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Advances in Forage Stress Biology: Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies
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Advances in Forage Stress Biology: Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Physiology and Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 2333

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Peizhi Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Interests: forges stress biology; forage germplasm resources and genetic breeding; forage genome and gene function; medicinal plant cultivation and development and utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wei Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: grassland ecosystem restoration effect and mechanism; ecosystem carbon nitrogen water cycle and its coupling process; biodiversity and ecosystem service function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zhenfei Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Interests: abiotic stress; antioxidants; breeding; Ca2+ signaling; calmodulin-like protein; forage legume; receptor-like protein kinase; ROS homeostasis; turfgrasses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forage crops play a crucial role in global food production, since they serve as a primary source of nutrition for livestock; however, they also face numerous environmental stressors, including drought, temperature fluctuations, soil salinity, and pest infestations. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the response, tolerance, and adaptation of forage species to these stressors is crucial to enhancing their productivity, quality, and resilience.

This Special Issue aims to explore the fascinating world of the ways in which forage crops adapt and respond to environmental stresses. We welcome, therefore, contributions that explore the physiological, biochemical, molecular, and genetic aspects of stress responses in forage crops, and submissions related to the identification and characterization of stress-responsive genes, the elucidation of signaling pathways, and novel strategies for enhancing stress tolerance are especially encouraged.

By deepening our understanding of forage stress biology, we can pave the way toward sustainable forage production, improved animal nutrition, and environmental resiliency.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Agriculture.

Dr. Peizhi Yang
Dr. Wei Zhang
Prof. Dr. Zhenfei Guo
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. 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.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1850 KiB  
Article
Genetic Variation of Growth Traits and Seed Production in a Patagonian Native Pasture in Semiarid Rangelands Under Different Environmental Settings
by Aldana Soledad López, Nicolás Nagahama, Alejandro Aparicio, María Marta Azpilicueta, Verónica Guidalevich, Juan Pablo Angeli and Paula Marchelli
Plants 2025, 14(5), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050736 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 358
Abstract
Rangelands play a crucial socioeconomic and environmental role worldwide. In South America, desertification and overgrazing has led to their deterioration and declining productivity. Breeding programs that use native forage species of economic and ecological importance, such as Festuca pallescens (St. Yves) Parodi, may [...] Read more.
Rangelands play a crucial socioeconomic and environmental role worldwide. In South America, desertification and overgrazing has led to their deterioration and declining productivity. Breeding programs that use native forage species of economic and ecological importance, such as Festuca pallescens (St. Yves) Parodi, may provide locally adapted germplasm that enhances productivity without threatening local biodiversity. These programs may even promote the conservation of native species. To this end, we characterized the phenotypic variation of nondestructive variables (growth and reproductive traits) related to forage and seed production during spring and early summer (growth and reproductive periods). Plants from ten populations were grown under common garden conditions in two environmental settings (sites) over two years. By early summer of the second year, most populations maintained a consistent relative performance with higher values for basal diameter, height and synflorescence production at site 2. This suggests more favorable environmental conditions for the species and highlights their potential for enhancing both seed and forage production. The growth and reproductive traits were probably largely influenced by micro-environmental cues (i.e., soil type and moisture), showing predominantly plastic patterns. The populations displaying phenotypic plasticity and above-average values for both traits were selected for further evaluation in breeding programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Forage Stress Biology: Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies)
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12 pages, 2479 KiB  
Article
VsMATE1-Mediated Citrate Efflux Is Involved in Al Resistance in Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.)
by Wenhui Yan, Jia Shi, Ling He, Zigang Hou, Zhenfei Guo and Haifeng Zhu
Plants 2025, 14(2), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020290 - 20 Jan 2025
Viewed by 601
Abstract
Planting aluminum-tolerant legume green manure is a cost-effective and sustainable method to increase soil fertility as well as decrease Al toxicity in acidic soils. By analyzing the relative root elongation of seven legume green manure species, common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) was [...] Read more.
Planting aluminum-tolerant legume green manure is a cost-effective and sustainable method to increase soil fertility as well as decrease Al toxicity in acidic soils. By analyzing the relative root elongation of seven legume green manure species, common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) was identified as an Al-resistant species. Furthermore, cultivars 418 (cv. Sujian No.3) and 426 (cv. Lanjian No.3) were identified as Al-resistant and -sensitive cultivars, respectively, among 12 common vetch germplasms. The root growth of 418 was less inhibited by Al toxicity in both the germination stage and seedling stage than that of 426. Under Al toxicity, 418 accumulated less Al in both roots and shoots. Citrate is more abundant in the roots of common vetch compared to oxalate or malate. The internal citrate contents showed no significant difference between 418 and 426 under either control or Al treatment. However, the citrate efflux increased in response to Al in 418 but not in 426 and was higher in 418 under Al stress than in 426. Consistently, VsMATE1 expression increased faster and to a greater extent in 418 than 426 in response to Al stress. These results indicated that a VsMATE1-mediated citrate efflux might play an important role in Al resistance in common vetch. It is suggested that VsMATE1 is a valuable candidate gene for aluminum resistance breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Forage Stress Biology: Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies)
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Review

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14 pages, 1521 KiB  
Review
Molecular Mechanisms of Alfalfa Response to Abiotic Stresses
by Wenxin Peng, Wenqi Cai, Jieyi Pan, Xinru Su and Liru Dou
Plants 2025, 14(3), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030487 - 6 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 912
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a high-quality perennial legume forage, is pivotal in global animal husbandry and ecological systems. However, its growth and production are threatened by various abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, low temperatures, and heavy metal toxicity. This review summarizes recent [...] Read more.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a high-quality perennial legume forage, is pivotal in global animal husbandry and ecological systems. However, its growth and production are threatened by various abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, low temperatures, and heavy metal toxicity. This review summarizes recent research on the molecular mechanisms underlying alfalfa’s responses to these environmental adversities. It provides a theoretical foundation for enhancing the stress resistance of alfalfa, offering a valuable reference for breeding high-quality, stress-resistant alfalfa varieties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Forage Stress Biology: Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies)
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