Integrated Physiological Responses of Ornamental and Horticultural Plants Under Biotic and Abiotic Stress
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Ornamental and horticultural species are highly susceptible to a range of biotic and abiotic stresses that strongly influence their growth, productivity, and quality characteristics. Enhancing stress tolerance and ensuring sustainable cultivation depend on a detailed understanding of the physiological mechanisms that support plant responses to adverse conditions. This Special Issue synthesizes current knowledge on plant responses to major stressors, including pests, pathogens, drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and nutrient imbalances. Physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes—such as alterations in photosynthesis, water relations, antioxidant defense systems, hormone signaling, and metabolic regulation—are evaluated. Special attention is given to stress-response pathways and the synergistic effects of multiple simultaneous stresses. These insights support the development of improved cultivars and targeted management strategies. Overall, this Special Issue highlights practical implications for ornamental and horticultural systems, where enhanced stress resilience is crucial for maintaining plant productivity, nutrient value, and crop quality.
Dr. Anastasia E. Giannakoula
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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
- plant stress physiology
- biotic and abiotic stress
- ornamental and horticultural crops
- photosynthetic responses
- antioxidant defense
- stress tolerance mechanisms
- metabolic adaptation
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