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Mechanisms of Crop Growth and Development under Adverse Conditions
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Mechanisms of Crop Growth and Development under Adverse Conditions

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 5384

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fabrício Eulálio Leite Carvalho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuária, Centro de Investigación La Suiza, Santander, Colombia
Interests: plant stress physiology; photosynthesis; global climate change
Dr. Sergio Luiz Ferreira da Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Postgraduate Program in Plant Production, Serra Talhada Academic Unit, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, CP 063, Serra Talhada, Pernambuco CEP 56909-535, Brazil
Interests: plant physiology; plant biochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In their natural habitat, adverse and potentially stress-generating conditions are a rule, not an exception, for plant survival. Over millions of years, evolutionary pressures have favored the selection of effective and efficient mechanisms to respond against these potentially stressful conditions. However, recent, and very drastic global climate changes, may represent an over-challenge that is difficult to naturally overcome. This problem arises especially considering the small fringe of cultivated species of economic value and the large knowledge gap that still exists regarding the mechanisms that underlie the regulation of their growth and development under such adverse conditions, particularly considering the species of importance in developing countries. Therefore, compiling knowledge regarding the most effective mechanisms triggered by plants in adverse conditions, especially those related to global climate change (drought, high temperature and high CO2) and those arising from human activity (pollutants, heavy metals, and inadequate agricultural practices), is of paramount importance at this time. Therefore, this Special Issue will highlight the physiological, biochemical, biophysical, or molecular mechanisms that underlie the regulation of plant growth and development under unfavorable conditions. This information is expected to serve as a basis for designing future strategies by which to mitigate the impact of unfavorable conditions on cultivated plants, particularly in developing countries.

Dr. Fabrício Eulálio Leite Carvalho
Dr. Sergio Luiz Ferreira da Silva
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

  • drought
  • flooding
  • global climate change
  • heavy metals
  • high CO2
  • high temperature
  • plant stress physiology
  • pollutants
  • sustainable agriculture
  • tolerance mechanisms

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 5482 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Water Status and Nutrient Uptake in Drought-Stressed Lettuce Plants (Lactuca sativa L.) via Inoculation with Different Bacillus spp. Isolated from the Atacama Desert
by Christian Santander, Felipe González, Urley Pérez, Antonieta Ruiz, Ricardo Aroca, Cledir Santos, Pablo Cornejo and Gladys Vidal
Plants 2024, 13(2), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13020158 - 06 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1241
Abstract
Drought is a major challenge for agriculture worldwide, being one of the main causes of losses in plant production. Various studies reported that some soil’s bacteria can improve plant tolerance to environmental stresses by the enhancement of water and nutrient uptake by plants. [...] Read more.
Drought is a major challenge for agriculture worldwide, being one of the main causes of losses in plant production. Various studies reported that some soil’s bacteria can improve plant tolerance to environmental stresses by the enhancement of water and nutrient uptake by plants. The Atacama Desert in Chile, the driest place on earth, harbors a largely unexplored microbial richness. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of various Bacillus sp. from the hyper arid Atacama Desert in the improvement in tolerance to drought stress in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata, cv. “Super Milanesa”) plants. Seven strains of Bacillus spp. were isolated from the rhizosphere of the Chilean endemic plants Metharme lanata and Nolana jaffuelii, and then identified using the 16s rRNA gene. Indole acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity were assessed. Lettuce plants were inoculated with Bacillus spp. strains and subjected to two different irrigation conditions (95% and 45% of field capacity) and their biomass, net photosynthesis, relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake, oxidative damage, proline production, and phenolic compounds were evaluated. The results indicated that plants inoculated with B. atrophaeus, B. ginsengihumi, and B. tequilensis demonstrated the highest growth under drought conditions compared to non-inoculated plants. Treatments increased biomass production and were strongly associated with enhanced N-uptake, water status, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic activity. Our results show that specific Bacillus species from the Atacama Desert enhance drought stress tolerance in lettuce plants by promoting several beneficial plant traits that facilitate water absorption and nutrient uptake, which support the use of this unexplored and unexploited natural resource as potent bioinoculants to improve plant production under increasing drought conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Crop Growth and Development under Adverse Conditions)
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17 pages, 1833 KiB  
Article
Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms of Wood Vinegar-Induced Stress Response against Tomato Fusarium Wilt Disease
by Hongyin Zhou, Kejian Fu, Yan Shen, Runhe Li, Youbo Su, Yishu Deng, Yunsheng Xia and Naiming Zhang
Plants 2024, 13(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13020157 - 06 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1060
Abstract
Wood vinegar, a by-product of charcoal biomass pyrolysis, has been used as a biofungicide in plant disease management because of its antimicrobial properties. However, the physiological and biochemical mechanisms through which wood vinegar alleviates biotic stress are poorly understood. In this study, pot [...] Read more.
Wood vinegar, a by-product of charcoal biomass pyrolysis, has been used as a biofungicide in plant disease management because of its antimicrobial properties. However, the physiological and biochemical mechanisms through which wood vinegar alleviates biotic stress are poorly understood. In this study, pot experiments were conducted to investigate the resistance and regulation mechanism of wood vinegar prepared from different raw materials (ZM) and from a single raw material (SM) in controlling tomato (Solanum lycopersicum “Bonny Best”) Fusarium wilt at different concentrations (0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9%, 1.2%, and 1.5%). The results showed that ZM and SM had significant control effects on tomato fusarium wilt under different concentrations in the same growth cycle. Under biotic stress, the two kinds of wood vinegar significantly increased the plant height, stem diameter, leaf area and yield of tomato under the concentration of 0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9% and 1.2%, and significantly reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in tomato leaves. The effect of 0.9% treatment was the most significant, ZM and SM significantly increased tomato yield by 122% and 74%, respectively, compared with CK under 0.9% treatment. However, the plant height, stem diameter and leaf area of tomato were significantly reduced under 1.5% treatment, but the content of soluble sugar, soluble protein and vitamin C in tomato fruit was the best. Compared with CK, ZM significantly increased by 14%, 193% and 67%, respectively, and SM significantly increased by 28%, 300% and 159%, respectively. Except for 0.3% treatment, both significantly increased the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in tomato leaves. The response intensity of two kinds of wood vinegar—physiological and biochemical—to tomato disease resistance, growth and development, showed ZM > SM. The disease index of tomato showed highly significant negative correlation with plant height, stem thickness, leaf area and antioxidant physiology CAT, and highly significant positive correlation with MDA and H2O2 content. In conclusion, ZM was more effective than SM in enhancing tomato disease resistance by promoting tomato growth and development, decreasing leaf MDA and H2O2 content, and inducing antioxidant enzyme activity in leaves at moderate concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Crop Growth and Development under Adverse Conditions)
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13 pages, 2252 KiB  
Article
Unveiling Cacao Rootstock-Genotypes with Potential Use in the Mitigation of Cadmium Bioaccumulation
by Donald A. Galvis, Yeirme Y. Jaimes-Suárez, Jairo Rojas Molina, Rosalba Ruiz, Clara E. León-Moreno and Fabricio Eulalio Leite Carvalho
Plants 2023, 12(16), 2941; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162941 - 14 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 810
Abstract
The accumulation of high cadmium (Cd) levels in cacao beans (Theobroma cacao) generate several commercial and health issues. We hypothesized that cacao phenotypic and genotypic diversity could provide new insights to decrease Cd accumulation in cacao beans. Nine cacao rootstock genotypes [...] Read more.
The accumulation of high cadmium (Cd) levels in cacao beans (Theobroma cacao) generate several commercial and health issues. We hypothesized that cacao phenotypic and genotypic diversity could provide new insights to decrease Cd accumulation in cacao beans. Nine cacao rootstock genotypes were evaluated for up to 90 days under 0, 6, and 12 (mg·kg−1) of CdCl2 exposure and Cd content and plant growth dynamics were measured in leaves, stems, and roots. Data revealed that all cacao genotypes studied here were highly tolerant to Cd, since they presented tolerance index ≥ 60%. In shoots, EET61 and PA46 presented the higher (~270 mg·kg DW−1) and lower (~20 mg·kg DW−1) Cd concentration, respectively. Accordingly, only the EET61 showed an increase in the shoot cadmium translocation factor over the 90 days of exposure. However, when analyzing cadmium allocation to different organs based on total plant dry mass production, none of the genotypes maintained high Cd compartmentalization into roots, since P46, which was the genotype with the highest allocation of Cd to the roots, presented only 20% of total cadmium per plant in this plant organ and 80% allocated into the shoots, under Cd 12 (mg·kg−1) and after 90 days of exposure. Thus, genotypic/phenotypic variability in cacao rootstocks may provide valuable strategies for maximizing the reduction in Cd content in shoots. In this sense, IMC67 and PA46 were the ones that stood out in the present study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Crop Growth and Development under Adverse Conditions)
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15 pages, 1608 KiB  
Article
Cadmium up Taking and Allocation in Wood Species Associated to Cacao Agroforestry Systems and Its Potential Role for Phytoextraction
by Donald A. Galvis, Yeirme Y. Jaimes-Suárez, Jairo Rojas Molina, Rosalba Ruiz and Fabricio Eulalio Leite Carvalho
Plants 2023, 12(16), 2930; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162930 - 13 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 927
Abstract
Trees in cacao Agroforestry systems (AFS) may present a high potential for cadmium (Cd) phytoextraction, helping to reduce Cd in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) plants grown in contaminated soils. To assess this potential, four forest fine-woody species commonly found in cacao high-productive sites [...] Read more.
Trees in cacao Agroforestry systems (AFS) may present a high potential for cadmium (Cd) phytoextraction, helping to reduce Cd in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) plants grown in contaminated soils. To assess this potential, four forest fine-woody species commonly found in cacao high-productive sites in Colombia (Tabebuia rosea, Terminalia superba, Albizia guachapele, and Cariniana pyriformis) were exposed to contrasting CdCl2 contamination levels (0, 6, and 12 ppm) on a hydroponic medium. Growth dynamics, tolerance index (TI), and Cd concentration and allocation in leaves, stems, and roots were evaluated for up to 90 days after initial exposure. T. superba, A. guachapele, and C. pyriformis were classified as moderately tolerant (TI > 0.6), and T. rosea was considered a sensitive species (TI < 0.35) under 12 ppm Cd contamination. Despite showing a high stem Cd concentration, C. pyriformis also showed the lowest relative growth rate. Among the evaluated forest species, A. guachapele exhibited the highest Cd accumulation capacity per plant (2.02 mg plant−1) but also exhibited a higher Cd allocation to leaves (4%) and a strong decrease in leaf and stem dry mass after 90 days of exposure (~75% and 50% respectively, compared to control treatments). Taking together all the favorable features exhibited by T. superba as compared to other CAFS tree species and recognized phytoextractor tree species in the literature, such as Cd hyperaccumulation, high tolerance index, low Cd concentration in leaves, and high Cd allocation to the stem (harvestable as wood), this species is considered to have a high potential for cadmium phytoextraction in cocoa agroforestry systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Crop Growth and Development under Adverse Conditions)
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19 pages, 1489 KiB  
Article
Effects of Harvesting Time on Fruit Development Process and Oil Content of Selected Iranian and Foreign Olive Cultivars under Subtropical Conditions
by Narjes Fahadi Hoveizeh, Rahmatollah Gholami, Seyed Morteza Zahedi, Hojattollah Gholami and Petronia Carillo
Plants 2023, 12(14), 2737; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142737 - 23 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 893
Abstract
Climate change and rising global average temperatures across the year may strongly affect olive fruits’ development process and their oil yield and quality. There is therefore an urgency to take immediate actions to characterize the wide variability of cultivars in order to identify [...] Read more.
Climate change and rising global average temperatures across the year may strongly affect olive fruits’ development process and their oil yield and quality. There is therefore an urgency to take immediate actions to characterize the wide variability of cultivars in order to identify those with a stable response to high temperatures, particularly in areas like the west of Iran, which is characterized by a warm summer continental climate. The objective of this study is to investigate the process of fruit development and oil accumulation in response to high summer temperature conditions in a set of four Iranian olive cultivars (Shengeh, Roughani, Zard Aliabad, and Dezful) in comparison with four foreign olive cultivars (Konservolia, Sevillana, Manzanilla, and Mission) in seven various harvesting times (20 July, 5 and 20 August, 5 and 20 September, 6 and 21 October). The obtained results evidence a significant positive correlation between fruit dry matter and oil content. High temperatures reduced the oil and dry matter accumulation in the second half of the summer, with severe thermal conditions adversely affecting oil synthesis. Paramount variations were observed among the cultivars regarding oil accumulation, dry matter, and pomological attributes. All of them showed the highest oil content at the last harvest. Among all analyzed varieties, Roughani showed the highest tolerance and adaptive capacity to high temperatures as it accumulated the greatest amount of dry matter as well as oil content in all of the harvesting times, demonstrating a positive correlation between these two traits. Although Shengeh showed the lowest oil content on a dry and fresh weight basis at the first harvesting time, this cultivar generally presented higher fruit development attributes than the other cultivars, highlighting that it benefits from a high temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Crop Growth and Development under Adverse Conditions)
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