Eco-Friendly Solutions to Enhance Plant Performance and Yield for Climate-Resilient Agriculture

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2026 | Viewed by 3960

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: plant physiology; biochemistry; soil science; sustainability; climate change adaptation and mitigation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The open access journal Horticulturae (IF: 3.0; Q1 in Horticulture) is pleased to announce that we have launched a new Special Issue titled “Eco-Friendly Solutions to Enhance Plant Performance and Yield for Climate-Resilient Agriculture”.

In the face of climate change, the global agricultural sector is facing the challenge of maintaining productivity while reducing its environmental footprint. Developing sustainable and eco-friendly strategies to improve plant growth, yield, and stress tolerance is crucial to ensure food security and agricultural resilience. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research, reviews, and case studies focusing on innovative, sustainable approaches that promote plant health and productivity under climate stress. Multidisciplinary approaches that bridge agronomy, plant science, soil science, and environmental sustainability are welcome.

In particular, we encourage contributions on, but not limited, to the following topics:

  • Sustainable agriculture;
  • Eco-innovative farming practices;
  • Resilient crop production systems;
  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation;
  • Circular agriculture;
  • Biofertilizers and biostimulants;
  • Organic soil amendments;
  • Beneficial microbes.

Dr. Sandra Martins
Dr. Sandra Pereira
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 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. 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

  • sustainable agriculture
  • climate change adaptation and mitigation
  • bio-based products
  • agro-industrial by-products
  • plant stress tolerance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

31 pages, 2453 KB  
Review
Exploring the Role of Root Exudates in Shaping Plant–Soil–Microbe Interactions to Support Agroecosystem Resilience
by Sandra Martins, Cátia Brito, Miguel Baltazar, Lia-Tânia Dinis and Sandra Pereira
Horticulturae 2026, 12(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010090 - 14 Jan 2026
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3597
Abstract
Root exudates are key mediators of plant–soil–microbe interactions, shaping rhizosphere dynamics and influencing agroecosystem resilience. Comprising diverse primary and secondary metabolites, these compounds are actively secreted through specific transport pathways and are modulated by intrinsic plant traits and environmental conditions. Root exudates serve [...] Read more.
Root exudates are key mediators of plant–soil–microbe interactions, shaping rhizosphere dynamics and influencing agroecosystem resilience. Comprising diverse primary and secondary metabolites, these compounds are actively secreted through specific transport pathways and are modulated by intrinsic plant traits and environmental conditions. Root exudates serve as chemical signals that recruit and structure microbial communities, facilitating nutrient mobilization, microbial feedbacks, and the regulation of plant growth and stress responses. By modulating soil chemical, physical, and biological properties, exudates contribute to carbon cycling, soil health, and the maintenance of ecosystem services. Moreover, they play multifunctional roles in enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, while also mediating interactions with neighboring plants. This review provides a holistic perspective on root exudation, encompassing their mechanisms and drivers, roles in rhizosphere ecology and plant stress adaptation, and methodological advances, while highlighting opportunities to harness these processes for resilient, productive, and sustainable agroecosystems. Full article
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