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Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 9464

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Prof. Dr. Geovani Soares de Lima

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Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande-UFCG, Campus Pombal, Pombal, PB, Brazil
Interests: soil/water salinity; tolerance mechanisms; biosaline agriculture; tolerance of fruit crops; stress mitigation strategies; oxidative stress
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Prof. Dr. Lauriane Almeida dos Anjos Soares

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Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Agroalimentar-CCTA, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande—UFCG, Campus Pombal, Pombal, PB, Brazil
Interests: irrigation; salt stress; water stress; physiology; tolerance mechanisms
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Prof. Dr. Francisco Vanies Da Silva Sá

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Department of Agrarian and Exact Sciences, State University of Paraíba-UEPB, Catolé do Rocha 58884-000, Brazil
Interests: salt stress; drought stress; irrigation; water management; wastewater; alkaline soils; horticulture; plant physiology; plant ecophysiology; plant nutrition
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Dear Colleagues,

Semi-arid and arid areas around the world are subject to a qualitative and quantitative scarcity of water resources. Thus, both scarcity (water deficit) and the occurrence of water sources with high salt concentrations stand out as limiting factors for agricultural production. Thus, there is an urgent need to establish strategies that mitigate abiotic stresses aimed at facilitating the sustainability of crops and meeting growing needs for food production. This Special Issue on Mitigation Strategies and Plant Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses presents original research results on the effects of abiotic stresses, tolerance mechanisms, crop tolerance associated with mitigation strategies, and biomolecular mechanisms. Submitted manuscripts must not be previously published or under evaluation for publication in another journal.

Prof. Dr. Geovani Soares de Lima
Prof. Dr. Lauriane Almeida dos Anjos Soares
Prof. Dr. Francisco Vanies Da Silva Sá
Guest Editors

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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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

salt and water stress
tolerance mechanisms
oxidative stress
hydroponic cultivation
hydroponic cultivation
fertilizing
eliciting substances

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 6000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying the Phytotoxicity of Biosynthesized Metal Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Impact on Antioxidative Enzymatic Activity in Maize Under Drought Stress

by Hafiz Muhammad Rizwan, Usman Shafqat, Aneeza Ishfaq, Fatima Batool, Faisal Mahmood, Qitao Su, Nimra Yaseen, Tehziba Raza and Faizah Amer Altihani

Plants 2025, 14(7), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071075 - 1 Apr 2025

Viewed by 399

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.), an important crop used for animal feed and human consumption, is currently threatened by water shortage. Recently, the usage of nanomaterials has attracted worldwide attention due to their applications in various fields. This research aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy of different metal oxide nanoparticles for mitigating drought stress in maize. Iron oxide, manganese oxide, and copper nanoparticles were biosynthesized from the leaf extract of Conocarpus erectus L. and characterized via UV-Vis, XRD, FTIR, and SEM. The synthesized nanomaterials were initially optimized at different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm). The optimized doses of each nanoparticle were then applied to maize plants under different drought stress levels (50% FC, 75% FC, and 100% FC). Compared to the control, the application of nanomaterials significantly improved the growth parameters of the maize by 30% at 50% FC, 27% at 75% FC, and 26% at 100% FC. The chlorophyll content also improved significantly at different levels of drought stress by 35%, 32%, and 29% as compared to the control, respectively. The antioxidants (CAT, POD, SOD, and APX) also improved significantly at different levels of drought by 37%, 34%, and 31%, as compared to control, respectively. Moreover, the use of nanoparticles resulted in a significant decrease in cellular oxidative stress (MDA, H₂O₂) parameters by 23% at 50%FC, 26% at 75% FC, and 27% at 100% FC. Biosynthesized FeO NPs, MnO NPs, and Cu NPs have demonstrated significant potential in mitigating drought stress in maize, suggesting a promising approach to enhance crop performance under water-limited conditions. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term impacts and practical applications of these findings in sustainable agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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18 pages, 7899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Overexpression of OsPIN5b Alters Plant Architecture and Impairs Cold Tolerance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

by Xiaoyu Fu, Guo Chen, Xinya Ruan, Guozhang Kang, Dianyun Hou and Huawei Xu

Plants 2025, 14(7), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071026 - 25 Mar 2025

Viewed by 299

Abstract

Auxin plays a versatile role in regulating plant growth and development. The auxin efflux carrier PIN-FORMED (PIN) proteins dictate the distribution and maximum of auxin within various tissues. Despite extensive research on OsPINs in recent years, their functions in abiotic stress resistance, particularly cold tolerance, remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of OsPIN5b in rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and development, as well as its contribution to cold tolerance using overexpression technology. Overexpression of OsPIN5b (OE) resulted in reduced shoot height and a lower number of adventitious roots at the seedling stage. Transgenic rice plants exhibited an earlier heading date, stunted growth, and compromised agronomic traits, including shortened panicle length, decreased grain number per panicle, reduced seed size, and lower seed setting rate during the reproductive stage. Auxin content in the transgenic lines was significantly elevated, as indicated by the upregulation of the auxin-responsive gene OsIAA20 and increased auxin levels quantified using a newly developed method. Compared with wild-type plants, the cold tolerance of OE plants was markedly reduced, as evidenced by lower survival rates, higher levels of electrolyte leakage, and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) production following cold treatment. In line with this, the transgenic lines produced less soluble sugar and proline, while accumulating more hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and superoxide anion radicals (

O_{2}^{-}

) after cold treatment. Furthermore, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD), were notably decreased upon cold treatment compared with those in WT plants. Additionally, OsRBOHH, which plays a role in ROS production, was significantly upregulated in transgenic lines both before and after chilling stress, suggesting that OsRBOHH plays a potential role in regulating ROS production. Collectively, overexpression of OsPIN5b substantially disturbs auxin homeostasis, resulting in impaired plant architecture and agronomic traits. More importantly, the upregulation of OsPIN5b compromises rice cold tolerance by perturbing ROS homeostasis and adversely influencing the accumulation of soluble sugar and proline. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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14 pages, 3090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochar Nanoparticles Reduce Ciprofloxacin Accumulation and Restore Growth and Hormonal Balance in Rice Seedlings

by Xiaohan Chen, Jieyu Chen, Yanhong Zhang, Chen Ling and Yu Shen

Plants 2025, 14(3), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030380 - 26 Jan 2025

Viewed by 821

Abstract

Ciprofloxacin (CIP), a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, poses a growing environmental concern due to its persistence in agricultural soils and potential adverse effects on crop production. While previous studies have documented CIP’s negative impacts on plant growth, effective strategies to protect crops from antibiotic stress remain limited. Biochar-based approaches show promise, but their application at the nanoscale for antibiotic stress management is largely unexplored. This study demonstrates how biochar nanoparticles (BNPs) effectively mitigate CIP-induced stress in rice seedlings through adsorption mechanisms. Rice seedlings were treated with 5 and 10 mg L⁻¹ CIP, with and without 0.2 g L⁻¹ BNPs. Results showed that CIP significantly disrupted plant growth, decreasing shoot length by 20.5% and root length by 45.2%, along with reduced biomass. Application of BNPs effectively reduced CIP bioavailability by over 80%, leading to a decreased CIP accumulation of 49.7% in shoots and 33.1% in roots. The addition of BNPs mitigated these growth impacts by restoring shoot length to 98.2% of control levels at 5 mg L⁻¹ CIP and improving root growth and biomass accumulation. BNPs also mitigated CIP-induced hormone imbalance, evidenced by a recovery in IAA levels by 8.9%, an increase in 6-BA by 152.6%, and an enhancement in SA levels by 12.7–13.6%. These findings demonstrate the significant potential of nanoscale biochar in reducing antibiotic stress in agricultural systems and provide insights into plant responses under these conditions. This research offers a promising strategy for enhancing crop resilience in areas affected by pharmaceutical pollutants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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18 pages, 1373 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis on Salinity Tolerance of Lettuce Cultivars Under Saline Irrigation and Application of Organic Acids

by Jussiara Sonally Jácome Cavalcante, Miguel Ferreira Neto, Tayd Dayvison Custódio Peixoto, Marcondes Pereira da Silva Júnior, Ricardo André Rodrigues Filho, Kariolania Fortunato de Paiva Araújo, Rayane Amaral de Andrade, Lauter Silva Souto, Josinaldo Lopes Araújo Rocha, Luderlândio de Andrade Silva, Pedro Dantas Fernandes, Nildo da Silva Dias and Francisco Vanies da Silva Sá

Plants 2025, 14(2), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020262 - 17 Jan 2025

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Abstract

Freshwater depletion becomes a significant challenge as the population grows and food demand rises. We evaluated the responses of lettuce cultivars (Lactuca Sativa) under saline stress in photosynthetic responses, production, and ion homeostasis. We used a randomized block design in a 3 × 5 factorial scheme with five replications—the first factor: three cultivars of curly lettuce: SVR 2005, Simpson, and Grand Rapids. The second factor consisted of five treatments: T1—control (water of 0.53 dS m⁻¹); T2—saline stress (water of 4.0 dS m⁻¹); T3—saline stress + ascorbic acid; T4—saline stress + gibberellic acid; and T5—saline stress + salicylic acid. The Grand Rapids lettuce cultivar tolerated water salinity, obtaining the highest production. The Simpson lettuce cultivar was sensitive to salinity, reducing biomass production under saline stress by 11.47% compared to Grand Rapids. Salicylic acid was more effective at mitigating saline stress in the Simpson lettuce cultivar than ascorbic and gibberellic acids, with a 24.85% increase in production compared to saline stress. The findings suggest that the Grand Rapids lettuce cultivar is more resilient to saline conditions, while salicylic acid can significantly enhance production in the sensitive Simpson cultivar under saline stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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15 pages, 4997 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comprehensive Analysis of the 9-Cis Epoxy Carotenoid Dioxygenase Gene Family and Their Responses to Salt Stress in Hordeum vulgare L.

by Fatima Omari Alzahrani

Plants 2024, 13(23), 3327; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13233327 - 27 Nov 2024

Viewed by 911

Abstract

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is among the earliest crops to be cultivated and is also considered a crucial staple crop. Nevertheless, the negative effects of abiotic stress on both the quality and productivity of barley are significant. Nine-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases (NCEDs) are rate-limiting enzymes in plants that cleave carotenoids and produce abscisic acid (ABA). The poor utilization of barley NCEDs in stress-resistant genetic breeding is due to the lack of appropriate information about their potential function in abiotic stress. The current study revealed five NCED genes in the barley genome (HvNCED1—HvNCED5), which are distributed unevenly on barley chromosomes. The PF03055 domain is present in all HvNCEDs, and they encode 413~643 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NCED genes were categorized into three distinct clades, confirming the homology of NCED genes between H. vulgare L., Arabidopsis thaliana L., and Oryza sativa L. Expression analysis revealed that HvNCED1 is significantly upregulated under high salt stress, indicating its potential role in enhancing salt tolerance. In contrast, HvNCED3 and HvNCED4 exhibited downregulation, suggesting a complex regulatory mechanism in response to varying salt stress levels. These findings will enhance our comprehension of the genetic composition and evolutionary development of the HvNCED gene family and provide a basis for future research on their role in response to salt-induced stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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16 pages, 6396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microencapsulated Microbial Seed Coating Could Improve Soil Environment and Maize Grain Yield in Saline Soil

by Qiuyan Huo, Min Gong, Yawen Jiang, Xi Yang, Meng Kong, Jiuxing He, Qiang Zhang, Jiqing Song, Xinzhu Li, Wei Han, Xurong Mei and Guohua Lv

Plants 2024, 13(22), 3139; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223139 - 7 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1421

Abstract

Soil salinization is one of the major challenges for modern agriculture, posing a great threat to soil health and food security. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of seed coating on soil environment and maize growth in saline soils. Three treatments were applied to maize seeds: coating with a microencapsulated microbial agent (ME), coating with microbial only (MB), and no coating (CK). High-throughput sequencing of soil bacterial and fungal 16S and ITS rRNA genes was performed using the Illumina HiSeq platform to analyze the effects of these treatments on soil bacterial and fungal diversity and community structure. Additionally, the influence of different treatments on endogenous hormones and yield of maize were investigated. It was found that the coating with a microencapsulated microbial agent led to decreases in pH and electrical conductivity (EC), while increasing the content of soil available phosphorus. This coating improved soil microbial diversity, significantly increasing the relative abundance of the main bacteria genera, Bacillus (34.9%), and the main fungal genera, Mortierella (190.4%). The treatment also significantly enhanced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by 51.2%, contributing to improvements in resistance to salt stress. The germination rate increased by 22.9%, the 100-grain weight increased by 12.7%, and grain yield increased by 14.3%. The use of the microencapsulated microbial agent effectively mitigated the adverse effects of salt stress on maize plants. This approach is beneficial for promoting sustainable agriculture in saline soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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18 pages, 3778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Physiological Mechanism of Exogenous Melatonin on Improving Seed Germination and the Seedling Growth of Red Clover (Trifolium pretense L.) under Salt Stress

by Rui Liu, Ting Wang, Jiajie Wang, Di Yan, Yijia Lian, Zhengzong Lu, Yue Hong, Xue Yuan, Ye Wang and Runzhi Li

Plants 2024, 13(17), 2527; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172527 - 8 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1592

Abstract

Salt stress can affect various physiological processes in plants, ultimately hindering their growth and development. Melatonin (MT) can effectively resist multiple abiotic stresses, improving plant stress resistance. To analyze the mechanism of exogenous MT to enhance salt tolerance in red clover, we conducted a comprehensive study to examine the influence of exogenous MT on various parameters, including seed germination indices, seedling morphological traits, and physiological and photosynthetic indicators, using four distinct red clover varieties (H1, H2, H3, and H4). This investigation was performed under various salt stress conditions with differing pH values, specifically utilizing NaCl, Na₂SO₄, NaHCO₃, and Na₂CO₃ as the salt stressors. The results showed that MT solution immersion significantly improved the germination indicators of red clover seeds under salt stress. The foliar spraying of 50 μM and 25 μM MT solution significantly increased SOD activity (21–127%), POD activity, soluble sugar content, proline content (22–117%), chlorophyll content (2–66%), and the net photosynthetic rate. It reduced the MDA content (14–55%) and intercellular CO₂ concentration of red clover seedlings under salt stress. Gray correlation analysis and the Mantel test further verified that MT is a key factor in enhancing seed germination and seedling growth of red clover under salt stress; the most significant improvement was observed for NaHCO₃ stress. MT is demonstrated to improve the salt tolerance of red clover through a variety of mechanisms, including an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity, osmoregulation ability, and cell membrane stability. Additionally, it improves photosynthetic efficiency and plant architecture, promoting energy production, growth, and optimal resource allocation. These mechanisms function synergistically, enabling red clover to sustain normal growth and development under salt stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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Review

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31 pages, 6053 KiB

Open AccessReview

Role of Neurotransmitters (Biomediators) in Plant Responses to Stress

by Zahra Dehghanian, Mohammad Ahmadabadi, Behnam Asgari Lajayer, Nazila Bagheri, Masoud Chamani, Vahideh Gougerdchi, Mohsen Hamedpour-Darabi, Weixi Shu, G. W. Price and Bernard Dell

Plants 2024, 13(22), 3134; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223134 - 7 Nov 2024

Viewed by 2426

Abstract

Plants possess a complex signaling system that enables them to sense and adapt to various environmental stressors, including abiotic factors like extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, and toxic heavy metals. While the roles of hormones and signaling molecules in plant stress responses are well established, the involvement of neurotransmitters—traditionally linked to animal nervous systems—in plant stress physiology is a relatively underexplored area. Recent findings indicate that neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, serotonin, and dopamine play crucial roles in several physiological processes within plants. They regulate ion channels, adjust stomatal movements, modulate the production of reactive oxygen species, and influence gene expression. Evidence suggests that these neurotransmitters enhance antioxidant defense mechanisms and regulate stress-responsive pathways vital for plant stress tolerance. Additionally, under stressful conditions, neurotransmitters have been shown to impact plant growth, development, and reproductive activities. This review aims to illuminate the emerging understanding of neurotransmitters as key biomediators in plant responses to abiotic stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mitigation Strategies and Tolerance of Plants to Abiotic Stresses—2nd Edition)

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