Sustainable Vegetable Production in the Era of Climate Change

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to global agriculture, with increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and soil salinity severely impacting vegetable production. These abiotic stressors disrupt physiological and biochemical processes in plants, leading to reduced yields, compromised nutritional quality, and economic losses. In Mediterranean and other vulnerable regions, the intensification of these stressors threatens food security and the sustainability of agricultural systems. To address these challenges, innovative and sustainable approaches are urgently needed to enhance crop resilience while maintaining productivity and quality. Nutrient management has emerged as a key strategy, with optimized fertilization—including macronutrients, micronutrients, and biofertilizers—playing a crucial role in improving stress tolerance, antioxidant defense mechanisms, and overall plant health. Additionally, advances in cultivation techniques, such as precision agriculture, soilless systems, and vertical farming, offer promising solutions to mitigate abiotic stress effects.

This Special Issue aims to explore cutting-edge research on sustainable vegetable production under climate change conditions, focusing on nutrient management, stress physiology, and resilient agricultural practices. By integrating fundamental and applied research, we seek to develop strategies that enhance crop performance, optimize resource use, and ensure long-term food security in a changing climate. We welcome contributions that investigate sustainable approaches to improving vegetable production under abiotic stress conditions including original research, reviews, and case studies that address the following:

• The physiological and molecular responses of vegetables to drought, heat, salinity, and other climate-induced stresses;
• Nutrient management strategies to enhance stress resilience, including the role of macro- and micronutrients, biofertilizers, and organic amendments;
• Innovative cultivation systems, such as precision agriculture, hydroponics, aquaponics, and vertical farming, to optimize resource efficiency;
• Postharvest quality and stress-induced changes in nutritional and bioactive compounds in vegetables;
• Sustainable agronomic practices that balance productivity with environmental conservation.

By fostering multidisciplinary research, this Special Issue aims to contribute to the development of climate-resilient vegetable production systems, ensuring food security and agricultural sustainability in the face of global climate challenges. We look forward to high-quality submissions that advance knowledge and provide practical solutions for sustainable vegetable production in a changing world.

Dr. Georgia Ntatsi
Dr. Theodora Ntanasi
Dr. Ioannis Karavidas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• vegetable crops
• nutrient management
• hydroponics and soilless culture
• precision farming
• vertical farming
• sustainable agriculture
• organic farming
• salinity stress
• drought stress
• biofertilizers
• biofortification
• postharvest quality
• antioxidant defense mechanisms