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Plants
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Plant Functioning Under Abiotic Stress
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Plant Functioning Under Abiotic Stress

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: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 2070

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kinga Drzewiecka

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 75, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Interests: phytoremediation of toxic elements; dendroremediation; arsenic toxicity in plants; oxidative stress; metal detoxication; plant secondary metabolism; salicylic acid functions in plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Monika Gasecka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-625 Poznan, Poland
Interests: oxidative stress; metal detoxication; plant secondary metabolism; phenolic compound functions in plants; biotic and abiotic stress; phytoremediation of toxic elements; dendroremediation; metal toxicity in plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant stress induced by water deficiency, salinity, or the presence of heavy metals triggers complex defense mechanisms at both the molecular and physiological level. In response to stress, plants synthesize specific proteins, hormones, and metabolites that help in reducing damage and adapting to unfavorable conditions. Although short-term stress sometimes stimulates adaptive plant responses, prolonged or intense exposure to stressors can lead to severe damage, growth inhibition, and decreased productivity.

Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes articles (including research articles, literature reviews, and short communications) focusing on plant responses to various abiotic stressors. We encourage submissions related to physiology, biochemistry, genes, proteins, hormones, regulatory and signaling compounds, primary and secondary metabolites, accumulation abilities, and phytoremediation potential, among other relevant topics. These articles should encompass studies on transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics, the plant microbiome, interactions of heavy metals with nutrients in controlled experiments, and field and agronomic trials in model plants, crops, trees, grasses, or native species.

Dr. Kinga Drzewiecka
Prof. Dr. Monika Gasecka
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.

Keywords

  • accumulation
  • adaptive mechanisms
  • avoidance
  • crops
  • detoxication
  • homeostasis
  • hormesis
  • hyperaccumulators
  • mechanisms
  • metabolome
  • microbiome
  • nitro-oxidative stress
  • nutrients
  • phytoremediation
  • phytotoxicity
  • sequestration
  • signaling molecules
  • tolerance
  • translocation
  • transporters
  • uptake

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 2223 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Salinity on Heavy Metal Tolerance in Two Energy Willow Varieties
by Kinga Drzewiecka, Zuzanna Kaźmierczak, Magdalena Woźniak and Michał Rybak
Plants 2025, 14(12), 1747; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14121747 - 7 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 577
Abstract
This study evaluated the response of two willow varieties, Salix × smithiana Willd. and Salix viminalis L. var. Gigantea, to selected heavy metals and elevated soil salinity, simulating complex environmental conditions during phytoremediation. Plants propagated from stem cuttings were cultivated in pots under [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the response of two willow varieties, Salix × smithiana Willd. and Salix viminalis L. var. Gigantea, to selected heavy metals and elevated soil salinity, simulating complex environmental conditions during phytoremediation. Plants propagated from stem cuttings were cultivated in pots under field conditions in soil artificially contaminated with a mixture of Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb salts at two concentration levels representing lower and higher guideline thresholds. Sodium chloride was added to induce salinity stress. S. × smithiana exhibited enhanced growth under combined metal and salinity stress, suggesting efficient tolerance mechanisms. This was reflected in elevated relative water content (RWC) and increased accumulation of Zn and Cd in shoots. In contrast, Gigantea showed growth inhibition and primarily sequestered metals in roots, indicating a stress-avoidance strategy and reduced metal translocation. While salinity alone negatively affected both varieties, its combination with metals mitigated growth reduction in S. × smithiana, possibly due to improved ion homeostasis or cross-tolerance. Zn and Cd displayed the highest bioconcentration and mobility. Based on bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF), S. × smithiana appears suitable for phytoextraction, whereas S. viminalis var. Gigantea appears suitable for phytostabilization. These results support species-specific approaches to phytoremediation in multi-contaminant environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functioning Under Abiotic Stress)
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14 pages, 2013 KiB  
Article
Agronomic Traits, Nutrient Accumulation, and Their Correlations in Wheat, as Affected by Nitrogen Supply in Rainfed Coastal Saline Soils
by Yan Li, Shuaipeng Zhao, Guolan Liu, Jian Li, Kadambot H. M. Siddique and Deyong Zhao
Plants 2025, 14(7), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071022 - 25 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 458
Abstract
How nitrogen (N) levels affect agronomic performance and the nutrient utilization process in wheat grown in rainfed coastal saline soils remains largely unknown. This study investigated the influence of three N supply treatments (0, 100, and 200 kg/ha) on the growth and accumulation [...] Read more.
How nitrogen (N) levels affect agronomic performance and the nutrient utilization process in wheat grown in rainfed coastal saline soils remains largely unknown. This study investigated the influence of three N supply treatments (0, 100, and 200 kg/ha) on the growth and accumulation of P, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Zn, Fe, and Se of eight wheat genotypes across two consecutive seasons (2020–2021, 2021–2022) in a rainfed coastal field. Both agronomic performance and nutrient accumulation were significantly affected by N supply and genotypic effects. The increased total accumulation of nutrients was mainly due to enhanced agronomic performance by N supply. Grain Zn and Fe concentrations increased, while the grain Se concentration decreased with the N supply increasing. Genotype “Jimai 775” exhibited both a higher grain yield and a higher nitrogen agronomic efficiency among the tested genotypes. The association among agronomic traits and nutrient accumulation was obviously modified by the N supply, as revealed by principal component analysis, correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression models. These findings suggest that both the N supply level and genotypic differences should be taken into consideration to enhance nutrient utilization in wheat cultivated in coastal saline soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functioning Under Abiotic Stress)
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Review

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15 pages, 1230 KiB  
Review
Impact of Water Deficit Stress on Brassica Crops: Growth and Yield, Physiological and Biochemical Responses
by Vijaya R. Mohan, Mason T. MacDonald and Lord Abbey
Plants 2025, 14(13), 1942; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131942 - 24 Jun 2025
Viewed by 555
Abstract
Drought including both meteorological drought and water deficiency stress conditions is a major constraint on global agricultural productivity, particularly affecting Brassica species, which are vital oilseed and vegetable crops. As climate change intensifies, understanding plant responses to drought is crucial for improving drought [...] Read more.
Drought including both meteorological drought and water deficiency stress conditions is a major constraint on global agricultural productivity, particularly affecting Brassica species, which are vital oilseed and vegetable crops. As climate change intensifies, understanding plant responses to drought is crucial for improving drought resilience. Drought stress impacts Brassica crops at multiple levels, reducing germination rates, impairing physiological functions such as photosynthesis and water-use efficiency, and triggering oxidative stress due to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. To counteract these effects, Brassica plants employ various adaptive mechanisms, including osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense activation, and hormonal regulation. Recent research has explored molecular and physiological pathways involved in drought tolerance, revealing key physiological changes and biochemical markers that could be targeted for crop improvement. This review summarizes the latest findings on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of Brassica crops to drought stress, with an emphasis on adaptive mechanisms and potential drought mitigation strategies. Additionally, future research directions are proposed, focusing on integrating molecular and agronomic approaches to enhance drought resilience in Brassica species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functioning Under Abiotic Stress)
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