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Effects of Water Stress and Climate Warming on Crop Growth,...
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Effects of Water Stress and Climate Warming on Crop Growth, Physiology and Yield

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 2026 | Viewed by 3414

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Peter S. Searles

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja (CRILAR-Provincia de La Rioja-UNLaR-SEGEMAR-UNCa-CONICET), Entre Ríos y Mendoza s/n, Anillaco 5301, La Rioja, Argentina
Interests: olive crop production; water stress; global warming

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As precipitation patterns are altered and air temperatures rise due to climate change, maintaining agricultural crop yields is becoming a considerable challenge for many growers around the world, with greater year-to-year variability in yields and profit. How increasing water stress due to regular drought and rising air temperatures will ultimately affect vegetative growth, physiology, and yield is still a largely open question in many regions. This Special Issue will contribute knowledge based on experimental studies, modelling, or reviews to further our understanding of this field. Manuscripts covering a wide range of topics related to crop water stress and/or climate warming are welcome. The evaluated crops may include annual field crops, horticultural crops, or fruit trees. Evaluations integrating various aspects of growth, physiology, and yield or that address water stress in combination with high temperatures are particularly relevant for advancing our scientific knowledge. Novel studies that provide technological solutions to water stress and alleviate high-temperature stress are also suitable for this Special Issue.

Dr. Peter S. Searles
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

  • water stress
  • drought
  • high temperature
  • global warming
  • plant growth
  • plant physiology
  • yield
  • field crops
  • fruit trees
  • horticultural vegetables

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2784 KB  
Article
Evaluating Overhead Sprinklers and Sprayers for Heatwave Protection in Avocado Orchards
by Arnon Dag, Helena Vitoshkin, Guy Resef, Yonatan Ron and Victor Alchanatis
Plants 2026, 15(10), 1516; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15101516 - 15 May 2026
Viewed by 110
Abstract
With global climate change, heatwaves have become more frequent and severe in avocado-growing regions. High temperatures combined with wind and low humidity are problematic for avocados, especially during the early developmental stage of the young fruitlets. Hence, heatwaves during this phenological stage are [...] Read more.
With global climate change, heatwaves have become more frequent and severe in avocado-growing regions. High temperatures combined with wind and low humidity are problematic for avocados, especially during the early developmental stage of the young fruitlets. Hence, heatwaves during this phenological stage are considered a major limiting factor for avocado productivity. This study evaluated the effects of operating pulsing sprinklers or sprayers installed above the canopy during spring heatwaves over three consecutive seasons in a Hass avocado orchard. We evaluated foliage and fruitlet temperature (using remote and proximal sensing), stem water potential, stomatal conductance, salt accumulation on the leaves, and productivity. The cooling system reduced the foliage temperature by 6–8 °C and fruitlet temperature by 5–10 °C with respect to uncooled trees. Stem water potential was increased by 0.8–2.0 MPa in the treatment plots compared to the control. The cooling treatments led to an average 42% yield increase over the next 3 years. No significant differences were found between the sprinklers and sprayer for any of the measured parameters. Results indicate the effectiveness of an evaporative cooling system for mitigating heatwave damage and improving avocado productivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Water Stress and Climate Warming on Crop Growth, Physiology and Yield)
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21 pages, 1310 KB  
Article
Spring Warming Impact on the Reproductive and Vegetative Phenology and Biomass of Two Olive Cultivars in Argentina
by Leila M. Hamze, Peter S. Searles, Maria Agustina Iglesias and M. Cecilia Rousseaux
Plants 2026, 15(3), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15030493 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 492
Abstract
Olive cultivation in warm regions is likely to be vulnerable to the expected temperature increases associated with climate change. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of experimental warming at the end of late winter and spring on the timing [...] Read more.
Olive cultivation in warm regions is likely to be vulnerable to the expected temperature increases associated with climate change. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of experimental warming at the end of late winter and spring on the timing of phenological stages, the duration of developmental periods, plant growth, and biomass production. The experiment was conducted in control (T0) and warmed (+4 °C, T+) open-top chambers (OTCs) during 2018 and 2019 using two olive cultivars (‘Arbequina’, ‘Coratina’) in northwest Argentina. Warming generally led to statistically significant earlier inflorescence development, flowering, fruit set, and pit hardening, with the responses being more pronounced as the spring progressed. Earlier vegetative bud opening occurred due to warming in 2018, but not in 2019. Additionally, no differences in shoot elongation or aboveground biomass were observed due to warming at the end of spring in either 2018 or 2019. Fruit set was reduced by warming, particularly in ‘Coratina’. Overall, the experimental results show that reproductive development is more sensitive to warming than vegetative growth in young olive trees. Further studies should be conducted in a larger number of olive cultivars and regions to improve our ability to predict responses to global warming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Water Stress and Climate Warming on Crop Growth, Physiology and Yield)
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22 pages, 3944 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Peanut Physiological Responses to Heat and Drought Stress Across Growth Chamber and Field Environments
by Ranadheer Reddy Vennam, Keely M. Beard, David C. Haak and Maria Balota
Plants 2025, 14(17), 2687; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172687 - 28 Aug 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2050
Abstract
Heat-exacerbated drought stress is becoming increasingly common in crop production systems, including peanuts, yet limited information exists on how peanut cultivars respond to this combined stress. While controlled environments allow for the isolation of these stress effects, their relevance to field conditions remains [...] Read more.
Heat-exacerbated drought stress is becoming increasingly common in crop production systems, including peanuts, yet limited information exists on how peanut cultivars respond to this combined stress. While controlled environments allow for the isolation of these stress effects, their relevance to field conditions remains unclear. In this study, five Virginia-type peanut cultivars were evaluated under four treatments in a growth chamber environment, i.e., control, heat, drought, and combined heat and drought stress; and under two treatments in the field environment, i.e., rainfed control, and combined heat and drought stress using rainout shelters. The physiological traits assessed included stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, as well as leaf temperature difference. In both environments, combined heat and drought resulted in a significant decline in physiological performance compared to control conditions. On average, stomatal conductance decreased by 65% in the growth chamber and 21% in the field under combined heat and drought stress, while transpiration was reduced by 49% and 24%, respectively. In the growth chamber, leaf temperature difference increased by 40% under combined stress, whereas it was not statistically different under field conditions. Correlations of the physiological responses between growth chamber and field were stronger under combined stress conditions than under control conditions. Principal component analysis revealed clear genotypic separation based on gas exchange and thermal traits, with NC 20 and Sullivan consistently associated with higher stomatal conductance and transpiration under stress across environments, indicating greater physiological resilience, while Emery clustered with traits linked to stress susceptibility. These findings underscore the significant impacts of combined stress in peanut production and highlight the importance of evaluating cultivar responses under both controlled and field environments to guide crop improvement strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Water Stress and Climate Warming on Crop Growth, Physiology and Yield)
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