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Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress

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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: closed (1 October 2022) | Viewed by 20138

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Prof. Dr. Bernhard Huchzermeyer

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Institute of Botany, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, Herrenhäuser, 30419 Hannover, Germany
Interests: plant biochemistry and physiology; plant biology; abiotic stress tolerance; agricultural biotechnology; plant environmental stress physiology
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Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Koyro

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Institute of Plant Ecology, Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26–32, D-35392 Gießen, Germany
Interests: stress ecophysiology; extremophytes; biochar; soil amendments; salt tolerance; sodium proton exchange protein
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Extreme weather conditions are generally expected to occur more often in the near future. This will cause extra impairment of plant performance. Such adverse effects interfering with plant growth and development are termed environmental stress. They are threatening our environment and food safety.

In early publications on stress adaptation, modifications of plant anatomy and the patterns of metabolite contents were observed. Later on, stress-responsive genes were identified, and stress adaptation was described as a multifactorial physiological response. Meanwhile, a network of sensors and messengers has been identified in all plants. It was demonstrated at the molecular as well as the metabolic level that the patterns and the individual extent of stress responses vary with the developmental stage of a plant. Molecular events linking stress perception to genomic responses that finally lead to stress tolerance have gained special interest. A more detailed understanding of the concept underlying stress tolerance may help in identifying breeding targets.

Contributions in this Special Issue of Plants will analyze patterns of specific stress responses of individual plant species in detail. We will see the extent to which these responses are common to all plants, and how these responses contribute to a new physiological equilibrium under stress.

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Huchzermeyer
Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Koyro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Seed germination under abiotic stress
Priming for stress tolerance
Identification of stress tolerance QTL
Low water potential stress
Salinity stress
High light stress
Cold stress
Heat stress
Responsiveness of flowering time to abiotic stress
Stress perception and signaling
Redox response to stress
Stress effects on crop yield
Stress tolerance in a changing world
Stress tolerance and food safety
Applying stress-tolerant plants in bioremediation
Stress-induced antioxidant production
Seed ripening under stress

Related Special Issue

Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress II in Plants (1 article)

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Research

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18 pages, 2008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Drought and Heat Stress on Mineral Content, Antioxidant Activity and Bioactive Compound Accumulation in Four African Amaranthus Species

by Mmbulaheni Happiness Netshimbupfe, Jacques Berner, Frank Van Der Kooy, Olakunle Oladimeji and Chrisna Gouws

Plants 2023, 12(4), 953; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040953 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1507

Abstract

Drought and heat stress is known to influence the accumulation of mineral content, antioxidant activity, phenolics, flavonoids and other bioactive compounds in many tolerant leafy vegetables. Amaranthus plants can tolerate adverse weather conditions, especially drought and heat. Therefore, evaluating the influence of drought and heat stress on commercially and medically important crop species like Amaranthus is important to grow the crop for optimal nutritional and medicinal properties. This study investigated the influence of drought and heat stress and a combination of both on the accumulation of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and the antioxidant capacity of African Amaranthus caudatus, A. hypochondriacus, A. cruentus and A. spinosus. Phenolic and flavonoid compounds were extracted with methanol and aqueous solvents and were quantified using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Caffeic acid was the main phenolic compound identified in aqueous extracts of A. caudatus and A. hypochondriacus. Rutin was the most abundant flavonoid compound in all the Amaranthus species tested, with the highest concentration found in A. caudatus. The results suggest a strong positive, but species and compound-specific effect of drought and heat stress on bioactive compounds accumulation. We concluded that heat stress at 40 °C under well-watered conditions and combined drought and heat stress (at 30 °C and 35 °C) appeared to induce the accumulation of caffeic acid and rutin. Hence, cultivation of these species in semi-arid and arid areas is feasible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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17 pages, 2035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nocturnal Transpiration May Be Associated with Foliar Nutrient Uptake

by Clara Vega, Chia-Ju Ellen Chi, Victoria Fernández and Juergen Burkhardt

Plants 2023, 12(3), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030531 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2140

Abstract

Aerosols can contribute to plant nutrition via foliar uptake. The conditions for this are best at night because the humidity is high and hygroscopic, saline deposits can deliquesce as a result. Still, stomata tend to be closed at night to avoid unproductive water loss. However, if needed, nutrients are on the leaf surface, and plants could benefit from nocturnal stomatal opening because it further increases humidity in the leaf boundary layer and allows for stomatal nutrient uptake. We tested this hypothesis on P-deficient soil by comparing the influence of ambient aerosols and additional foliar P application on nocturnal transpiration. We measured various related leaf parameters, such as the foliar water loss, minimum leaf conductance (g_min), turgor loss point, carbon isotope ratio, contact angle, specific leaf area (SLA), tissue element concentration, and stomatal and cuticular characteristics. For untreated leaves grown in filtered, aerosol-free air (FA), nocturnal transpiration consistently decreased overnight, which was not observed for leaves grown in unfiltered ambient air (AA). Foliar application of a soluble P salt increased nocturnal transpiration for AA and FA leaves. Crusts on stomatal rims were shown by scanning electron microscopy, supporting the idea of stomatal uptake of deliquescent salts. Turgor loss point and leaf moisture content indicated a higher accumulation of solutes, due to foliar uptake by AA plants than FA plants. The hypothesis that deliquescent leaf surface salts may play a role in triggering nocturnal transpiration was supported by the results. Still, further experiments are required to characterize this phenomenon better. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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23 pages, 4797 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Recurrent Salt and Drought Stress Treatments on the Endangered Halophyte Limonium angustebracteatum Erben

by Roberta Calone, Diana-Maria Mircea, Sara González-Orenga, Monica Boscaiu, Javier Zuzunaga-Rosas, Lorenzo Barbanti and Oscar Vicente

Plants 2023, 12(1), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010191 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2591

Abstract

Limonium angustebracteatum is an endemic halophyte from the Spanish Mediterranean coastal salt marshes. To investigate this species’ ability to cope with recurrent drought and salt stress, one-year-old plants were subjected to two salt stress treatments (watering with 0.5 and 1 M NaCl solutions), one water stress treatment (complete irrigation withholding), or watered with non-saline water for the control, across three phases: first stress (30 days), recovery from both stresses (15 days), and second stress (15 days). Growth and biochemical parameters were determined after each period. The plants showed high salt tolerance but were sensitive to water deficit, as shown by the decrease in leaf fresh weight and water content, root water content, and photosynthetic pigments levels in response to the first water stress; then, they were restored to the respective control values upon recovery. Salt tolerance was partly based on the accumulation of Na⁺, Cl⁻ and Ca²⁺ in the roots and predominantly in the leaves; ion levels also decreased to control values during recovery. Organic osmolytes (proline and total soluble sugars), oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde and H₂O₂), and antioxidant compounds (total phenolic compounds and flavonoids) increased by various degrees under the first salt and water stress treatments, and declined after recovery. The analysed variables increased again, but generally to a lesser extent, during the second stress phase, suggesting the occurrence of stress acclimation acquired by the activation of defence mechanisms during the first stress period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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9 pages, 2151 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Effects of Chilling Treatment on Baicalin, Baicalein, and Wogonin Biosynthesis in Scutellaria baicalensis Plantlets

by Hyeon Ji Yeo, Chang Ha Park, Jae Kwang Kim, Ramaraj Sathasivam, Jae Cheol Jeong, Cha Young Kim and Sang Un Park

Plants 2022, 11(21), 2958; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212958 - 02 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1386

Abstract

When plants are exposed to stressful conditions, they modulate their nutrient balance by regulating their primary and secondary metabolisms to adapt. In this study, changes in primary and secondary metabolites elicited by chilling stress treatment and the effects of treatment duration were examined in roots of Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis) plantlets. The concentrations of most sugars (maltose, glucose, sucrose, and fructose) and of several amino acids (proline and GABA), which are crucial regarding plant defense mechanisms, increased with increasing duration of chilling stress. Furthermore, salicylic acid levels increased after two-day chilling treatments, which may enhance plant tolerance to cold temperatures. The concentrations of flavones (baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin) increased during chilling stress, and those of phenolic acids (ferulic acid and sinapic acid) increased after two-day chilling treatments. The concentrations of these flavones were positively correlated with sucrose levels which acted as energy sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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18 pages, 17852 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of OsBadh2 Mutations on Salt Stress Response in Rice

by Zakaria H. Prodhan, Shah A. Islam, Mohammad S. Alam, Shan Li, Meng Jiang, Yuanyuan Tan and Qingyao Shu

Plants 2022, 11(21), 2829; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212829 - 24 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1729

Abstract

Mutations in the Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (OsBadh2) gene resulted in aroma, which is a highly preferred grain quality attribute in rice. However, research on naturally occurring aromatic rice has revealed ambiguity and controversy regarding aroma emission, stress tolerance, and response to salinity. In this study, mutant lines of two non-aromatic varieties, Huaidao#5 (WT_HD) and Jiahua#1 (WT_JH), were generated by targeted mutagenesis of OsBadh2 using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The mutant lines of both varieties became aromatic; however, WT_HD mutants exhibited an improved tolerance, while those of WT_JH showed a reduced tolerance to salt stress. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism leading to the opposite effects, comparative analyses of the physiological activities and expressions of aroma- and salinity-related genes were investigated. The WT_HD mutants had a lower mean increment rate of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutamate, and proline content, with a higher mean increment rate of γ-aminobutyric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and catalase than the WT_JH mutants. Fluctuations were also detected in the salinity-related gene expression. Thus, the response mechanism of OsBadh2 mutants is complicated where the genetic makeup of the rice variety and interactions of several genes are involved, which requires more in-depth research to explore the possibility of producing highly tolerant aromatic rice genotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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19 pages, 6983 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Photosynthetic Apparatus of Hydrocharis morsus-ranae in Different Solar Lighting

by Elizabeth Kordyum, Oleksandr Polishchuk, Yuri Akimov and Vasyl Brykov

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2658; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192658 - 10 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1368

Abstract

Hydrocharis morsus-ranae is a free-floating species growing in lakes and slow-flowing rivers near the shore in Europe and Western Asia, and as an invasive plant in the USA and Canada. Light-requiring plants of this species can also grow in the shade, up to about 30% of full sunlight. In this paper we present the data about the photosynthetic apparatus of sunny and shady H. morsus-ranae plants grown in the sun and in the shade in nature. Methods of light and transmission electron microscopy, biochemistry, chlorophyll fluorescence induction as well as the principal component analysis were used. It was found that leaves of plants growing in shade differed from those in the sun with such traits as thickness of a blade, palisade and spongy parenchyma, ultrastructure of chloroplasts, and quantum efficiency of photosynthetic electron transport, the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids, anthocyanins and phenilpropanoids. By these traits, H. morsus-ranae shady plants are similar with shade-bearing plants that indicates their adaptation to light intensity lowering. The ordination plots (PCA) suggested a clear structural and functional shift of plants growing in different lighting showing relationship to light changes in the natural environment. Thus, our results displayed the high phenotypic plasticity of the H. morsus-ranae photosynthetic apparatus, which ensures its acclimation to changing light environment and wide distribution of this species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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16 pages, 2395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parallel Differentiation and Plastic Adjustment of Leaf Anatomy in Alpine Arabidopsis arenosa Ecotypes

by Clara Bertel, Dominik Kaplenig, Maria Ralser, Erwann Arc, Filip Kolář, Guillaume Wos, Karl Hülber, Andreas Holzinger, Ilse Kranner and Gilbert Neuner

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192626 - 06 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1507

Abstract

Functional and structural adjustments of plants in response to environmental factors, including those occurring in alpine habitats, can result in transient acclimation, plastic phenotypic adjustments and/or heritable adaptation. To unravel repeatedly selected traits with potential adaptive advantage, we studied parallel (ecotypic) and non-parallel (regional) differentiation in leaf traits in alpine and foothill ecotypes of Arabidopsis arenosa. Leaves of plants from eight alpine and eight foothill populations, representing three independent alpine colonization events in different mountain ranges, were investigated by microscopy techniques after reciprocal transplantation. Most traits clearly differed between the foothill and the alpine ecotype, with plastic adjustments to the local environment. In alpine populations, leaves were thicker, with altered proportions of palisade and spongy parenchyma, and had fewer trichomes, and chloroplasts contained large starch grains with less stacked grana thylakoids compared to foothill populations. Geographical origin had no impact on most traits except for trichome and stomatal density on abaxial leaf surfaces. The strong parallel, heritable ecotypic differentiation in various leaf traits and the absence of regional effects suggests that most of the observed leaf traits are adaptive. These trait shifts may reflect general trends in the adaptation of leaf anatomy associated with the colonization of alpine habitats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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23 pages, 2633 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Biochar Application at Water Shortage on Biochemical and Physiological Processes in Medicago ciliaris

by Jihed Gharred, Walid Derbali, Imed Derbali, Mounawer Badri, Chedly Abdelly, Inès Slama and Hans-Werner Koyro

Plants 2022, 11(18), 2411; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11182411 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1717

Abstract

The application of biochar is mostly used to improve soil fertility, water retention capacity and nutrient uptake. The present study was conducted in order to study the impact of biochar at water deficiency conditions on the physiological and biochemical processes of Medicago ciliaris seedlings. Seedlings were cultivated under greenhouse conditions in pots filled with a mixture of soil and sand mixed in the presence or absence of 2% biochar. Plants of uniform size were subjected after a pretreatment phase (72 days) either to low (36% water holding capacity, water potential low) or high soil water potential (60% water holding capacity, water potential high). Pots were weighed every day to control and maintain a stable water holding capacity. In Medicago ciliaris, drought led to a significant reduction in plant growth and an increase in the root/shoot ratio. The growth response was accompanied by a decreased stomatal conductance and a reduction of the net CO₂ assimilation rate and water use efficiency. The associated higher risk of ROS production was indicated by a high level of lipid peroxidation, high antioxidant activities and high proline accumulation. Soil amendment with biochar enhanced the growth significantly and supported the photosynthetic apparatus of Medicago ciliaris species by boosting chlorophyll content and A_net both under well and insufficient watered plants and water use efficiency in case of water shortage. This increase of water use efficiency was correlated with the biochar-mediated decrease of the MDA and proline contents in the leaves buffering the impact of drought on photosynthetic apparatus by increasing the activity of enzymatic antioxidants SOD, APX, GPOX and GR and non-enzymatic antioxidants, such as AsA and DHAsA, giving the overall picture of a moderate stress response. These results confirmed the hypothesis that biochar application significantly reduces both the degree of stress and the negative impact of oxidative stress on Medicago ciliaris plants. These results implied that this species could be suitable as a cash pasture plant in the development of agriculture on dry wasteland in a future world of water shortages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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18 pages, 2980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioaugmentation Improves Phytoprotection in Halimione portulacoides Exposed to Mild Salt Stress: Perspectives for Salinity Tolerance Improvement

by João Carreiras, Isabel Caçador and Bernardo Duarte

Plants 2022, 11(8), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11081055 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1813

Abstract

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can promote plant growth through mechanisms such as mineral phosphates solubilization, biological N₂ fixation and siderophores and phytohormones production. The present work aims to evaluate the physiological fitness improvement by PGPR in Halimione portulacoides under mild and severe salt stress. PGPR-inoculated plants showed improved energy use efficiencies, namely in terms of the trapped and electron transport energy fluxes, and reduced energy dissipation. Allied to this, under mild stress, inoculated plants exhibited a significant reduction of the Na and Cl root concentrations, accompanied by a significant increase in K and Ca leaf content. This ion profile reshaping was intrinsically connected with an increased leaf proline content in inoculated plants. Moreover, bioaugmented plants showed an increased photoprotection ability, through lutein and zeaxanthin leaf concentration increase, allowing plants to cope with potentially photoinhibition conditions. Reduced Na leaf uptake in inoculated plants, apparently reduced the oxidative stress degree as observed by the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity reduction. Additionally, a reduced lipid peroxidation degree was observed in inoculated plants, while compared to their non-inoculated counterparts. These results, point out an important role of bioaugmentation in promoting plant fitness and improving salt tolerance, with a great potential for applications in biosaline agriculture and salinized soil restoration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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Review

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33 pages, 8321 KiB

Open AccessReview

From Soil Amendments to Controlling Autophagy: Supporting Plant Metabolism under Conditions of Water Shortage and Salinity

by Hans-Werner Koyro and Bernhard Huchzermeyer

Plants 2022, 11(13), 1654; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11131654 - 22 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2982

Abstract

Crop resistance to environmental stress is a major issue. The globally increasing land degradation and desertification enhance the demand on management practices to balance both food and environmental objectives, including strategies that tighten nutrient cycles and maintain yields. Agriculture needs to provide, among other things, future additional ecosystem services, such as water quantity and quality, runoff control, soil fertility maintenance, carbon storage, climate regulation, and biodiversity. Numerous research projects have focused on the food–soil–climate nexus, and results were summarized in several reviews during the last decades. Based on this impressive piece of information, we have selected only a few aspects with the intention of studying plant–soil interactions and methods for optimization. In the short term, the use of soil amendments is currently attracting great interest to cover the current demand in agriculture. We will discuss the impact of biochar at water shortage, and plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) at improving nutrient supply to plants. In this review, our focus is on the interplay of both soil amendments on primary reactions of photosynthesis, plant growth conditions, and signaling during adaptation to environmental stress. Moreover, we aim at providing a general overview of how dehydration and salinity affect signaling in cells. With the use of the example of abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene, we discuss the effects that can be observed when biochar and PGPB are used in the presence of stress. The stress response of plants is a multifactorial trait. Nevertheless, we will show that plants follow a general concept to adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions in the short and long term. However, plant species differ in the upper and lower regulatory limits of gene expression. Therefore, the presented data may help in the identification of traits for future breeding of stress-resistant crops. One target for breeding could be the removal and efficient recycling of damaged as well as needless compounds and structures. Furthermore, in this context, we will show that autophagy can be a useful goal of breeding measures, since the recycling of building blocks helps the cells to overcome a period of imbalanced substrate supply during stress adjustment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Ecophysiological Adaptation to Environmental Stress)

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