Novel Insights into the Phenology of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant
A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinals, Herbs, and Specialty Crops".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 762
Special Issue Editors
Interests: medicinal plants; growing technology; postharvest processing; biodiversity; ethnopharmacology; essential oil; hydrolate; climate changes
Interests: botany; plant phenology; plant physiology; plant morphology and anatomy; plant stress; pharmaceutical potential of plant metabolites; plant extracts; biologic activities; plant breeding; functional foods; essential oils
Interests: cultivation technology; propagation methods; medicinal and aromatic crops; phytochemistry; phytotherapy; aromatherapy; fertilization; organic agriculture; processing of aromatic plants; extraction methods; essential oils; marketing of medicinal and aromatic plants; traceability and certification
Interests: botany; plant morphology and anatomy; plant systematics; taxonomy; biodiversity; wild flora; succulents; botanic gardens; endemic plants; ex situ conservation; ecosystem; environment
Interests: plant biology; plant histology; glandular trichomes; plant secondary metabolites; beneficial plant-microorganism interaction; arbuscular mycorrhiza; controlled environment agriculture; non-conventional crops; crop biofortification; natural products; health; plant-based products; seed science; plant protection products
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The demand for medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is increasing, creating opportunities for the growers to diversify and expand their MAP crops. The phytochemical profile of MAPs varies with the growing location, cultivar/population, phenophase and growing practices as well as postharvest processing. Therefore, the quality parameters of the raw material obtained are influenced by selecting the appropriate cultivar/genotype for a given location, and agrotechnology, especially the moment of harvesting, which has to be precisely defined. Moreover, the biological activity of the obtained raw material significantly depends on various factors during growing and postharvest processing. Yet, specific challenges exist for wild species newly introduced into cultivation as well as for MAP crops expanding in new areas, because their behaviour is less known. Additionally, weed management as well as pests and diseases are the main challenges.
Phenology is the study of the timing and patterns of biological events, such as flowering, fruiting, germination, dormancy, etc., in relation to environmental factors, such as temperature, rainfall, photoperiod, etc. Phenology is an important aspect of MAPs, as it affects their growth, yield, quality, and adaptation to changing climates. Phenological assessment can be successfully used for acclimation monitoring and to evaluate the suitability for the cultivation of newly introduced genotypes. In addition, unpredictable climatic trends are expected to impact plant phenology long term, and the potential implications for the sustainability of these crops require closer examination. This Special Issue intends to collect novel findings on the phenology of MAPs, highlighting its relevance both in the current context as well as in overcoming foreseeable challenges for MAP crops. Therefore, this SI specifically focuses on:
- Phenological stages and indicators of MAPs;
- Environmental factors influencing the phenology of MAPs;
- Phenological models and tools for MAPs;
- Phenotypic plasticity and adaptation of MAPs;
- Phenological effects on the yield and quality of MAPs;
- Phenological responses of MAPs to climate change and variability;
- Contemporary problems related to climate change and MAPs.
Dr. Milica Aćimović
Prof. Dr. Rodica Vârban
Prof. Dr. Dan Vârban
Dr. Andrei Stoie
Dr. Ioana Crisan
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 to climatic conditions
- climate change and climate trends
- environmental factors
- ecosystems
- evolutionary ecology
- genotype by environment interaction
- phenological standardization
- pests and diseases
- phenotypic plasticity
- phenological traits
- plant metabolism
- BBCH scale
- seasonal phytochemical variations
- stress response
- abiotic and biotic stress
