Recent Advances in Plant Responses to Combined Stresses Under Climate Change

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural production is increasingly challenged by the escalating impacts of climate change, which amplify the severity and frequency of abiotic stresses—such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, and nutrient imbalance. These environmental constraints not only compromise plant growth and development but also pose a major threat to global food security, accounting for over half of agricultural losses worldwide. Importantly, in real-world field conditions, these stresses rarely occur in isolation. Instead, crops are often exposed to combinations of stressors, resulting in plant responses that are distinct from those observed under single stress conditions.

Combined abiotic stresses can interact synergistically, antagonistically, or additively, depending on the intensity, timing, and nature of the stressors involved, as well as the developmental stage and genotype of the plant. These complex interactions necessitate a rethinking of conventional stress-response models and call for integrated, multi-faceted solutions. Understanding how plants respond and adapt to these complex conditions is essential for developing crop varieties that can better withstand future climate challenges.

This Special Issue brings together recent advances in understanding plant responses to multiple abiotic stresses under climate change scenarios, with a focus on horticultural crops. It highlights the importance of innovative strategies and tools—including molecular breeding, grafting, nanotechnology, biostimulants, and integrated stress management approaches—that aim to enhance crop resilience, maintain productivity, and ensure agricultural sustainability. We welcome research that explores physiological, molecular, and genetic mechanisms, as well as new strategies for improving plant tolerance to stress combinations. Studies that connect laboratory findings with real-world applications in agriculture are especially encouraged.

Researchers from all related fields are invited to contribute original research articles, comprehensive reviews, or short communications that offer new insights and practical solutions for enhancing plant resilience to multiple and combined stresses in a changing climate.

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

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• multiple stresses
• combined stresses
• climate change
• drought stress
• heat stress
• salinity stress
• molecular breeding
• cell and molecular biology
• gene regulation
• genetics
• genomics
• crop improvement
• horticultural crops
• grafting technology
• nanoparticles (NPs)
• biostimulants
• microbial inoculants