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Plants
Special Issues
Plant Protection Strategies against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses
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Plant Protection Strategies against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 8426

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Emilie Widemann

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Guest Editor
Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, University of Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
Interests: plant physiology; genetics; plant molecular biology; biochemistry; phytohormones; metabolism; plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sarfraz Shafiq

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Guest Editor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
Interests: wheat genetics; cotton genetics; crop; plant genetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The evolution of plant-environment interactions has shaped complex molecular networks, including mechanisms allowing plants to protect themselves from environmental challenges. Plant resistance toward environmental stresses is for example due to natural barriers, physiological adaptations, and specific metabolomes and proteomes. In particular, phytohormones and molecular signaling play a central role to trigger adapted plant defense responses according to specific biotic or abiotic stresses. To develop biocontrol practices and sustainable plant protection strategies against environmental stresses, it is crucial to understand molecular dynamics of plant-environment interactions. For example, chemical or physical priming can lead to enhanced plant tolerance to environmental stresses, such as drought or pathogen/pest attacks. Importantly, the need to significantly reduce the use of synthetic pesticides while maintaining/improving yields urges us to find efficient eco-friendly alternatives that are healthy for growers and consumers. Exploring the diversity and function of metabolites, examining the effect of beneficial microorganisms on plant protection, and dissecting allelopathic activities are some ways to discover alternatives to enhance plant protection against abiotic and biotic stresses.

This Special Issue of Plants welcomes articles (research articles, review articles, communications, and methods) that improve our understanding of natural mechanisms ensuring plant defense, and that propose new plant protection strategies against abiotic and biotic stresses.

Dr. Emilie Widemann
Dr. Sarfraz Shafiq
Guest Editors

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

  • metabolites
  • plant defense
  • defense priming
  • phytohormones
  • abiotic and biotic stresses
  • stress tolerance
  • allelochemicals
  • plant-pest and plant-pathogen interaction
  • biocontrol

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 3582 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Effectiveness of Eco-Friendly Management Approaches for Controlling Wheat Yellow Rust and Their Impact on Antioxidant Enzymes
by Waleed Gamal Eldein Zakaria, Mahmoud Mohamed Atia, Ahmed Zaki Ali, Entsar E. A. Abbas, Bilkess M. A. Salim, Samy A. Marey, Ashraf Atef Hatamleh and Ahmed Saeed Mohammed Elnahal
Plants 2023, 12(16), 2954; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162954 - 15 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1198
Abstract
Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a destructive disease that causes significant yield losses in wheat production worldwide, including in Egypt. The use of biocontrol agents is among the best eco-friendly management strategies to control [...] Read more.
Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a destructive disease that causes significant yield losses in wheat production worldwide, including in Egypt. The use of biocontrol agents is among the best eco-friendly management strategies to control this disease, as they are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than traditional chemical control methods. In a comparative analysis, antioxidant enzyme activity and various management approaches were compared with two bacterial biocontrol agents, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas putida. This study showed the remarkable efficacy of endophytic bacteria, B. subtilis and P. putida, in mitigating wheat stripe rust infection across three wheat varieties, namely Misr1, Gimmeiza11, and Sids12. B. subtilis exhibited superior performance compared to P. putida, resulting in infection types of 1 and 2.66, respectively, following inoculation. The highest reduction rate was observed with Tilit fungicide (500 ppm), followed by B. subtilis and Salicylic acid (1000 ppm), respectively. Variations in wheat varieties’ response to Pst infection were observed, with Misr1 exhibiting the lowest infection and Sids12 showing high susceptibility. Among the tested inducers, Salicylic acid demonstrated the greatest reduction in disease infection, followed by Indole acetic acid, while Oxalic acid exhibited the lowest decrease. Additionally, the study evaluated the activities of five antioxidant enzymes, including Catalase, Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POX), in the wheat-stripe rust interaction under different integrated management approaches. The wheat variety Misr1 treated with Tilit (500 ppm), B. subtilis, Salicylic acid, Montoro (500 ppm), and P. putida exhibited the highest increase in all enzymatic activities. These findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of B. subtilis and P. putida as biocontrol agents for wheat stripe rust control in Egypt, emphasizing their potential role in sustainable, integrated, and environmentally friendly management practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protection Strategies against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses)
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16 pages, 5184 KiB  
Article
A Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Pattern of LMCO Gene Family from Turnip (Brassica rapa L.) under Various Abiotic Stresses
by Waqar Khan, Ahmed M. El-Shehawi, Fayaz Ali, Murad Ali, Mohammed Alqurashi, Mohammed M. Althaqafi and Siraj B. Alharthi
Plants 2023, 12(9), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091904 - 07 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1484
Abstract
Laccase-like multi-copper oxidases (LMCOs) are a group of enzymes involved in the oxidation of numerous substrates. Recently, these enzymes have become extremely popular due to their practical applications in various fields of biology. LMCOs generally oxidize various substrates by linking four-electron reduction of [...] Read more.
Laccase-like multi-copper oxidases (LMCOs) are a group of enzymes involved in the oxidation of numerous substrates. Recently, these enzymes have become extremely popular due to their practical applications in various fields of biology. LMCOs generally oxidize various substrates by linking four-electron reduction of the final acceptor, molecular oxygen (O2), to water. Multi-copper oxidases related to laccase are extensively distributed as multi-gene families in the genome sequences of higher plants. The current study thoroughly investigated the LMCO gene family (Br-Lac) and its expression pattern under various abiotic stresses in B. rapa L. A total of 18 Br-Lac gene family members located on five different chromosomes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis classified the documented Br-Lac genes into seven groups: Group-I (four genes), Group-II (nine genes), Group-III (eight genes), Group-IV (four genes), Group-V (six genes), and Group-VI and Group-VII (one gene each). The key features of gene structure and responsive motifs shared the utmost resemblance within the same groups. Additionally, a divergence study also assessed the evolutionary features of Br-Lac genes. The anticipated period of divergence ranged from 12.365 to 39.250 MYA (million years ago). We also identified the pivotal role of the 18 documented members of the LMCO (Br-lac) gene family using quantitative real-time qRT-PCR. Br-Lac-6, Br-Lac-7, Br-Lac-8, Br-Lac-16, Br-Lac-17, and Br-Lac-22 responded positively to abiotic stresses (i.e., drought, heat, and salinity). These findings set the stage for the functional diversity of the LMCO genes in B. rapa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protection Strategies against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses)
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14 pages, 658 KiB  
Article
Anthocyanin Content and Fusarium Mycotoxins in Pigmented Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. spp. aestivum): An Open Field Evaluation
by Marco Gozzi, Massimo Blandino, Chiara Dall’Asta, Petr Martinek, Renato Bruni and Laura Righetti
Plants 2023, 12(4), 693; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040693 - 04 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1624
Abstract
Twelve Triticum aestivum L. spp. aestivum varieties with pigmented grain, namely one red, six purple, three blue, and two black, were grown in open fields over two consecutive years and screened to investigate their risk to the accumulation of multiple Fusarium-related mycotoxins. [...] Read more.
Twelve Triticum aestivum L. spp. aestivum varieties with pigmented grain, namely one red, six purple, three blue, and two black, were grown in open fields over two consecutive years and screened to investigate their risk to the accumulation of multiple Fusarium-related mycotoxins. Deoxynivalenol (DON) and its modified forms DON3Glc, 3Ac-DON, 15Ac-DON, and T-2, HT-2, ZEN, and Enniatin B were quantified by means of UHPLC-MS/MS, along with 14 different cyanidin, petunidin, delphinidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and malvidin glycosides. A significant strong influence effect of the harvesting year (p = 0.0002) was noticed for DON content, which was more than doubled between harvesting years growing seasons (mean of 3746 µg kg−1 vs. 1463 µg kg−1). In addition, a striking influence of varieties with different grain colour on DON content (p < 0.0001) emerged in combination with the harvesting year (year×colour, p = 0.0091), with blue grains being more contaminated (mean of 5352 µg kg−1) and red grain being less contaminated (mean of 715 µg kg−1). The trend was maintained between the two harvesting years despite the highly variable absolute mycotoxin content. Varieties accumulating anthocyanins in the pericarp (purple coloration) had significantly lower DON content compared to those in which aleurone was involved (blue coloration). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protection Strategies against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses)
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14 pages, 4861 KiB  
Article
Effects of Solar Radiation on Leaf Development and Yield of Tuberous Roots in Multilayered Sweet Potato Cultivation
by Takahiro Suzuki, Masaru Sakamoto, Hiroshi Kubo, Yui Miyabe and Daisuke Hiroshima
Plants 2023, 12(2), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020287 - 07 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2023
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a novel method to dramatically improve the production efficiency of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) by elucidating the effect of solar radiation stress on the growth of sweet potato in a multilayer cultivation [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to develop a novel method to dramatically improve the production efficiency of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) by elucidating the effect of solar radiation stress on the growth of sweet potato in a multilayer cultivation system. Twenty-five pots planted with sweet potato vine seedlings were arranged in three layers and cultivated for 160 days while supplying liquid fertilizer to the root zone. While solar radiation in the middle and lower layers decreased to 69% and 45% of that in the upper layer, respectively, the yield of tuberous roots was 0.89 kg/pot in the upper layer, 0.79 kg/pot in the middle layer, and 0.66 kg/pot in the lower layer. As a result, the productivity of tuberous roots reached 10.5 kg/m2, 4.4 times that of conventional farming. On the other hand, the amounts of leaves and stems increased in the lower layer than in the upper layer, and the biomass energy yield (photosynthetic efficiency) was 2.8% in the upper layer, 3.7% in the middle layer, and 5.1% in the lower layer. Leaves in the lower layer with less solar radiation had a lower polyphenol content and increased the amounts of low-brightness leaves. In contrast, the upper leaves were found to contain more polyphenols and have brighter, smaller leaves. These results suggest that the yield can be further increased by optimizing solar radiation stress by using the multilayer cultivation method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protection Strategies against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses)
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Review

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16 pages, 1201 KiB  
Review
Emphasizing the Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs (lncRNA), Circular RNA (circRNA), and Micropeptides (miPs) in Plant Biotic Stress Tolerance
by Anirban Bhar and Amit Roy
Plants 2023, 12(23), 3951; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233951 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1317
Abstract
Biotic stress tolerance in plants is complex as it relies solely on specific innate immune responses from different plant species combating diverse pathogens. Each component of the plant immune system is crucial to comprehend the molecular basis underlying sustainable resistance response. Among many [...] Read more.
Biotic stress tolerance in plants is complex as it relies solely on specific innate immune responses from different plant species combating diverse pathogens. Each component of the plant immune system is crucial to comprehend the molecular basis underlying sustainable resistance response. Among many other regulatory components, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently emerged as novel regulatory control switches in plant development and stress biology. Besides, miPs, the small peptides (100–150 amino acids long) encoded by some of the non-coding portions of the genome also turned out to be paramount regulators of plant stress. Although some studies have been performed in deciphering the role of miPs in abiotic stress tolerance, their function in regulating biotic stress tolerance is still largely elusive. Hence, the present review focuses on the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in combating biotic stress in plants. The probable role of miPs in plant–microbe interaction is also comprehensively highlighted. This review enhances our current understanding of plant lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miPs in biotic stress tolerance and raises intriguing questions worth following up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protection Strategies against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses)
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