressive Biotic Stress Caused by Cucumber Mosaic Virus and Turnip Mosaic Virus in Saffron
by Marzieh Shamshiri, Conchi Sánchez, Saleta Rico, Ali Mokhtassi-Bidgoli, Mahdi Ayyari, Hassan Rezadoost and Masoud Shams-Bakhsh
Horticulturae 2025, 11(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11010096 - 16 Jan 2025
Viewed by 960
Abstract
The economic value of the saffron stigma is primarily due to three crucial apocarotenoids: crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, which contribute to its color, flavor, and aroma. These compounds make saffron highly valuable in various industries. Plant viruses like the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) [...] Read more.
The economic value of the saffron stigma is primarily due to three crucial apocarotenoids: crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, which contribute to its color, flavor, and aroma. These compounds make saffron highly valuable in various industries. Plant viruses like the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) are significant threats to agricultural crops worldwide, causing economic losses. To elucidate the influence of viral stress on the quality of saffron, morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular indexes were assessed. Under the stress of both viruses, typical viral symptoms appeared. The lowest contents of leaf pigments, flowering performance, petal anthocyanin, greenness, and photosynthesis properties were observed in plants infected with CMV and TuMV. According to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, CMV inoculation led to the highest reduction in crocin and safranal content, while inducing the highest increase in picrocrocin compared to the mock treatment. Gene expression analysis involved in the biosynthesis of crucial secondary metabolites showed a high correlation with the content of each metabolite. CMV inoculation resulted in the lowest expression of CsALDH31l and the highest expression of CsUGT709G1 compared with the mock treatment. Our findings demonstrate the association between virus stress and changes in the metabolism of the saffron medicinal plant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants)
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14 pages, 2107 KiB  
Article
Physiological Responses of Cucumber Seedlings to Combined High-Temperature and High-Humidity Stress at Different Leaf Stages
by Xi’ao Wang, Yupeng Pan, Hanqiang Liu, Huanwen Meng and Zhihui Cheng
Horticulturae 2024, 10(12), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10121369 - 20 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 965
Abstract
The growth and development of plants are closely tied to growth stages, such as germination, flower bud differentiation, photosynthesis, water and fertilizer use efficiency, stress resistance, etc. Previous studies on the stress resistance of plants with different leaf stages have primarily focused on [...] Read more.
The growth and development of plants are closely tied to growth stages, such as germination, flower bud differentiation, photosynthesis, water and fertilizer use efficiency, stress resistance, etc. Previous studies on the stress resistance of plants with different leaf stages have primarily focused on single-factor environmental conditions. However, there has been a lack of systematic research on the physiology of plant seedlings under combined high-temperature and high-humidity (HH) stress, and the relationship between cucumber growth stages and HH tolerance remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the phenotype, photosynthetic characteristics, reactive oxygen species content, and antioxidant enzyme activity of cucumber seedlings at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-leaf stages under control (25 °C + 80%RH, CK) and HH (42 °C + 95%RH) stress, aiming to clarify the relationship between growth stage and cucumber HH tolerance. The results indicated that the HH tolerance of cucumber seedlings increases with leaf stage. Seedlings at 1-leaf and 2-leaf stages were most sensitive to HH, whereas 4-leaf seedlings showed the greatest tolerance. Under HH stress, the biomass, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, and photosynthetic electron transfer rate were significantly reduced compared to CK. Simultaneously, there was an increase in reactive oxygen species content and antioxidant enzyme activity. The relative values for dry weight, total chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, Fv/Fm, qP, ETR, and Y (II) in 1-leaf and 2-leaf seedlings were significantly lower, while ROS accumulation and changes in antioxidant enzyme activity were significantly higher compared to 4-leaf seedlings. This lays a foundation for future studies on the growth and physiological response of cucumber plants at different growth stages under varying temperature and humidity combined stresses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses of Horticultural Plants)
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