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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Productivity and Quality of Vegetable Crops under Climate Change
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Productivity and Quality of Vegetable Crops under Climate Change

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Vegetable Production Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 3541

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Loriana Cardone

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Guest Editor
Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, Environment, and Cultural Heritage, University of Basilicata, via Lanera, 20, 75100 Matera, Italy
Interests: horticulturae; biodiversity; plant biostimulants; crop quality
Dr. Donato Castronuovo

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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy (DIFARMA), University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: sustainable agriculture; environment; crop management
Dr. Vincenzo Candido

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Guest Editor
Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures (DiCEM), University of Basilicata, via Lanera, 20, 75100 Matera, Italy
Interests: plants; vegetable crops; floriculure; protected cultivations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is a long-term change characterized mainly by global warming, which refers to the rise in global temperatures due mostly to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. The nutritional challenges of a growing global population in the context of changing climate conditions will need to be met. In order to contrast the negative effects of climate change on the productivity and quality of vegetable crops, such as crop failures, decrease in yields, and increasing pest and disease, detailed studies of different strategies are necessary. Among these are breeding technique as the selection of genotypes tolerant to high temperature, moisture stress, and salinity; crop management practices such as mulching with crop residues; radicle or foliar applications of plant biostimulants as humic and fulvic acids, protein hydrolysates and other N-containing compounds, seaweed extracts and botanicals, chitosan and other biopolymers, inorganic compounds, beneficial fungi, and beneficial bacteria (‘plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria’); optimization of agronomic tecniques, such as irrigation, fertilization, soil processing; reuse and valorizzation of by-products in the context of circular economy; reduction in energy use or its production from renewable sources. In addition to production, these strategies can improve the qualitative aspect of crops, the presence of bioactive compounds, and, therefore, their beneficial properties for human health.

Dr. Loriana Cardone
Dr. Donato Castronuovo
Dr. Vincenzo Candido
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

  • adaptation
  • crop yields
  • food safety
  • agronomic management
  • water scarcity
  • food quality
  • bioactive compounds

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2201 KiB  
Article
Effects Elicited by Compost Tea on the Primary Metabolome and the Nutraceutical Quality of Radish Root
by Adele Fasolino, Maria Luisa Graziano, Massimo Zaccardelli, Valentina Tranchida Lombardo and Pierluigi Mazzei
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040426 - 16 Apr 2025
Viewed by 370
Abstract
It is desirable to find and evaluate innovative sustainable products guaranteeing and increasing the quality and productivity of radish (Raphanus sativus). Compost tea (CT) represents a natural organic preparation providing benefits to the soil–plant system, including a biostimulant action against climate [...] Read more.
It is desirable to find and evaluate innovative sustainable products guaranteeing and increasing the quality and productivity of radish (Raphanus sativus). Compost tea (CT) represents a natural organic preparation providing benefits to the soil–plant system, including a biostimulant action against climate change. Therefore, we evaluated whether CT can influence radish nutraceutical properties and its primary metabolism. In particular, the roots resulting from CT treatment were examined via conventional (total antioxidant and phenol contents) and spectroscopic techniques (high-resolution NMR and NIR) and compared with controls. It was proved that CT exerted a positive effect on the radish quality, which led to a significantly larger size in those treated (TRT), accompanied by higher contents of total antioxidants and phenols. The assignment of 1H and 13C signals in the NMR spectra allowed the delineation of the NMR fingerprint of the radish primary metabolome, which was processed by multivariate statistical analyses (PCA, PLS-DA, and heatmap clusterisation). TRT metabolites exhibited a peculiar profile, characterized by higher levels of glutamine and malic acid, along with lower levels of glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactic acid, and tryptophan. NIR spectroscopy also identified a recognisable profile in TRT, confirming its role as an alternative and accessible technique to appreciate the organic treatment’s effects on radish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Productivity and Quality of Vegetable Crops under Climate Change)
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22 pages, 4094 KiB  
Article
Yield, Morphological, and Qualitative Profile of Nine Landraces of Unripe Melon from the Puglia Region Grown in Open Field
by Adriano Didonna, Annalisa Somma, Onofrio Davide Palmitessa, Maria Gonnella, Beniamino Leoni, Angelo Signore, Massimiliano Renna and Pietro Santamaria
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040344 - 22 Mar 2025
Viewed by 586
Abstract
In recent years, increasing attention in regional and national markets has been given to the Puglia region’s traditional landraces of unripe melon (Cucumis melo L.). However, distinguishing these landraces is challenging due to their significant variability. A detailed morphological characterization is crucial [...] Read more.
In recent years, increasing attention in regional and national markets has been given to the Puglia region’s traditional landraces of unripe melon (Cucumis melo L.). However, distinguishing these landraces is challenging due to their significant variability. A detailed morphological characterization is crucial to identify the unique features of each variety, while also assessing their productive potential. This study evaluated nine Puglia landraces of C. melo: ‘Barattiere’, ‘Carosello leccese’, ‘Carosello scopatizzo’, ‘Cucumbr di Martina Franca’, ‘Carosello di Polignano’, ‘Carosello striato tondo di Massafra’, ‘Spuredda bianca’, ‘Spuredda nera’, and ‘Spuredda fasciata’. The aims of the work were to identify specific and distinctive characters for these landraces, subdivided into traditional macro-groups (“Barattiere”, “Caroselli”, and “Spuredde”), and to evaluate productive and quality traits that could be interesting for future commercial promotion. The main findings revealed distinct characteristics among the “Barattiere” group and the other two macro-groups across all the parameters considered. The differentiation of the “Caroselli” and “Spuredde” macro-groups, on the other hand, was more challenging because of similar intragroup characteristics. In particular, a case of synonymy was found between the landraces ‘Carosello leccese’ and ‘Spuredda bianca’, and a high degree of dissimilarity was identified between ‘Carosello di Polignano’ and the other landraces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Productivity and Quality of Vegetable Crops under Climate Change)
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16 pages, 1524 KiB  
Article
Impact of Different Shading Conditions on Processing Tomato Yield and Quality Under Organic Agrivoltaic Systems
by Aldo Dal Prà, Riccardo Dainelli, Margherita Santoni, Giuseppe Mario Lanini, Annamaria Di Serio, Davide Zanotti, Antonino Greco and Domenico Ronga
Horticulturae 2025, 11(3), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11030319 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 932
Abstract
Agrivoltaics have emerged as a promising solution to mitigate climate change effects as well as competition for land use between food and energy production. While previous studies have demonstrated the potential of agrivoltaic systems to enhance land productivity, limited research has focused on [...] Read more.
Agrivoltaics have emerged as a promising solution to mitigate climate change effects as well as competition for land use between food and energy production. While previous studies have demonstrated the potential of agrivoltaic systems to enhance land productivity, limited research has focused on their impact on specific crops, particularly in organic processing tomatoes. In the present study, a two-year experiment was conducted in northwest Italy to assess the suitability of the agrivoltaic system on processing tomato yield and quality in the organic farming system. In the first growing season, the transplanting of tomato was carried out under the following light conditions: internal control (A1)—inside the tracker rows obtained by removing PV panels; extended agrivoltaic panels—shaded condition with an increased ground coverage ratio (GCR) of 41% (A2); and external control (FL)—full-light conditions outside the tracker rows. The second year of experimentation involved the transplanting of tomato under the following light conditions: internal control (B1); dynamic shading conditions that consist of solar panels in a vertical position until full fruit set (B2); standard agrivoltaic trackers (GCR = 13%, shaded conditions) (B3); and external control (FL). In 2023, the results showed that A2 achieved a total yield of only 24.5% lower than FL, with a marketable yield reduction of just 6.5%, indicating its potential to maintain productivity under shaded conditions. In 2024, B2 management increased marketable yield by 80.6% compared to FL, although it also led to a 46.2% increase in fruit affected by blossom end rot. Moreover, B2 improved nitrogen agronomic efficiency and fruit water productivity by 6.4% while also reducing the incidence of rotten fruit. Our findings highlight that moderate coverage (A2 and B2) can sustain high marketable yields and improve nitrogen use efficiency in different growing seasons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Productivity and Quality of Vegetable Crops under Climate Change)
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17 pages, 2297 KiB  
Article
The Action of Plant Protein Hydrolysates, Plant Extracts and Trichoderma atroviride Modulates the Performance of Cherry Tomato Plants Cultivated in a Soilless System
by Emanuela Campana, Beppe Benedetto Consentino, Lorena Vultaggio, Pietro Bellitto, Fabiana Mancuso, Gaetano Giuseppe La Placa, Giuseppe Colla, Leo Sabatino, Salvatore La Bella, Youssef Rouphael and Michele Ciriello
Horticulturae 2025, 11(3), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11030248 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 471
Abstract
The study and definition of synergistic, additive and antagonistic effects among biostimulants of microbial and nonmicrobial origin represents one of the most interesting prospects for future research. As part of the SO.MI.PR.O.N regional project, we evaluated the effects of the single and combined [...] Read more.
The study and definition of synergistic, additive and antagonistic effects among biostimulants of microbial and nonmicrobial origin represents one of the most interesting prospects for future research. As part of the SO.MI.PR.O.N regional project, we evaluated the effects of the single and combined applications of three different biostimulants [a plant-derived protein hydrolysate (PH), a tropical plant extract (PE) and a microbial biostimulant based on Trichoderma atroviride (Tricho)] on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown in a protected environment. From the analysis of our results, we observed that compared with the control conditions, all combinations containing Trichoderma atroviride (Tricho+PH, Tricho+PE and Tricho+PE+PH) significantly increased the marketable fruit production. For the latter parameter, the combined application of all tested biostimulants ensured the much-aspired-for synergistic effect. The combined application of all tested biostimulants (Tricho+PE+PH) significantly improved the quality traits (lycopene content, total polyphenols and total soluble solids) of the tomatoes. Although the understanding of the mechanisms activated by the combined application of the different biostimulants still remains complex to define, the results obtained underscore their potential. Not least, it will be necessary to assess the economic feasibility of the combined applications of biostimulants in order to have a more real picture that fully considers the sustainability of this strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Productivity and Quality of Vegetable Crops under Climate Change)
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13 pages, 447 KiB  
Article
Osmolyte Regulation as an Avocado Crop Management Strategy for Improving Productivity Under High Temperatures
by Alberto San Bautista, Alba Agenjos-Moreno, Ana Martínez, Ana Isabel Escudero, Patricia Arizo-García, Rubén Simeón, Christian Meyer and Davie M. Kadyampakeni
Horticulturae 2025, 11(3), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11030245 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 513
Abstract
Climate change worsens abiotic stresses, primarily due to high temperatures, which have a negative impact on avocado productivity, leading to reduced crop yields, affecting fruit set and abscission. To tackle these challenges, antioxidants such as glycine, choline, and proline can enhance plant tolerance [...] Read more.
Climate change worsens abiotic stresses, primarily due to high temperatures, which have a negative impact on avocado productivity, leading to reduced crop yields, affecting fruit set and abscission. To tackle these challenges, antioxidants such as glycine, choline, and proline can enhance plant tolerance to these stressors and minimize plant cell damage. This work aimed to use these antioxidants to improve avocado commercial yield and quality under challenging environmental conditions. This study was conducted at the experimental farm of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, to evaluate the effects of glycine, choline, and proline on ‘Hass’ Persea americana plants. The research took place during the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons in a 2.0 ha orchard, using a randomized design with two treatments: one with antioxidants and the other without. Substances were applied at specific phenological phases, as the BBCH code indicated. Tree growth parameters, including trunk diameter, height, crown diameter, and tree canopy volume, were measured using geometric formulas. Leaf samples were collected to analyze the nutrient concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn using atomic emission spectrometry. Marketable fruit yield and quality parameters such as fat, fiber, and protein content were evaluated using the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) methods. The results showed that antioxidants did not significantly affect tree growth but altered leaf mineral nutrient composition. N and P concentrations were reduced, while K and Ca concentrations were increased. Mn and Zn levels were higher in the treated plants, whereas Cu levels were higher in the control plants. Productivity significantly improved, with a 49% increase in fruit yield, larger fruit size, and a 7% increase in fat content, though fiber and protein remained unchanged. These results show the selective benefits of antioxidants in optimizing avocado yield and quality under stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Productivity and Quality of Vegetable Crops under Climate Change)
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