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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Emerging Insights into Horticultural Crop Ecophysiology
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Emerging Insights into Horticultural Crop Ecophysiology

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 December 2025 | Viewed by 3599

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhihui Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 3# Taicheng Road, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: vegetable cultivation; physiology and ecology; cropping system; cucumber; tomato; garlic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Valentina Ancuța Stoian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: ecophysiology; phenology; seed priming methods; abiotic stress; plant physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sorin Daniel Vatca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: plant physiology; plant environmental stress physiology; bioclimatology; agrometeorology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bojana Brozović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vladimira Preloga 1, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
Interests: agroclimatology; plant production; conservation agriculture; sustainable soil management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

For this Special Issue, we invite studies regarding biotic and abiotic factors that could affect horticultural plant growth and development and further productivity. We welcome scientific articles and review articles on all aspects connected with plant physiology and the biochemistry of horticultural plants, natural resource improvement, and improving plants health and plant products. High-value vegetables and fruits are the result of different interacting factors. Key phenological growth stages are also of great interest when applying a technology, method, or innovation treatment to enhance yields and achieve “no hunger” sustainable developmental goals (SDGs). Maximizing yields while lowering the negative effects of ecophysiological stress by optimized plant responses is valuble when considering environmental factors such as temperature, light, or water availability. Applying strategies to different zones based on the communities’ preferences should be prioritized for horticultural farms, urban horticulture performance, and for greenhouses sustainable development.

Prof. Dr. Zhihui Cheng
Dr. Valentina Ancuța Stoian
Prof. Dr. Sorin Daniel Vatca
Dr. Bojana Brozović
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

  • climate change adaptation
  • climate change effects
  • agroclimatology
  • BBCH scale
  • phenological growth stages
  • physiological parameters
  • ecophysiological stress
  • stress response
  • horticultural plant yields
  • healthy plants
  • biotic and abiotic factors
  • biochemical parameters
  • crops–soil–microorganism interactions
  • growth-enhancement techniques
  • sustainable horticultural plant production
  • SDGs correlated potential

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 5239 KiB  
Article
Hyperhydricity-Induced Physiological Changes and Catechin Accumulation in Blueberry Hybrids (Vaccinium corymbosum × V. angustifolium)
by Rajesh Barua, Sayani Kundu, Abir U. Igamberdiev and Samir C. Debnath
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040418 - 14 Apr 2025
Viewed by 300
Abstract
Hyperhydricity is a significant challenge in the tissue culture of blueberry plantlets, affecting their propagation, survival and quality, which results in economic losses for industrial blueberry micropropagation. The in vitro liquid propagation of two half-highbush blueberry hybrids, HB1 and HB2, [...] Read more.
Hyperhydricity is a significant challenge in the tissue culture of blueberry plantlets, affecting their propagation, survival and quality, which results in economic losses for industrial blueberry micropropagation. The in vitro liquid propagation of two half-highbush blueberry hybrids, HB1 and HB2, showed that a Growtek stationary bioreactor culture system containing a liquid medium exhibited a higher hyperhydricity percentage than a Sigma glass culture system with a semi-solid medium. The percentage of hyperhydricity (75.21 ± 1.89%) and water content (72%) of HB2 was more than that of HB1. A scanning electron microscopy study revealed that hyperhydric plantlets from both genotypes developed slowly, had closed stomata, and displayed enlarged intercellular spaces between the palisade and spongy parenchyma layers. Disrupted vascular bundles, underdeveloped sieve elements and a weak connection between phloem and xylem tissue were also observed in hyperhydric plantlets. An analysis of mesophyll and stem tissues highlighted a compressed adaxial epidermis, which led to compact palisade parenchyma, with irregularly shaped mesophyll cells. Hyperhydric plants showed strong nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals in the aliphatic, aromatic, and sugar regions, specifically at peaks of 2.0, 2.5, 4.0, 4.5, 6.0, and 6.7 ppm. These signals were attributed to the presence of catechin (C15H14O6), a flavonoid compound, suggesting its significant role or accumulation in these plants under hyperhydric conditions. Despite the negative effects of hyperhydricity on commercial propagation, hyperhydric plants were found to contain higher levels of valuable untargeted metabolites, such as β-P-arbutin, chlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, epicatechin, 2-O-caffeoyl arbutin, various fatty acids, β-glucose, linolenic acid, and acetyl than both in vitro and ex vitro conditions. The enrichment of bioactive compounds in blueberry enhances its antioxidant properties, nutritional profile, and potential health benefits, making them significant for plant defense mechanisms and stress adaptation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Insights into Horticultural Crop Ecophysiology)
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16 pages, 3825 KiB  
Article
Effects of Humic Acids, Seaweed Extract and Equisetum arvense L. Extracts on Morphological, Histological and Physiological Parameters of the Ornamental Plant Ocimum basilicum Rokokó
by Szilvia Kisvarga, Katalin Horotán, Dóra Hamar-Farkas and László Orlóci
Horticulturae 2024, 10(11), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10111231 - 20 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1412
Abstract
Ocimum basilicum L. is a multipurpose plant species used in the horticultural sector as a medicinal, herbaceous and ornamental plant. In our experiment, the Hungarian cultivar O. basilicum Rokokó was treated with algae (Ecklonia maxima (Osbeck) Papenf.), horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) [...] Read more.
Ocimum basilicum L. is a multipurpose plant species used in the horticultural sector as a medicinal, herbaceous and ornamental plant. In our experiment, the Hungarian cultivar O. basilicum Rokokó was treated with algae (Ecklonia maxima (Osbeck) Papenf.), horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) extracts and humic extracts. The effect of the biostimulants on the groups was assessed by morphological (leaf number, leaf area, fresh green mass, fresh root mass), histological (number of volatile oil glands) and physiological (chlorophyll content, peroxidase enzyme activity, proline levels) measurements. Obtained results were evaluated and it was concluded that the plants treated with algae and E. arvense extracts showed remarkable results for all the parameters measured. It was concluded that these extracts can be used as biostimulants in the cultivation of basil seedlings as ornamental plants, as they have a beneficial effect on the development of the plant. The humic extracts were less effective during the time period studied, probably due to their high molecular weight, which would have resulted in a longer absorption time. For the humic extracts, foliar application was less effective than irrigation, probably due to rapid damping-off, which reduced the penetration of humic extracts into the leaves. Though morphological characteristics are especially important for basil used as an ornamental plant, the plant’s essential oil content can also be important in attracting attention in urban plantings. It was found that humic extracts applied (22.8 pcs/sampling area) with irrigation had a strong effect on essential oil glands, in contrast when used as a spray (13.1 pcs/sampling area). The lowest stress levels were obtained in the group treated with irrigated humus extracts (274.96 µg/mg), which may be related to the continuous supply of nutrients, and in the group treated with E. arvense extract, silicon (219.05 µg/mg) may be the result of hermetic effects. In conclusion, E. arvense and algae extracts can be effective biostimulants in the horticultural sector for the seedling production of ornamental basil, and after a longer growing period, humic extracts can be used effectively by irrigation after planting. The use of natural extracts can also give a green light to this segment for sustainable and environmentally friendly cultivation, which can also better resist the effects of climate change and urbanisation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Insights into Horticultural Crop Ecophysiology)
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16 pages, 1989 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Five Asian Lily Cultivars in Chongqing Province China and Effects of Exogenous Substances on the Heat Resistance
by Ningyu Bai, Yangjing Song, Yu Li, Lijun Tan, Jing Li, Lan Luo, Shunzhao Sui and Daofeng Liu
Horticulturae 2024, 10(11), 1216; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10111216 - 17 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 953
Abstract
Lily is one of the world’s important ornamental flowers. Potted Asiatic lily is a further selected dwarf cultivar suitable for indoor or garden planting. However, there is a lack of relevant research on the cultivation adaptability of potted Asiatic lilies cultivars in the [...] Read more.
Lily is one of the world’s important ornamental flowers. Potted Asiatic lily is a further selected dwarf cultivar suitable for indoor or garden planting. However, there is a lack of relevant research on the cultivation adaptability of potted Asiatic lilies cultivars in the Chongqing region which in the southwest of China. This study selected five potted Asiatic lily cultivars, and the phenological period, stem and leaf characteristics, and flowering traits were assessed through statistical observation. The Asiatic lily ‘Tiny Ghost’ and ‘Tiny Double You’ are well-suited for both spring and autumn planting in Chongqing, while ‘Sugar Love’ and ‘Curitiba’ are best planted in the spring. The ‘Tiny Diamond’ is more appropriate for autumn planting due to its low tolerance to high temperature. The application of exogenous substances, including calcium chloride (CaCl2), potassium fulvic acid (PFA) and melatonin (MT), can mitigate the detrimental effects of high-temperature stress on ‘Tiny Diamond’ by regulating photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, and osmotic substance content. A comprehensive evaluation using the membership function showed that the effect of exogenous CaCl2 treatment is the best, followed by exogenous PFA treatment. CaCl2 acts as a positive regulator of heat stress tolerance in Asian lilies, with potential applications in Asian lily cultivation. This study provides reference for cultivation and application of Asian lily varieties in Chongqing region, and also laid the foundation for further research on the mechanism of exogenous substances alleviating heat stress in lilies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Insights into Horticultural Crop Ecophysiology)
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Review

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19 pages, 3280 KiB  
Review
Impacts of the Biostimulant VIUSID® Agro on Growth, Productivity, and Tolerance to Salt Stress in Crops: A Systematic Review
by Kolima Peña-Calzada, Alexander Calero-Hurtado, Jorge Félix Meléndrez-Rodríguez, Juan Carlos Rodríguez-Fernández, Oscar Giovanni Gutiérrez-Cádenas, Marcos Tulio García-González, Lourdes Madrigal-Carmona and Alay Jiménez-Medina
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 407; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040407 - 11 Apr 2025
Viewed by 501
Abstract
The global landscape is marked by climatic, socioeconomic, and demographic complexities, and enhancing food production through byproducts has emerged as a powerful strategy to address these challenges. This review aimed to analyze the potential impacts of VIUSID® agro, an amino acid–based growth [...] Read more.
The global landscape is marked by climatic, socioeconomic, and demographic complexities, and enhancing food production through byproducts has emerged as a powerful strategy to address these challenges. This review aimed to analyze the potential impacts of VIUSID® agro, an amino acid–based growth promoter, on plant growth, productivity, and tolerance to salt stress. A quantitative systematic review was conducted utilizing databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The research papers highlighted the positive effects of VIUSID® agro on growth and production, as well as on physiological and biochemical indices related to salt stress across various crops. Furthermore, this biostimulant can be administered in different doses and through various application methods. The review also examined its effects during the ex vitro acclimatization phase and in tissue culture. The results demonstrated enhanced crop growth, increased biomass accumulation, modulation of photosynthesis, improved enzymatic antioxidant defenses, and maintenance of ionic homeostasis, all contributing to superior crop performance. These findings suggest that VIUSID® agro is beneficial for a wide range of crops, with its effectiveness primarily attributed to its rich amino acid composition, which influences and modulates various physiological and biochemical processes within plant cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Insights into Horticultural Crop Ecophysiology)
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