Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.6
4.1
Journals
Plants
Special Issues
Advances in Plant Cultivation and Physiology of Horticultural Crops
share announcement

Advances in Plant Cultivation and Physiology of Horticultural Crops

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 2981

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alexios A. Alexopoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, University of the Peloponnese, Antikalamos, 24100 Kalamata, Greece
Interests: plant physiology; medicinal plants; phytochemistry; plant propagation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ioannis Karapanos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
North Florida Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 155 Research Rd., Quincy, FL 32351, USA
Interests: production systems and quality of vegetables; postharvest physiology and technology for vegetables; minimally processed vegetables and fresh-cut salads

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The technology behind the production of horticultural crops in general and specifically vegetables, tuberous plants, herbs, and aromatic and medicinal plants, is of high interest due to these plants’ high economic and dietary value, their widespread cultivation and consumption across the globe, and the current challenges that they are facing due to climate change. In the development and application of modern cropping technologies, a deeper understanding of the physiology of the abovementioned crops and a more precise determination of their reaction to changing growth conditions are necessary. Modern technologies and cultivation techniques such as precision farming, smart and sustainable ΑΙ applications, and the use of beneficial microbial endophytes, hormones, biostimulants, and nanomaterials in both field and undercover cropping systems, as well as the use of artificial lighting in controlled horticulture (from greenhouses to vertical farming) significantly affect the production of propagating materials (e.g., in vitro propagation, transplant production, grafting), the development of plants, and the yield and quality of products. Technologies should therefore consider factors that influence plant physiology and, by extension, cultivation techniques, such as abiotic stress and the management of fertilization and irrigation water, with the ultimate aim of limiting cultivation inputs and enhancing sustainable production.

Dr. Alexios A. Alexopoulos
Dr. Ioannis Karapanos
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. 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

  • aromatic and medicinal plants
  • beneficial microbial endophytes
  • biostimulants propagating material
  • controlled-environment agriculture (CEA)
  • smart and precision farming
  • nanoformulations in agriculture
  • organic and sustainable agriculture
  • plant growth promoting rhizobacteria
  • tuberous plants
  • vegetables

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

36 pages, 7996 KB  
Article
Physiological Responses and Heat Tolerance Evaluation of Eight Varieties of Primula vulgaris Under Natural High Temperatures
by Ruicheng Li, Jiawei Yang, Xin Meng, Chen Cheng, Yingying Zhang, Xueying Han, Nuoxuan Liu, Liyuan Zhao, Ying Qu, Tianqi Tang, Huale Chen, Long Li and Qianqian Shi
Plants 2026, 15(7), 1000; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15071000 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 418
Abstract
Primula vulgaris possesses considerable edible, medicinal, and ornamental value. It is widely applied in food and pharmaceutical development and, as an early-spring flowering plant, is used in landscaping. However, its range of applications and scope are significantly limited due to its inability to [...] Read more.
Primula vulgaris possesses considerable edible, medicinal, and ornamental value. It is widely applied in food and pharmaceutical development and, as an early-spring flowering plant, is used in landscaping. However, its range of applications and scope are significantly limited due to its inability to withstand high temperatures. This study aimed to investigate the heat tolerance of P. vulgaris under natural high temperatures during summer, identify the most heat-resistant varieties, and determine the optimal conditions for summer outdoor cultivation. Eight P. vulgaris varieties were selected and placed under forest shade with three different shading rates during the summer high-temperature period. Additionally, the heat damage index and the following six physiological indicators were measured: malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, soluble sugar content, soluble protein content, and relative conductivity. Furthermore, a correlation analysis of the physiological indicators was conducted, and a heat tolerance evaluation was performed using the membership function method. Simultaneously, qRT-PCR was employed to analyze the expression patterns of three heat stress-related genes (PvHSP70, PvNCED6, and PvHSF24) across the different cultivars and experimental sites. Under heat stress conditions, leaf area was found to be positively and highly significantly correlated with stomatal density (p < 0.01). The heat damage index, MDA content, and relative conductivity increased significantly with prolonged stress, and they showed highly significant positive correlations. SOD activity, soluble sugar content, and soluble protein content increased to resist heat damage, while POD activity exhibited no consistent trend. Highly significant positive correlations were observed among protective enzyme activities and osmotic regulatory substances. After a comprehensive evaluation, the eight varieties were ranked according to heat tolerance as follows: “Early Punas Yellow” > “Danova Red” > “Middle Punas Rose Red” > “Middle Punas Blue” > “Middle Punas Red” > “Danova Rose White” > “Middle Punas Crimson” > “Middle Punas Scarlet”. Conclusions: “Early Punas Yellow”, “Danova Red”, and “Middle Punas Rose Red” demonstrated strong heat tolerance. In addition, the expression of PvHSP70 and PvHSF24 was significantly upregulated in heat-tolerant cultivars, while that of PvNCED6 showed a sustained increasing trend with rising temperatures. The results of a three-way ANOVA suggested that P. vulgaris exhibited different regulatory patterns among various traits under natural high-temperature stress. Morphological and integrative damage-related indicators, including leaf area, stomatal density, and the heat damage index, all presented significant “site × time” interaction effects. Meanwhile, some physiological regulatory indicators displayed more complex and inconsistent response patterns. These findings further confirm that a dense forest understory grassland is an ideal environment for the summer outdoor cultivation of P. vulgaris. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant Cultivation and Physiology of Horticultural Crops)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5342 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of the TCP Gene Family and Functional Analysis of Gypsophila paniculata GpTCP10 in Regulating Organ Development of Transgenic Arabidopsis
by Yue Xu, Guoping Zhang, Huameng Huang, Mingdong Ran, Hongjia Zhang, Kang Luo, Chao Song, Xiaowei Yu, Lijuan Ding, Leifeng Zhao and Yun Zheng
Plants 2026, 15(6), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15060949 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 356
Abstract
TCP transcription factors constitute a key regulatory family in plants, playing crucial roles in plant growth and development. Although this gene family has been extensively studied across diverse plant species, research in Gypsophila paniculata remains limited. Through genome-wide identification and analysis, this study [...] Read more.
TCP transcription factors constitute a key regulatory family in plants, playing crucial roles in plant growth and development. Although this gene family has been extensively studied across diverse plant species, research in Gypsophila paniculata remains limited. Through genome-wide identification and analysis, this study identified 17 GpTCP in G. paniculata. Our analysis revealed that all GpTCP proteins contain a conserved TCP domain, with subcellular localization predictions indicating nuclear localization. Promoter analysis identified multiple cis-regulatory elements associated with plant organ development and growth regulation. Chromosomal synteny studies showed that gene expansion within the G. paniculata TCP gene family occurred after subfamily differentiation. Over-expression of GpTCP10 in Arabidopsis thaliana caused root development inhibition, leaf curling, smaller flowers, and yellowing of flowers. Further studies showed that in two normally growing G. paniculata varieties with different flower sizes, GpTCP10 was specifically expressed in leaf and floral tissues, with significantly higher expression levels in the smaller-flowered G. paniculata. These findings reveal the evolutionary characteristics of the TCP family in G. paniculata, and highlight the role of GpTCP10 in regulating organ growth and development in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and floral organ size in G. paniculata. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant Cultivation and Physiology of Horticultural Crops)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 5449 KB  
Article
High-Blue/Low-Red Mixed Light Modulates Photoperiodic Flowering in Chrysanthemum via Photoreceptor and Sugar Pathways
by Jingli Yang, Zhengyang Cheng, Jinnan Song and Byoung Ryong Jeong
Plants 2025, 14(20), 3151; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14203151 - 13 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1675
Abstract
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.), a typical short-day plant (SDP), relies on photoperiod and light quality signals to regulate flowering and growth. Red light interruptions inhibit its flowering, whereas supplemental blue light can counteract this inhibitory effect. To investigate how “high-blue/low-red” mixed light [...] Read more.
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.), a typical short-day plant (SDP), relies on photoperiod and light quality signals to regulate flowering and growth. Red light interruptions inhibit its flowering, whereas supplemental blue light can counteract this inhibitory effect. To investigate how “high-blue/low-red” mixed light (RBL) regulates chrysanthemum flowering and growth, we treated ‘Gaya Glory’ plants with 4 h of supplemental or night-interruptional RBL (S-RBL4 or NI-RBL4, 0 or 30 ± 3 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) under 10 h short-day and 13 h long-day conditions (SD10 and LD13; white light, WL; 300 ± 5 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD), recorded as SD10, SD10 + S-RBL4, SD10 + NI-RBL4, LD13, LD13 + S-RBL4, and LD13 + NI-RBL4, respectively. Under SD10 conditions, S-RBL4 promoted flowering and enhanced nutritional quality, whereas NI-RBL4 suppressed flowering. Under LD13 conditions, both treatments alleviated flowering inhibition, with S-RBL4 exhibiting a more pronounced inductive effect. Chrysanthemums displayed superior vegetative growth and physiological metabolism under LD13 compared to SD10, as evidenced by higher photosynthetic efficiency, greater carbohydrate accumulation, and more robust stem development. Furthermore, S-RBL4 exerted a stronger regulatory influence than NI-RBL4 on photosynthetic traits, the activities of sugar metabolism-related enzymes, and gene expression. The photoperiodic flowering of chrysanthemum was coordinately regulated by the photoreceptor-mediated and sugar-induced pathways: CmCRY1 modulated the expression of florigenic genes (CmFTLs) and anti-florigenic gene (CmAFT) to transmit light signals, while S-RBL4 activated sucrose-responsive flowering genes CmFTL1/2 through enhanced photosynthesis and carbohydrate accumulation, thereby jointly regulating floral initiation. The anti-florigenic gene CmTFL1 exhibited dual functionality—its high expression inhibited flowering and promoted lateral branch and leaf growth, but only under sufficient sugar availability, indicating that carbohydrate status modulates its functional activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant Cultivation and Physiology of Horticultural Crops)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop