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Advances in Plant Morphogenesis: Mechanisms, Development, and Applications
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Advances in Plant Morphogenesis: Mechanisms, Development, and Applications

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Development and Morphogenesis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 5285

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Irina Neta Gostin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Bdul Carol I, No. 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania
Interests: phytoremediation; plant anatomy; cell ultrastructure; plant histology; air pollution; microscopy; essential oils
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant morphogenesis includes a variety of biological processes that lead to the formation of vegetative and reproductive organs, involving both growth and development. It involves different developmental stages, during which cells respond to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including chemical modulators (produced by plant hormones) and gene expression, to guide development and tissue organization. The mechanisms governing plant morphogenetic processes require further study, whether focused on cell division, cell totipotency, or the growth and differentiation processes that occur during the ontogenesis. The pattern of building plant organs is driven by the unique characteristics of plant cells which, being encapsulated in a wall that prevents their migration, make the process of morphogenesis one that may be approached descriptively or experimentally more easily than in animal organisms. Understanding plant morphogenesis can improve crop yields, as well as the resistance and stress tolerance of target species. In this special volume, original papers and reviews addressing various aspects of plant morphogenesis, both natural and experimental, are welcome.

Dr. Irina Neta Gostin
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

  • morphogenesis
  • embryogenesis
  • leaf development
  • stem development
  • root development
  • anatomy
  • gene expression
  • hormonal signaling
  • cytokinins
  • auxin
  • gibberellins
  • environment
  • agricultural crops
  • totipotency

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3161 KB  
Article
Screening of Plant Growth Regulators for Promoting Rooting of Pitaya Cuttings
by Chonghao Zhong, Chaofan Zheng, Meng Wang, Jiaying Sheng, Yikai Wang, Jiaquan Huang, Hua Tang and Yinhua Chen
Plants 2026, 15(9), 1357; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15091357 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 657
Abstract
Hainan is the dominant production area of the red-fleshed pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) cv. ‘Jindu No.1’ in China, and cutting propagation is the main method for its large-scale seedling cultivation. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are the key factors regulating the rooting of [...] Read more.
Hainan is the dominant production area of the red-fleshed pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) cv. ‘Jindu No.1’ in China, and cutting propagation is the main method for its large-scale seedling cultivation. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are the key factors regulating the rooting of cuttings. Existing studies mostly focus on the concentration optimization of a single agent, lack systematic broad-spectrum screening of commonly used PGRs in agriculture, and have the problem of disconnection between laboratory results and field production. To screen an efficient root-promoting PGR scheme suitable for large-scale seedling cultivation in Hainan production areas, this study established a three-level experimental system of “broad-spectrum primary screening→gradient re-screening→soil culture scenario verification”, used 14 kinds of PGRs commonly used in agricultural production as materials, and carried out a systematic evaluation combined with principal component analysis (PCA). 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and potassium indole-3-butyrate (K-IBA) were identified as high-efficiency agents in the primary screening, with a rooting rate of 100%, and the core root morphological indexes were significantly better than those of the water control (p < 0.05). Two independent experiments verified the stability of the “total growth–thickness” binary regulation mechanism of the pitaya root system. In the re-screening test, 400 mg·L−1 NAA had the best comprehensive performance, synergistically improving the total root growth and root thickness, and 125 mg·L−1 K-IBA had the most significant effect in promoting the longitudinal extension of roots, with the average root length increased by 760.0% compared with the control. Soil culture tests confirmed that the two optimal schemes had stable and reliable application effects in field substrate cultivation. The results of this study can provide technical support for the large-scale seedling cultivation of ‘Jindu No.1’ pitaya, and the established three-level screening system also provides a methodological reference for PGR screening in cutting propagation of similar tropical crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant Morphogenesis: Mechanisms, Development, and Applications)
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13 pages, 11061 KB  
Article
Machine Learning Assessment of the Environmental Factors Contributing to Shade Adaptation in Brassica juncea
by Bae Young Choi, Eunji Bae, Ick-Hyun Jo and Jaewook Kim
Plants 2026, 15(5), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15050780 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 396
Abstract
Brassica juncea is a widely cultivated leafy vegetable species in Northeast Asia, including Korea, Japan, and China. Under shade conditions, B. juncea exhibits shade avoidance syndrome (SAS), which negatively impacts its market quality. However, B. juncea is cultivated in diverse climates worldwide, including [...] Read more.
Brassica juncea is a widely cultivated leafy vegetable species in Northeast Asia, including Korea, Japan, and China. Under shade conditions, B. juncea exhibits shade avoidance syndrome (SAS), which negatively impacts its market quality. However, B. juncea is cultivated in diverse climates worldwide, including regions with frequent foggy days, highlighting the need to understand its adaptation to shade conditions to improve cultivation quality. To investigate the relationship between SAS phenotypes and environmental factors, including daylength, precipitation, and temperature, we analyzed 30 clones and six commercial cultivars of B. juncea. After 7 days of growth, all six commercial cultivars exhibited a canonical SAS response, with hypocotyl length increasing by 3.25- to 5.18-fold under dim light compared to white light conditions. Among the 30 clones, shade responsiveness varied widely, with hypocotyl elongation ranging from 1.42- to 8.54-fold change. A simple correlation analysis revealed that environmental factors were not highly correlated with shade responsiveness due to their complex interactions. To address this, we applied six machine learning models and found that the random forest algorithm provided the most accurate predictions of environmental influences on hypocotyl length. Using this model, we identified daylength, precipitation, and temperature as key environmental factors contributing to SAS phenotypes in B. juncea. Our findings not only identify clones that can be cultivated under low-light conditions with reduced SAS effects but also establish a link between SAS phenotypes and natural environmental conditions. These insights provide a foundation for future breeding strategies to improve shade adaptation in B. juncea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant Morphogenesis: Mechanisms, Development, and Applications)
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20 pages, 2116 KB  
Article
Effects of Different Soil Phosphorus Levels on the Physiological and Growth Characteristics of Phyllostachys edulis (Moso Bamboo) Seedlings
by Zhenya Yang and Benzhi Zhou
Plants 2025, 14(16), 2473; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162473 - 9 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1266
Abstract
Soil phosphorus (P) availability is a critical factor affecting the productivity of Phyllostachys edulis (moso bamboo) forests. However, the mechanisms underlying the physiological and growth responses of moso bamboo to varying soil P conditions remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was [...] Read more.
Soil phosphorus (P) availability is a critical factor affecting the productivity of Phyllostachys edulis (moso bamboo) forests. However, the mechanisms underlying the physiological and growth responses of moso bamboo to varying soil P conditions remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to elucidate the adaptive mechanisms of moso bamboo to different soil P levels from the perspectives of root morphological and architectural plasticity, as well as the allocation strategies of nutrient elements and photosynthates. One-year-old potted seedlings of moso bamboo were subjected to four P addition treatments (P1: 0, P2: 25 mg·kg−1, P3: 50 mg·kg−1, P4: 100 mg·kg−1) for one year. The biomass of different seedling organs, root morphological and architectural indices, and the contents of nitrogen (N), P, and non-structural carbohydrates in the roots, stems, and leaves were measured in July and December. P addition increased the root length (by 113.8%), root surface area (by 146.5%), root average diameter (by 14.8%), root length ratio of thicker roots (diameter > 0.9 mm), number of root tips (by 31.9%), fractal dimension (by 5.6%), P accumulation (by 235.8%), and contents of starch (ST) and soluble sugars (SS), while it decreased the specific root length (by 31.7%), root branching angle (by 1.9%), root topological index (by 4.8%), root length ratio of finer roots (diameter ≤ 0.3 mm), SS/ST, and N/P. The root–shoot ratio showed a downward trend in July and an upward trend in December. Our results indicated that moso bamboo seedlings tended to form roots with a small diameter, high absorption efficiency, and minimal internal competition to adapt to soil P deficiency and carbon limitation caused by low P. Under low-P conditions, moso bamboo prioritized allocating photosynthates and P to roots, promoting the conversion of starch to soluble sugars to support root morphological and architectural plasticity and maintain root growth and physiological functions. Sole P addition eliminated the constraints of low P on moso bamboo growth and nutrient accumulation but caused imbalances in the N/P. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant Morphogenesis: Mechanisms, Development, and Applications)
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Review

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19 pages, 2126 KB  
Review
Out of the Niche: A Bird’s-Eye View of the Molecular Networks Controlling Root Stem Cells
by Giovanna Sessa, Giorgio Morelli and Massimiliano Sassi
Plants 2025, 14(16), 2574; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162574 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 2036
Abstract
The capacity of plants to generate new organs and tissues throughout their life cycle depends on the activity of the stem cells contained in meristematic tissues. Plant stem cells are organized in small, clustered populations referred to as stem cell niches. In addition [...] Read more.
The capacity of plants to generate new organs and tissues throughout their life cycle depends on the activity of the stem cells contained in meristematic tissues. Plant stem cells are organized in small, clustered populations referred to as stem cell niches. In addition to generating new undifferentiated cells, stem cell niches also provide the positional information that maintains stem cell self-renewal properties and controls the non-cell-autonomous differentiation of surrounding tissues. In this review, we aim to analyze and discuss the most recent literature describing the molecular mechanism controlling the activity and the organization of the stem cell niche in the root of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. In particular, we will focus on the complex molecular regulatory networks that control the balance between stemness and differentiation in distal stem cells, as well as the maintenance of the mitotically inactive state of the quiescent center. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant Morphogenesis: Mechanisms, Development, and Applications)
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