Effects of Environmental Factors on Nutritional Quality of Plant Seeds and Other Edible Plant Parts

Dear Colleagues,

The latest climate prospects point to the occurrence of more frequent and intense extreme climate and weather episodes (including drought, flooding, heat waves, or freezes) accompanied by soil degradation and a higher incidence of plant diseases. These threats are currently compromising our food system as they severely impact agriculture, both quantitatively (compromising yields) and in terms of the nutritional quality of crops. Within these threatening scenarios, the urgency of finding innovative solutions for these problems intensifies and includes the use of cost-effective crops that are resilient to stress and able to provide more nutritious plant-based foods that will contribute to minimizing food insecurity worldwide. In this regard, the stability of plant performance and seed/grain quality are critical aspects to be analyzed to broaden our understanding regarding the effect(s) of different plant environmental stressors (prevalent in many agricultural areas around the world) on the physiology and nutritional properties of crops, which is key to fighting malnutrition. Hence, this Special Issue aims to collect recent findings regarding the impact of abiotic and biotic stressors on plant-based food quality with special emphasis on the nutritional quality of seeds or grains of stress-resilient edible plant species.

Dr. Maria Reguera
Guest Editor

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• abiotic stress
• biotic factors
• nutritional quality
• seeds and grains
• edible plant parts
• climate change
• food security

Title: Exploring the Potential of Nutrient-Rich and Stress-Resilient Emergent Crops for Sustainable and Healthy Food in the Mediterranean Region in the Face of Climate Change Challenges
Authors: Javier Matías1, Nieves Fernández-García2, Joan Casals3, Sara Fondevilla4, Nieves Aparicio5, Claudia Mónika Haros6, Justo Pedroche7, Ingrid Aguiló8, Cristina Soler-Rivas9, Pedro A. Caballero10, Asunció
Affiliation: 1 Agrarian Research Institute “La Orden-Valdesequera” of Extremadura (CICYTEX). 06187, Badajoz, Spain 2 Department of Abiotic Stress and Plant Pathology, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain 3 Fundació Miquel Agustí, Esteve Terrades, 8, 08860 Castelldefels, Spain 4 Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004, Córdoba, Spain 5 Agro-Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITACyL), Ctra. Burgos Km. 119, 47071-Valladolid, Spain 6 Cereal Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Parque Científico, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain 7 Group of Plant Proteins, Instituto de la Grasa, CSIC. Ctra. de Utrera Km. 1, 41013 Seville, Spain 8 IRTA, Postharvest Programme, Parc Agrobiotech Lleida. Parc de Gardeny, Edifici Fruitcentre, 25003 Lleida, Spain 9 Departamento de Producción y Caracterización de Nuevos Alimentos, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación (CIAL) (CSIC-UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain; Sección Departamental de Ciencias de la Alimentación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain 10 Food Technology, Department of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering, University of Valladolid, 34004 Palencia, Spain. 11 Departamento Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Murcia 30100, Spain 12 Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville 41013. Departamento de Bioquímica Médica y Biología Molecular e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville 41009, Spain. 13 Technological Institute of Food and Agriculture of Extremadura (CICYTEX), Guadajira, Spain 14 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
Abstract: In the dynamic landscape of agriculture and food science, incorporating emergent crops appears as a pioneering solution, unlocking possibilities for sustainable cultivation and nutritional innovation with positive impacts on human health. This review explores the potential of utilizing emergent crops in Mediterranean environments under current climate scenarios, emphasizing the manifold benefits of agricultural and food system diversification and assessing the impact of environmental factors on their quality and consumer health. Through a deep exploration of the resilience, nutritional value, and health impacts of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) such as quinoa, amaranth, chia, moringa, buckwheat, millet, teff, hemp, or desert truffles, their capacity to thrive in the changing Mediterranean climate is highlighted, offering novel opportunities for agriculture and functional food development. Analyzing how promoting agricultural diversification can enhance food system adaptability to evolving environmental conditions, fostering sustainability and resilience, we discuss recent findings that underscore the main benefits and limitations of these crops from agricultural, food science, and health perspectives, all crucial for responsible and sustainable adoption. Thus, using a sustainable and holistic approach, this revision analyzes how the integration of NUS crops into our Agrifood systems can enhance agriculture resilience and food quality addressing environmental, nutritional, biomedical, economic, and cultural dimensions.