Search Results (3,220)

Micronutrient deficiencies, collectively known as hidden hunger, affect more than two billion people worldwide and remain a major challenge for sustainable agriculture, global food security and human nutrition. Crop biofortification has emerged as a sustainable agricultural strategy to enhance the concentration and bioavailability of essential micronutrients in edible plant tissues while reducing reliance on post-harvest fortification and dietary supplementation. This review provides an integrated analysis of the soil, plant physiological, agronomic and molecular processes governing biofortification efficiency in agricultural systems. Particular emphasis is placed on how soil formation, mineralogy, nutrient speciation, organic matter and rhizosphere interactions regulate micronutrient availability, root uptake, translocation and accumulation in crops. The review further examines plant physiological mechanisms involved in nutrient acquisition and partitioning, together with the contribution of beneficial microorganisms, precision agriculture and digital technologies to improving nutrient-use efficiency under diverse agricultural conditions. Conventional breeding, agronomic biofortification, transgenic approaches and genome-editing technologies are critically evaluated as complementary strategies for developing nutrient-enriched and climate-resilient crop varieties. Particular attention is also given to nutrient bioavailability, post-harvest stability and consumer acceptance, which ultimately determine the nutritional effectiveness of biofortified crops. Furthermore, the review discusses how climate change modifies soil properties, plant physiology and crop productivity, thereby influencing micronutrient availability, nutrient accumulation and the long-term effectiveness of biofortification programmes. By integrating advances in soil science, plant physiology, agronomy and molecular biology, this review identifies current challenges, knowledge gaps and future research priorities for developing resilient biofortification strategies capable of supporting sustainable agricultural systems and improving global nutritional security. Full article

The plant-based diets market has grown in popularity over recent decades and is projected to reach USD 27 billion by 2030. Innovative systems such as intercropping, defined as growing two or more crop species in proximity, are promising contributors to the advancement of sustainable agriculture by improving resource efficiency, enhancing crop resilience, and cutting down the need for chemical inputs. However, legume seed lots grown under intercropping versus monocropping systems differ in composition, which, in turn, can influence seed flour quality. Furthermore, antinutritional properties of legumes, such as phytic acid, condensed tannins (CTs), and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), limit their utilisation in product formulation. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to reduce these antinutritional compounds for utilisation of the intercropped legume flour in bakery products. A harvest of intercropped peas and faba bean mix (IM) obtained from Irish farmers was soaked (S) for 8 and 16 h and germinated (G) for 24, 48, and 72 h. Non-germinated intercropped mix (IM) was used as a control. All flours were subsequently used to substitute for wheat flour and fortify wheat-based cakes. The 72 h germinated intercropped mix (pea bean; 95.5:4.5) flour showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower levels of antinutritional compounds than the non-germinated intercropped flour. Raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose contents were reduced by 43%, 38%, and 46%, respectively, while phytic acid and condensed tannins decreased by 32% and 57%, respectively. The germination process also reduced the green hue (a*) from −8.37 to −6.49 and enhanced levels of soluble dietary fibre by 2.67% of the flour, while improving their suitability for bakery applications. Wheat-based cakes fortified with germinated and non-germinated intercropped legume flours showed a significant enhancement in protein and soluble dietary fibre contents. Compared with the control cake, protein content increased from 9.52 to 12.80%, while soluble dietary fibre content increased from 0.47 to 1.99% in the fortified cakes. Cakes containing up to 40% germinated flour (G72) showed comparable specific volume values 1.84–1.86 mL/g) and slice brightness (112.50–94.23) to the control cake. Additionally, cakes formulated with 40% intercropped flour showed significantly lower condensed tannin and phytic acid contents (p < 0.05), with reductions of 38% and 31.38%, respectively. Samples containing intercropped legume flours proved suitable for bakery applications, supporting up to 40% substitution in wheat-based cakes, and the germination process was effective in reducing antinutritional properties in intercropped legume flour fortified cakes. Full article

Strigolactones (SLs) are multifunctional plant metabolites that govern shoot architecture, facilitate symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and trigger seed germination of parasitic weeds, making them attractive targets for crop improvement. Their agricultural potential has been validated in field trials for parasitic weed suppression, drought resilience, and grain yield improvement. However, a major challenge is decoupling their beneficial effects from undesirable functions. To address this, we adopt a precision intervention framework distinguishing two strategies: functional decoupling, which separates beneficial from detrimental SL activities; and situational decoupling, which exploits detrimental functions in controlled contexts. We evaluate progress across parasitic weed control, abiotic stress mitigation, and agronomic trait optimization. We also identify scientific gaps and practical barriers limiting translation and critically assess emerging solutions to these barriers. By critically analyzing where decoupling works and what trade-offs limit its success, this review aims to guide sustainable implementation of SL-based technologies in agriculture. Full article

Most Citrus spp. trees in China are cultivated in acidic soils with low soil organic matter and high Al³⁺. The mechanisms of humic acid (HA) to alleviate Al³⁺ stress in plants remain unclear. ‘Sour pummelo’ (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck) seedlings were exposed to 0.5 (HA0.5), 0.1 (HA0.1), or 0 (HA0) mM sodium humate and 1.2 (Al1.2) or 0 (Al0) mM AlCl₃·6H₂O for 128 days. Thereafter, the research examined biomass; Al and mineral nutrients; leaf photosynthetic performance; and leaf and root nonstructural carbohydrates, reactive oxygen species metabolism, and related physiological parameters. Al1.2 significantly reduced whole plant dry weight (DW), root DW, leaf CO₂ assimilation (A_CO2), and chlorophyll a + b concentration by 61%, 45%, 61%, and 35%, respectively, at HA0, but only 48%, 17%, 44%, and 11%, respectively, at HA0.5. Further analysis suggested that the addition of HA endowed Citrus with Al resilience by the following several aspects: (a) lessened tissue (leaf, stem, and root) concentrations of Al and enhanced capacity to maintain macronutrient (S, K, Mg, Ca, N, and P) homeostasis at Al1.2; (b) improved capacity to combat oxidative stress at Al1.2; and (c) enhanced A_CO2 and growth at Al1.2. Further analysis indicated that HA-mediated alleviation of growth decline caused by Al1.2 involved (a) reduced ability to absorb Al and less root-to-shoot Al transport and (b) increased ability to maintain macronutrient homeostasis and to combat oxidative stress; and that HA-mediated alleviation of leaf chlorophyll and A_CO2 decline and photosynthetic electron transport chain impairment involved less leaf Al concentration and improved leaf macronutrient homeostasis. To conclude, the addition of HA lowered roots’ ability to absorb Al and tissue Al concentration and subsequently mitigated Al-toxic impairment to root growth and function, thereby enhancing the ability of plants to maintain macronutrient homeostasis, and hence alleviating Al1.2-stimulated oxidative damage and inhibition of A_CO2 and growth. Full article

Soil salinity is a major constraint on global crop productivity, highlighting the importance of strategies to enhance plant stress tolerance. This study investigated whether root-associated fungal endophytes derived from a salt-tolerant quinoa ecotype could establish associations with a salt-sensitive ecotype and confer systemic physiological and molecular stress-mitigation responses. Fungal endophytes—two Alternaria spp. and one Setophoma sp.—were isolated from roots of Pandela (salt-tolerant genotype) and inoculated BO75 (salt-sensitive ecotype) under severe salt stress (400 mM NaCl). Physiological (potential photochemical efficiency, survival), biochemical (malondialdehyde, proline), molecular (expression of ion transporter genes CqSOS1 and CqNHX1), and elemental (Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻ distribution by μ-XRF) responses were evaluated. In the salt-sensitive BO75 genotype, endophyte inoculation was associated with improved stress performance, evidenced by reduced oxidative damage (lower MDA), higher proline accumulation, and enhanced photochemical efficiency. Furthermore, the reduced expression of CqSOS1 and CqNHX1 suggests an improved ionic balance in inoculated plants. Conversely, re-inoculating Pandela yielded negligible effects, suggesting that these endophytes primarily benefit genotypes lacking inherent salt tolerance. These findings indicate that transferring fungal endophytes from halophytic ecotypes can significantly mitigate stress in sensitive genotypes, highlighting their potential for enhancing crop resilience in saline environments. Full article

Background: Rice breeding requires faster development of high-yielding, climate-resilient, resource-efficient, and high-quality cultivars for production systems exposed to environmental variability and increasing input constraints. Genomic selection offers an opportunity to predict breeding value before extensive field evaluation, although its effectiveness depends on the integration of genomic, phenotypic, and environmental information. Methods: This narrative review critically examines recent advances in genomic selection for rice and its integration with high-throughput genotyping, high-throughput phenotyping, machine learning, multi-environment prediction, and speed breeding. Results: Genome-wide marker data can support early ranking of breeding materials for grain yield, grain quality, disease resistance, drought tolerance, salinity tolerance, and nutrient-use efficiency. Prediction performance is influenced by trait architecture, marker density, training-population size, genetic relatedness between training and candidate populations, phenotypic data quality, and genotype-by-environment interaction. Red-green-blue, multispectral, hyperspectral, thermal, and light detection and ranging platforms can generate temporal traits associated with plant architecture, biomass, water status, nutrient status, and stress responses, which may improve prediction under suitable population and validation designs. Speed-breeding systems shorten generation intervals and facilitate rapid advancement, recurrent selection, and recycling of superior parental lines. Conclusions: Integrated breeding pipelines that combine genomic prediction, high-throughput phenotyping, environmental data, and speed breeding can improve selection efficiency and shorten rice improvement cycles. Wider adoption will require affordable technology platforms, standardized data systems, multi-environment validation, breeder capacity development, and collaborative data-sharing frameworks for smart and greener agriculture. Full article

Fructans and fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) are structurally diverse fructose-based carbohydrates synthesized from sucrose through the coordinated action of fructosyltransferases. These compounds are widely distributed in plants and have attracted increasing attention due to their dual relevance in plant physiology and human nutrition. In plants, fructans function as dynamic carbon reserves and play key roles in tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, cold, and salinity. In parallel, their selective fermentability and prebiotic properties have positioned them as valuable functional ingredients in food and nutraceutical applications. This review provides an updated overview of fructan and FOS metabolism, focusing on their biosynthetic pathways, structural diversity, and physiological roles in plants. Particular attention is given to the occurrence and potential functions of fructans in fruits, a topic that remains comparatively underexplored. We also discuss recent advances in strategies aimed at enhancing fructan accumulation through breeding, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology approaches. Finally, emerging opportunities for the biotechnological exploitation of fructan metabolism are highlighted, including crop biofortification, development of functional foods, and the improvement of plant resilience to environmental stress. Full article

The plant epidermis, adorned with trichomes and root hairs, represents a critical interface where developmental programming and environmental responses converge. Although the genetic basis of epidermal patterning has been extensively characterized in model systems, how these pathways are modulated under abiotic stress remains incompletely understood. This review integrates recent advances in epidermal development and stress biology, focusing on MYB–bHLH–WD40 (MBW) complexes, GIS-family C2H2 zinc-finger proteins, and ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE SIX-LIKE (RSL) transcription factors. These regulators participate in interconnected, organ-specific networks that coordinate trichome and root-hair development. Their activities are shaped by gibberellin–brassinosteroid interactions, ethylene–auxin coordination, jasmonate and abscisic acid signaling, and cytokinin- and nutrient-responsive pathways. We further discuss how reactive oxygen species and calcium oscillations translate transcriptional regulation into polarized cell growth. The resulting epidermal plasticity reflects trade-offs among growth, defense, resource acquisition, and conservation. By integrating single-cell transcriptomics, nutrient sensing, and evolutionary perspectives, this review provides a framework for understanding environmentally responsive epidermal development and identifies opportunities for improving crop resilience. The resulting framework identifies testable opportunities for crop improvement, while emphasizing that native network equivalence, pleiotropic effects, and field-level stress benefits remain to be established in crop species. Full article

Climate change represents a major global challenge that threatens agricultural productivity, ecosystem stability, and food security by intensifying abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. Solanaceous crops, which are economically and nutritionally important worldwide, are highly sensitive to these stresses, leading to oxidative damage, impaired photosynthesis, and reduced yield and quality. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach to mitigate these adverse effects. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, nanoparticles (NPs) enhance nutrient uptake, improve water-use efficiency, and regulate plant metabolic processes. They also activate antioxidant defense systems, reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS), and improve the delivery efficiency of growth regulators and bioactive compounds. This review synthesizes recent literature on abiotic stress responses in solanaceous crops and evaluates the role of nanoparticles as mitigation strategies, focusing on physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. The scope includes drought, salinity, and temperature stresses, as well as nano-enabled applications such as nano-carriers and nano-sensors. Overall, nanoparticle applications improve plant tolerance by enhancing antioxidant activity, regulating stress-responsive pathways, and improving resource-use efficiency, thereby contributing to increased crop productivity under climate change conditions. However, challenges related to nanoparticle toxicity and environmental risks remain, emphasizing the need for optimized and safe application strategies. These findings highlight the potential of nanotechnology as a sustainable tool to enhance the resilience and productivity of solanaceous crops under changing climatic conditions. This review highlights that nanoparticles can enhance abiotic stress tolerance in solanaceous crops by improving antioxidant activity, photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and water-use efficiency under adverse environmental conditions. Overall, nanotechnology represents a promising strategy for sustainable crop production under climate change, although further studies are needed to ensure its environmental safety and long-term applicability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of abiotic stress effects on solanaceous crops and highlights the role of nanoparticles as a sustainable tool to enhance plant tolerance, productivity, and resilience under climate change conditions. Full article

Drought stress severely constrains sorghum productivity, and seed priming has emerged as a potential strategy to enhance stress resilience. However, the role of cuticle deposition in seed priming-mediated drought tolerance remains unclear. In this study, the optimal GA priming concentration was determined and its effects on cuticular wax and cutin composition, as well as leaf water loss, were investigated in sorghum seedlings. A preliminary experiment identified 10 mg L⁻¹ GA as the optimal dose, as it produced the greatest height (11.5%) and biomass (79.8%) under drought stress while significantly reducing MDA and O₂⁻ levels, indicating effective alleviation of oxidative damage. Under well-watered conditions, GA priming moderately increased alkanes (45.6%) and primary alcohols (16.3%) while reducing aldehydes (27.3%). However, under drought conditions, GA induced substantially greater increases in alkanes (76.4%), primary alcohols (257.3%), amyrin (451.5%), and other alcohols (56.3%). Regarding cutin monomers, GA further elevated alkanoic acids and cyclopropaneoctanoic acid by 58.2% and 31.4%, respectively, on top of drought-induced accumulation, indicating a synergistic effect between GA and drought signals in promoting cuticular deposition. Additionally, GA redirected the production of cutin with a chain length of C16/C18 towardC22 cutin. GA-primed plants displayed the lowest water loss rates, correlating with enhanced cuticular deposition. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that, in the single genotype tested under controlled-environment conditions, GA priming enhances drought tolerance in sorghum seedlings, acting through the modulation of cuticle composition to reduce leaf water loss while alleviating oxidative damage and improving growth. Full article

Soil microbiomes are essential for nutrient cycling, plant health, stress resilience, and sustainable agriculture. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing, multi-omics technologies, systems biology, and artificial intelligence (AI) have transformed our understanding of plant–microbiome interactions and enabled the development of innovative microbiome engineering strategies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms governing plant-associated soil microbiome assembly, microbial community functions, plant–microbe communication, and microbiome-mediated stress resistance in agricultural ecosystems. Current approaches to plant-associated soil microbiome manipulation and engineering, including microbial inoculants, synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), microbiome transplantation, rhizosphere steering, and synthetic biology-based interventions, are critically examined. The review further discusses the growing role of metagenomics, metabolomics, metatranscriptomics, machine learning (ML), and precision agriculture technologies in improving microbiome characterization, prediction, and management. Particular attention is given to the application of microbiome-based solutions for sustainable crop production, nutrient management, biological control, climate-smart agriculture, and ecosystem restoration. Despite significant progress, challenges related to field-scale variability, colonization stability, biosafety, regulatory frameworks, and data integration continue to limit large-scale implementation. Future advances in precision microbiome engineering are expected to combine ecological principles, multi-omics technologies, AI, and synthetic biology to develop predictive and resilient microbiome-based solutions for sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture. Full article

Salt stress significantly constrains plant growth and development, with the root system serving as the primary organ for sensing and responding to salinity. Poplar (Populus spp.), a widely cultivated tree species, plays important roles in urban greening, windbreaks and sand fixation, and various economic sectors. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the salt tolerance of root systems of six different poplar cultivars. Key physiological indicators—including root activity, ion homeostasis, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capacity, and nitric oxide (NO) content—were evaluated under saline conditions. Our findings indicate that the salt resistance of the six cultivars follows the order: P. simonii > P. cathayana > P. tremula × P. alba ‘717’ > P. deltoides × P. euramericana ‘Nanlin 895’ > P. deltoides × P. euramericana ‘Bofeng 3’ > P. alba × P. glandulosa ‘84K’. Furthermore, a transcriptomic analysis was performed on the most resilient species, P. simonii. These results reveal that P. simonii primarily orchestrates its salt stress response through the modulation of MAPK cascades and nitrogen metabolism pathways. This research provides theoretical support for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the salt stress response in poplars and offers a foundation for the molecular breeding of salt tolerant poplar varieties. Full article

Increasing temperature is a major stress factor associated with climate change, strongly limiting agricultural productivity, particularly in sensitive crops such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). High temperatures promote the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to oxidative damage and disruption of key physiological processes. Here, we evaluated whether desert-derived endophytic fungi differentially modulate oxidative stress responses in tomato plants exposed to heat stress. Plants were inoculated with either Talaromyces minioluteus or Serendipita indica and grown under control (22/19 °C) or heat stress conditions (35/19 °C). Heat stress reduced growth and increased oxidative damage, whereas endophyte inoculation mitigated these effects. Inoculated plants showed higher shoot and root biomass, lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and enhanced enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, including increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), as well as greater accumulation of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. However, the magnitude and direction of these responses depended on the endophyte species. Overall, endophytic fungi modulated ROS homeostasis through coordinated enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms. These findings indicate that desert endophytic fungi enhance tolerance to heat stress through endophyte-specific regulation of oxidative balance, highlighting their potential to improve crop resilience under climate change. Full article

Protein hydrolysates (PHs) have emerged as a pivotal category of plant biostimulants in sustainable agriculture. They are derived from the enzymatic, chemical, or thermal hydrolysis of agro-industrial by-products of animal or plant origin. These complex mixtures of free amino acids, oligopeptides, and polypeptides enhance crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency, and abiotic stress resilience. This review examines and compares the production methods, chemical composition, agronomic performance, physiological mechanism, and safety profiles of animal-derived (A-PHs) and vegetal-derived (V-PHs) protein hydrolysates, with particular emphasis on hydrolyzed collagen (HC) as an emerging biostimulant. Furthermore, the specific physiological roles of proline in mediating plant stress tolerance and hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins in maintaining cell wall integrity are evaluated. Animal-derived sources, including collagen, keratin, and fish by-products, are characterized by elevated glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline concentrations, amino acids with established roles in root architecture promotion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, and osmotic adjustment under stress. Conversely, V-PH exhibit richer bioactive peptide profiles and superior environmental sustainability indices. Underlying mechanisms encompass hormone-like activities mimicking auxin and gibberellin signaling, transcriptional reprogramming of nitrogen assimilation pathways, antioxidant enzyme modulation, and rhizosphere microbiota stimulation. Full article

Alternating brackish–freshwater irrigation is a promising strategy for improving the utilization of marginal water resources in arid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production; however, its effectiveness is often limited by salt-induced physicochemical stresses, including sodium-induced soil structural degradation, osmotic stress, and reduced rhizosphere biological activity. This study investigated whether the combined application of microbial inoculant and polyacrylamide (PAM) could enhance root-zone functioning and plant performance under alternating brackish–freshwater irrigation. A controlled greenhouse pot experiment was conducted with five treatments, including conventional irrigation (CI), alternating irrigation (AI), AI combined with microbial inoculant (AI + B), AI combined with PAM (AI + PAM), and AI combined with microbial inoculant and PAM (AI + B + PAM). Soil water–salt conditions, physical properties, nutrient availability, microbial activity, root growth, and plant nutrient uptake were determined, and partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was used to evaluate soil–root–plant interactions. Alternating irrigation reduced soil salinity and sodium accumulation compared with conventional irrigation, with electrical conductivity of the 1:5 soil–water extract (EC_1:5), Na⁺, and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) decreasing by 14.68%, 16.21%, and 14.27%, respectively; under AI conditions, PAM increased water-stable aggregates by 22.54%, while microbial inoculant increased microbial biomass carbon by 33.47%. The combined AI + B + PAM treatment produced the greatest improvement in plant performance, increasing biomass, N uptake, P uptake, and K uptake by 28.79%, 47.37%, 48.00%, and 60.80%, respectively, compared with AI alone. PLS-PM supported a hypothesized pathway in which PAM-associated physical conditioning and microbial inoculant-mediated biochemical activation converged on root development, which was positively linked to nutrient acquisition and plant growth. These findings indicate that integrating microbial inoculant with PAM has potential to enhance root-zone resilience and cotton growth under alternating brackish–freshwater irrigation conditions, providing insights for the development of amendment strategies in saline soils. Further field validation is required before broader agricultural application. Full article