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The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants
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The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants

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: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 17691

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Daniela Romano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia, 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: cultivation techniques and technology; plant response to abiotic stress, vegetable quality, post-harvest
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global change involves an undeniable reduction in the resources available to plants, and therefore the accentuation of abiotic stresses. Simultaneously, the increase in population determines the need to ensure greater quantities of food and other plant products that are useful to the growing population. The need to identify cropping systems with lower inputs increases the intensity of the abiotic stresses that plants must face. The use of innovative technical means, such as biostimulants, could be a solution, but often only the possible positive results of their use are analyzed, without delving into what the mechanisms of action may be. A powerful means by which to understand the response of plants and, therefore, to try to reduce the impact of abiotic stresses is the analysis of plant physiology. These are often non-destructive investigations that have the merit of providing precise indications of the mechanisms of action. The purpose of this Special Issue is to analyze the physiology of abiotic stresses in plants to define the response mechanisms of action and which strategies plants can implement to overcome suboptimal conditions that increasingly reduce them more frequently and with greater intensity.

Prof. Dr. Daniela Romano
Guest Editor

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

  • gas exchange
  • chlorophyll fluorescence
  • oxidative stress
  • signal transduction
  • technical means
  • biostimulants

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3511 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Short-Term Drought on the Photosynthetic Characteristics and Yield of Peanuts Grown in Saline Alkali Soil
by Kang He, Yang Xu, Hong Ding, Qing Guo, Dunwei Ci, Jialei Zhang, Feifei Qin, Manlin Xu and Guanchu Zhang
Plants 2024, 13(20), 2920; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13202920 - 18 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 936
Abstract
Peanuts grown in saline alkali soil are also subjected to drought stress caused by water scarcity. Therefore, we used HY25 (peanut variety) as an experimental material to investigate the effects of drought on the height of peanut main stems, length of the first [...] Read more.
Peanuts grown in saline alkali soil are also subjected to drought stress caused by water scarcity. Therefore, we used HY25 (peanut variety) as an experimental material to investigate the effects of drought on the height of peanut main stems, length of the first lateral branch, leaf area per plant, SPAD value, net photosynthetic rate, and accumulation and distribution of photosynthetic products in saline alkali soil. The results showed that the combined stress of short-term drought and salt significantly reduced the main stem height, first lateral branch length, single plant leaf area, SPAD value, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), and dry matter accumulation of peanuts, including a decrease in single plant pod yield, 100-pod weight, 100-kernel weight, and peanut yield. And the impact of drought stress on peanut yield varies at different growth stages. For example, under drought stress alone, the sensitive period is the 40th day after planting (40D) > 60th day after planting (60D) > 30th day after planting (30D). Short-term drought has the greatest impact on peanut yield at 40D, while in contrast, resuming watering after drought at 30D results in a slight but not significant increase in peanut yield in comparison with the control. Under the combined stress of drought and salt, the sensitive period of peanuts was 40D > 30D > 60D, and the single pod weight of peanuts was significantly reduced by 15.26% to 57.60% from the flowering stage to the pod stage under drought treatment compared to salt treatment, indicating a significant interaction between drought and salt stress, reducing the single leaf area and net photosynthetic rate of peanut leaves, ultimately leading to a decrease in peanut yield. Therefore, when planting peanuts in saline alkali soil, drought should be avoided, especially early drought, in order to prevent the combined effects of drought and salt stress from harming peanut yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants)
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23 pages, 5735 KiB  
Article
UV-B Stress-Triggered Amino Acid Reprogramming and ABA-Mediated Hormonal Crosstalk in Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall.
by Wang Yu, Xiangru Zhou, Hongwei Xu and Xiaofu Zhou
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2232; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162232 - 12 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1971
Abstract
Increased UV-B radiation due to ozone depletion adversely affects plants. This study focused on the metabolite dynamics of Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) and the role of ABA in mitigating UV-B stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence metrics indicated that both JA and ABA [...] Read more.
Increased UV-B radiation due to ozone depletion adversely affects plants. This study focused on the metabolite dynamics of Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) and the role of ABA in mitigating UV-B stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence metrics indicated that both JA and ABA increased UV-B resistance; however, the effect of JA was not as strong as that of ABA. Metabolomic analysis using UPLC−MS/MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry) revealed significant fluctuations in metabolites under UV-B and ABA application. UV-B decreased amino acids and increased phenolics, suggesting antioxidant defense activation. ABA treatment upregulated lipids and phenolic acids, highlighting its protective role. Multivariate analysis showed distinct metabolic clusters and pathways responding to UV-B and ABA, which impacted amino acid metabolism and hormone signal transduction. Exogenous ABA negatively regulated the JA signaling pathway in UV-B-exposed R. chrysanthum, as shown by KEGG enrichment. This study deepens understanding of plant stress-tolerance mechanisms and has implications for enhancing plant stress tolerance through metabolic and hormonal interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants)
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9 pages, 1509 KiB  
Article
Moderately Elevated Temperature Offsets the Adverse Effects of Waterlogging Stress on Tomato
by Junqin Wen, Shumei Sui, Jie Tian, Yanhai Ji, Zhen Wu, Fangling Jiang, Carl-Otto Ottosen, Qiwen Zhong and Rong Zhou
Plants 2024, 13(14), 1924; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13141924 - 12 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1194
Abstract
Global warming and waterlogging stress due to climate change are expected to continue influencing agricultural production worldwide. In the field, two or more environmental stresses usually happen simultaneously, inducing more complex responses in plants compared with individual stresses. Our aim was to clarify [...] Read more.
Global warming and waterlogging stress due to climate change are expected to continue influencing agricultural production worldwide. In the field, two or more environmental stresses usually happen simultaneously, inducing more complex responses in plants compared with individual stresses. Our aim was to clarify how the two key factors (temperature and water) interacted and influenced physiological response and plant growth in tomatoes under ambient temperature, moderately elevated temperature, waterlogging stress, and moderately elevated temperature and waterlogging stress. The results showed that leaf photosynthesis was inhibited by waterlogging stress but enhanced by elevated temperature, as shown by both the light- and temperature-response curves. The elevated temperature decreased leaf water-use efficiency, but enhanced plant growth and fresh and dry weights of plants under both normal water supply and waterlogging stress conditions. Elevated temperature generally decreased the anthocyanin and flavonol index in tomato leaves compared with the control temperature, regardless of water status. The increase in the optimal temperature was more pronounced in plants under normal irrigation than under waterlogging stress. Waterlogging stress significantly inhibited the root length, and leaf number and area, while the moderately elevated temperature significantly enhanced the leaf number and area. Overall, the moderately elevated temperature offset the effects of waterlogging stress on tomato plants, as shown by leaf gas exchange, plant size, and dry matter accumulation. Our study will improve the understanding of how tomatoes respond to increasing temperature and excess water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants)
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15 pages, 3118 KiB  
Article
Effect of Polyethylene Glycol-Simulated Drought Stress on Stomatal Opening in “Modern” and “Ancient” Wheat Varieties
by Ilva Licaj, Anna Fiorillo, Maria Chiara Di Meo, Ettore Varricchio and Mariapina Rocco
Plants 2024, 13(11), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13111575 - 6 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1855
Abstract
Climate change is leading to an increase in the intensity, duration, and frequency of severe droughts, especially in southern and southeastern Europe, thus aggravating water scarcity problems. Water deficit stress harms the growth, physiology, and yield of crops like durum wheat. Hence, studying [...] Read more.
Climate change is leading to an increase in the intensity, duration, and frequency of severe droughts, especially in southern and southeastern Europe, thus aggravating water scarcity problems. Water deficit stress harms the growth, physiology, and yield of crops like durum wheat. Hence, studying ancient wheat varieties’ stress responses could help identify genetic traits to enhance crop tolerance to environmental stresses. In this background, this study aimed to investigate the effects of PEG 6000-stimulated drought stress in the ancient wheat variety Saragolla and the modern one Svevo by analyzing various biochemical and molecular parameters that can especially condition the stomatal movement. Our data revealed that drought stress caused a significant increase in the levels of total soluble sugars, ABA, and IAA in both selected cultivars to a greater extent in the Saragolla than in the Svevo. We demonstrated that, under water deficit stress, calcium dynamics as well as the expression of ERF109, MAPK3/6, MYB60, and TaTPC1, involved in the activation of drought-related calcium-sensitive pathways, display significant differences between the two varieties. Therefore, our study provided further evidence regarding the ability of the ancient wheat variety Saragolla to better cope with drought stress compared to the modern variety Svevo. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants)
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21 pages, 12518 KiB  
Article
Multicontamination Toxicity Evaluation in the Model Plant Lactuca sativa L.
by Veronika Zemanová, Marie Lhotská, Milan Novák, František Hnilička, Marek Popov and Daniela Pavlíková
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1356; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101356 - 14 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1125
Abstract
Many contaminated soils contain several toxic elements (TEs) in elevated contents, and plant–TE interactions can differ from single TE contamination. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of combined contamination (As, Cd, Pb, Zn) on the physiological and metabolic processes of lettuce. After 45 [...] Read more.
Many contaminated soils contain several toxic elements (TEs) in elevated contents, and plant–TE interactions can differ from single TE contamination. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of combined contamination (As, Cd, Pb, Zn) on the physiological and metabolic processes of lettuce. After 45 days of exposure, TE excess in soil resulted in the inhibition of root and leaf biomass by 40 and 48%, respectively. Oxidative stress by TE accumulation was indicated by markers—malondialdehyde and 5-methylcytosine—and visible symptoms of toxicity (leaf chlorosis, root browning) and morpho-anatomical changes, which were related to the change in water regime (water potential decrease). An analysis of free amino acids (AAs) indicated that TEs disturbed N and C metabolism, especially in leaves, increasing the total content of free AAs and their families. Stress-induced senescence by TEs suggested changes in gas exchange parameters (increase in transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and intercellular CO2 concentration), photosynthetic pigments (decrease in chlorophylls and carotenoids), a decrease in water use efficiency, and the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II. These results confirmed that the toxicity of combined contamination significantly affected the processes of lettuce by damaging the antioxidant system and expressing higher leaf sensitivity to TE multicontamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants)
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Review

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20 pages, 2328 KiB  
Review
Factors Influencing Seed Dormancy and Germination and Advances in Seed Priming Technology
by Yanfeng Fu, Li Ma, Juncai Li, Danping Hou, Bo Zeng, Like Zhang, Chunqing Liu, Qingyu Bi, Jinsong Tan, Xinqiao Yu, Junguo Bi and Lijun Luo
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1319; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101319 - 10 May 2024
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 9505
Abstract
Seed dormancy and germination play pivotal roles in the agronomic traits of plants, and the degree of dormancy intuitively affects the yield and quality of crops in agricultural production. Seed priming is a pre-sowing seed treatment that enhances and accelerates germination, leading to [...] Read more.
Seed dormancy and germination play pivotal roles in the agronomic traits of plants, and the degree of dormancy intuitively affects the yield and quality of crops in agricultural production. Seed priming is a pre-sowing seed treatment that enhances and accelerates germination, leading to improved seedling establishment. Seed priming technologies, which are designed to partially activate germination, while preventing full seed germination, have exerted a profound impact on agricultural production. Conventional seed priming relies on external priming agents, which often yield unstable results. What works for one variety might not be effective for another. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the internal factors within the metabolic pathways that influence seed physiology and germination. This review unveils the underlying mechanisms of seed metabolism and germination, the factors affecting seed dormancy and germination, as well as the current seed priming technologies that can result in stable and better germination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology of Abiotic Stress in Plants)
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