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Morphological, Physiological, Metabolic, and Genetic Aspects of Eustress in Horticultural Crops
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Morphological, Physiological, Metabolic, and Genetic Aspects of Eustress in Horticultural Crops

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 8930

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Giordano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: vegetable quality; sustainable agriculture; horticultural crops; hydroponics and soilless culture; biofortification; microgreens; functional foods; microbial and non-microbial biostimulants; carbon sequestration; nutrient cycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

All plant species are subjected to abiotic stresses whose intensity has increased, due to climate change. Plants respond to stress with various morphological, physiological, metabolic, and genetic changes. These mechanisms emphasised the survival of tolerant species and the disappearance of sensitive species. Leafy vegetables are particularly susceptible to abiotic stresses because they are rich in water and are characterized by a rather short crop cycle. The need for farmers to cultivate specific horticultural species on their territory has fueled abiotic stresses, due to excessive use of water and fertilizers. Many studies have highlighted the influence of the stress level on the productive and qualitative performance of plants. For each plant species, tolerant or sensitive one, there is a stress level for which the plant is at its utmost defense, and synthesizes and accumulates high levels of secondary metabolites and molecules with antioxidant properties, without a drastic reduction in growth. This response is called positive stress or eustress. This Special Issue aims to obtain a multidisciplinary view of eustress, improve knowledge of the adaptation of different horticultural crops to stress, and enhance sustainable agronomic choices that preserve the quality and productivity of crops. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • metabolomics analyses
  • genetic analyses
  • morphologic analyses
  • productivity of leafy vegetables
  • quality of leafy vegetables
  • osmolytes
  • defense mechanisms

Dr. Maria Giordano
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • abiotic stresses
  • mild stress
  • secondary metabolites
  • plant defense mechanisms
  • tolerance adaptation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 3811 KiB  
Article
Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Metabolites and Metabolic Pathways Involved in the Growth and Quality of Water Dropwort [Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC.] under Nutrient Solution Culture
by Kai Feng, Xia-Yue Kan, Qing Liu, Ya-Jie Yan, Nan Sun, Zhi-Yuan Yang, Shu-Ping Zhao, Peng Wu and Liang-Jun Li
Plants 2023, 12(7), 1459; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071459 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1388
Abstract
Water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC.) is an important vegetable crop. Nutrient liquid culture has become an important cultivation method in the production of water dropwort. However, the effects of different nutrient solution cultivation methods on the growth and quality of water [...] Read more.
Water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC.) is an important vegetable crop. Nutrient liquid culture has become an important cultivation method in the production of water dropwort. However, the effects of different nutrient solution cultivation methods on the growth and quality of water dropwort remains unclear. In this study, to screen the most suitable nutrient solution formula for the cultivation of water dropwort, the effects of different nutrient solution formulas (Hoagland, Cooper, Dutch greenhouse, Garden-style, Yamasaki and SCAU) on plant physiological and quality characteristics are investigated. The plant height, root length, water content (%), distribution rate of dry matter (%), chlorophyll, VC, flavonoid, total phenolic, DPPH and dietary fiber of water dropwort under different nutrient solutions were determined. According to the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) of the growth index and quality index of water dropwort under different nutrient solutions, the Yamazaki nutrient solution was considered to be the most suitable nutrient solution formula for water dropwort. To further confirm the differences of water dropwort under nutrient solution culture and soil culture, the broadly targeted metabolomics were performed. A total of 485 metabolites were detected in water dropwort under optimal nutrient solution and soil cultivation. Metabolomics analysis showed that flavonoids were the most abundant differential accumulated metabolites, and most flavonoids were up-regulated. A qRT-PCR assay indicated that the structural genes of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway (PAL, C4H, CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, UFGT) were significantly higher under the Yamasaki nutrient solution treatment. The current study provided a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the nutrient solution cultivation of water dropwort. Meanwhile, this study provides new insights into the study of flavonoids in water dropwort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological, Physiological, Metabolic, and Genetic Aspects of Eustress in Horticultural Crops)
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15 pages, 2151 KiB  
Article
Biochemical Insights into the Ability of Lemna minor L. Extract to Counteract Copper Toxicity in Maize
by Begoña Miras-Moreno, Biancamaria Senizza, Luca Regni, Ciro Tolisano, Primo Proietti, Marco Trevisan, Luigi Lucini, Youssef Rouphael and Daniele Del Buono
Plants 2022, 11(19), 2613; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192613 - 06 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1391
Abstract
Metal trace elements (MTE) can damage crops if present in excessive amounts in the environment. This research investigated the effect of a plant extract of an aquatic species, Lemna minor L. (duckweed) (LE), on the ability of maize to cope with copper (Cu) [...] Read more.
Metal trace elements (MTE) can damage crops if present in excessive amounts in the environment. This research investigated the effect of a plant extract of an aquatic species, Lemna minor L. (duckweed) (LE), on the ability of maize to cope with copper (Cu) toxicity. LE reversed the effects of Cu2+ on photosynthetic activity (Pn), evapotranspiration (E), stomatal conductance (gs), sub-stomatal CO2 concentration (Ci) and biomass which did not differ from the untreated controls. LE did not regulate the amount of copper in maize leaves, but compared to Cu-treated samples, the extract decreased the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; −26% on average) and malondialdehyde (MDA; −47% on average) content, regardless of the dosage applied. Furthermore, the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) was significantly increased by LE compared to samples treated with Cu alone. Untargeted metabolomic profiling revealed that LE activated maize secondary metabolism, eliciting the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants (flavonoids, glutathione and glutathione-related compounds, tocopherols and tocotrienols) and modulating plant stress-related hormones (brassinosteroids and ABA derivatives). The results of this study are promising and pave the way for using duckweed as a biostimulant to trigger beneficial effects in maize and increase its resistance to MTEs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological, Physiological, Metabolic, and Genetic Aspects of Eustress in Horticultural Crops)
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Review

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14 pages, 2221 KiB  
Review
Enhancing Crop Resilience to Drought Stress through CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing
by Gyanendra Kumar Rai, Danish Mushtaq Khanday, Pradeep Kumar, Isha Magotra, Sadiya M. Choudhary, Rafia Kosser, Raviraj Kalunke, Maria Giordano, Giandomenico Corrado, Youssef Rouphael and Sudhakar Pandey
Plants 2023, 12(12), 2306; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122306 - 14 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3620
Abstract
With increasing frequency and severity of droughts in various parts of the world, agricultural productivity may suffer major setbacks. Among all the abiotic factors, drought is likely to have one of the most detrimental effects on soil organisms and plants. Drought is a [...] Read more.
With increasing frequency and severity of droughts in various parts of the world, agricultural productivity may suffer major setbacks. Among all the abiotic factors, drought is likely to have one of the most detrimental effects on soil organisms and plants. Drought is a major problem for crops because it limits the availability of water, and consequently nutrients which are crucial for plant growth and survival. This results in reduced crop yields, stunted growth, and even plant death, according to the severity and duration of the drought, the plant’s developmental stage, and the plant’s genetic background. The ability to withstand drought is a highly complex characteristic that is controlled by multiple genes, making it one of the most challenging attributes to study, classify, and improve. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) technology has opened a new frontier in crop enhancement, revolutionizing plant molecular breeding. The current review provides a general understanding of principles as well as optimization of CRISPR system, and presents applications on genetic enhancement of crops, specifically in terms of drought resistance and yield. Moreover, we discuss how innovative genome editing techniques can aid in the identification and modification of genes conferring drought tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological, Physiological, Metabolic, and Genetic Aspects of Eustress in Horticultural Crops)
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15 pages, 1077 KiB  
Review
Biomimetic Strategies for Developing Abiotic Stress-Tolerant Tomato Cultivars: An Overview
by Gyanendra Kumar Rai, Pradeep Kumar, Sadiya Maryam Choudhary, Rafia Kosser, Danish Mushtaq Khanday, Shallu Choudhary, Bupesh Kumar, Isha Magotra, Ranjit Ranjan Kumar, Chet Ram, Youssef Rouphael, Giandomenico Corrado and Tusar Kanti Behera
Plants 2023, 12(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010086 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1900
Abstract
The tomato is one of the most important vegetables in the world. The demand for tomatoes is high in virtually any country, owing to their gastronomic versatility and nutritional and aromatic value. Drought, salinity, and inadequate temperature can be major factors in diminishing [...] Read more.
The tomato is one of the most important vegetables in the world. The demand for tomatoes is high in virtually any country, owing to their gastronomic versatility and nutritional and aromatic value. Drought, salinity, and inadequate temperature can be major factors in diminishing yield, affecting physiological and biochemical processes and altering various metabolic pathways, from the aggregation of low molecular–weight substances to the transcription of specific genes. Various biotechnological tools can be used to alter the tomato genes so that this species can more rapidly or better adapt to abiotic stress. These approaches range from the introgression of genes coding for specific enzymes for mitigating a prevailing stress to genetic modifications that alter specific metabolic pathways to help tomato perceive environmental cues and/or withstand adverse conditions. In recent years, environmental and social concerns and the high complexity of the plant response may increase the attention of applied plant biotechnology toward biomimetic strategies, generally defined as all the approaches that seek to develop more sustainable and acceptable strategies by imitating nature’s time-tested solutions. In this review, we provide an overview of some of the genetic sequences and molecules that were the objects of biotechnological intervention in tomato as examples of approaches to achieve tolerance to abiotic factors, improving existing nature-based mechanisms and solutions (biomimetic biotechnological approaches (BBA)). Finally, we discuss implications and perspectives within the GMO debate, proposing that crops modified with BBA should receive less stringent regulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological, Physiological, Metabolic, and Genetic Aspects of Eustress in Horticultural Crops)
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