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Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario
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Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 8305

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pradeep Kumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Integrated Farming System, ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342003, India
Interests: protected cultivation; rootstocks/ grafting; abiotic stress physiology; climate change; deficit irrigation; stress protectants; plant-water relation; sustainable horticulture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Leo Sabatino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Sciences (SAAF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: vegetable production; vegetable grafting; soilless cultivation; nutritional and nutraceutical vegetable fruit quality linked to cultivation conditions and practices; biofortification of leafy and fruiting vegetable crops, propagation of ornamental plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The impact of injudicious use of the natural resources or their overexploitation in the post-green revolution era has caused enormous degradation to land, water and the environment, as a consequence posing threat to the sustainable growth of agriculture, and particularly horticulture that requires adequate resources to produce high value produces. The limited availability of water and land resources and their degradation is coupled with rising threats of frequent and erratic weather phenomena in the face of global climate change rendering agriculture at greater risk, thus challenging the sustainable growth. On the other hand, soil, water, vegetation and production systems constitute the most important natural resources of any agro-ecosystem; and for sustainability of the production systems, they need to be in harmony with the environment. Efforts on developing climate resilient and climate smart technologies involving sustainable tools and techniques are being developed worldwide to either minimize the environmental adversities (protected cultivation or indoor production, farming systems including multi-layer or multiple cropping, organic/natural farming) or their adverse impact on crops (stress tolerant cultivars/ rootstocks, climate resilience and mitigation strategies, ) as well as sustainable crop management approaches (high and quality production with smart use of land, water and fertilizers, biofertilizers, biostimulants, etc.) for sustainable growth of horticultural crops are the major focus of this Special Issue.

Recent research and innovations envisaged to contribute to sustainable development in the frontier area of horticulture will be invited for the Special Issue. This issue covers original research and state-of the-art reviews on relevant themes and is not limited to only adoptive genotypes, system-based production, widely adopted or resilient rootstocks, innovative water and energy harvesting system, efficient water management, recycling of water and farm wastes in horticulture, AI application, fertigation, biofertilizers, biopesticides and biostimulants application, controlled environment production, development of nutraceuticals, biofortified and fusion products of horticultural crops.

Dr. Pradeep Kumar
Dr. Leo Sabatino
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

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants
  • plant propagation, tissue culture and hardening, growth chamber
  • soil–plant–water–environment relations
  • climate change/crop modelling in horticulture
  • sustainable horticulture management
  • irrigation/water management in horticulture
  • fertigation/nutrient management
  • adoptive genetic diversity/climate resilience cultivars
  • new crop, variety, rootstocks
  • protected cultivation and soilless culture
  • stress tolerance strategies and mechanisms
  • bio-stimulants, bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticides
  • phytoconstituents, nutraceuticals
  • soil/substrate amendments
  • organic or natural farming

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4194 KiB  
Article
Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria as Tools to Improve the Growth of Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) Plants in an Aquaponics System
by María Carmen Piñero, Jacinta Collado-González, Ginés Otálora, Josefa López-Marín and Francisco M. del Amor
Plants 2024, 13(5), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050595 - 22 Feb 2024
Viewed by 547
Abstract
The use of nitrogen as a fertilizer can be highly risky when used excessively, and it is therefore necessary to find novel techniques to reduce its use. Aquaponics reduces the use of synthetic fertilizers and water, and the leaching of nitrate into the [...] Read more.
The use of nitrogen as a fertilizer can be highly risky when used excessively, and it is therefore necessary to find novel techniques to reduce its use. Aquaponics reduces the use of synthetic fertilizers and water, and the leaching of nitrate into the environment. One way to avoid problems due to a reduction in nitrogen availability could be the use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). This study examines the effect of PGPR on kohlrabi plants grown with a traditional nutrient solution (100S), in combination with “fish water” (50F/50D), or with a supplement of synthetic fertilizers (50F/50D + S). Two formulations were used: T1 (Azospirillum brasilense and Pantoea dispersa) and T2 (Azotobacter salinestris). Irrigation with 50F/50D caused a reduction in several of the measured parameters. The combined application of 50F/50D with T1 attenuated the negative effects. T2 did not present significant effects on the parameters measured. The results obtained with 50F/50D + S hardly showed differences with the 100S. Thus, by irrigating with 50F/50D + S, we were able to maintain the yields while reducing fertilizer use and water. The combined use of T1 and 50F/50D was also positive; however, it would be necessary to continue adjusting the amount of nitrate supplied to maintain production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario)
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13 pages, 1883 KiB  
Article
Trichoderma atroviride Enhances Impatiens walleriana Hook. f Growth and Flowering in Different Growing Media
by Silvia Traversari, Mariateresa Cardarelli, Massimo Brambilla, Maurizio Cutini, Gianluca Burchi, Marco Fedrizzi, Daniele Massa, Alessandro Orlandini and Sonia Cacini
Plants 2024, 13(5), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050583 - 21 Feb 2024
Viewed by 639
Abstract
Trichoderma spp. are widely reported to regulate plant growth by improving nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and abiotic stress tolerance. However, their possible application for bedding plants is little explored, especially when comparing different growing media. Considering that coconut coir dust is finding broader application [...] Read more.
Trichoderma spp. are widely reported to regulate plant growth by improving nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and abiotic stress tolerance. However, their possible application for bedding plants is little explored, especially when comparing different growing media. Considering that coconut coir dust is finding broader application in the ornamental plants sector as a peat substitute, this work was aimed to test the combination of Trichoderma atroviride AT10 and coconut coir dust on Impatiens walleriana plants. Four treatments were tested as a mix of: (i) two growing media (70:30), peat:perlite or coconut coir dust:perlite; and (ii) the absence or presence of a T. atroviride treatment. At the end of the production cycle, the biomass and ornamental parameters, leaf pigments, nutrient content of the plant tissues, and Trichoderma abundance were assessed. The results revealed that T. atroviride can readily colonize coir, and the same positive effects of inoculum were found in plants grown on both substrates. The biostimulant effect of T. atroviride was observed as an increase in the aboveground biomass, number and weight of flowers, pigments and nutrient concentration, thereby improving the commercial quality of I. walleriana. Thus, T. atroviride has shown its potential in making bedding plant cultivation more sustainable and improving the yield and aesthetic parameters of plants grown on peat and coconut coir dust substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario)
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11 pages, 1270 KiB  
Article
Using Date Palm Waste as an Alternative for Rockwool: Sweet Pepper Performance under Both Soilless Culture Substrates
by Muein Qaryouti, Mohamed Osman, Abdulaziz Alharbi, Wim Voogt and Mohamed Ewis Abdelaziz
Plants 2024, 13(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010044 - 22 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 972
Abstract
The degradation of soil quality due to environmental conditions and improper management practices has caused a shrinkage in land areas suitable for crop cultivation. This necessitates a transition towards soilless culture systems, which offer desirable conditions for crop growth and development and increase [...] Read more.
The degradation of soil quality due to environmental conditions and improper management practices has caused a shrinkage in land areas suitable for crop cultivation. This necessitates a transition towards soilless culture systems, which offer desirable conditions for crop growth and development and increase resource use efficiency. One of the growth-limiting factors in soilless culture systems is the type of growing substrate. The use of more sustainable resources and environmentally friendly growing substrates is a challenge that affects the soilless culture industry. This work evaluates the efficacy of date palm waste (DPW) and rockwool as growing substrates for sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under greenhouse conditions. The plant height, stem diameter, average total leaf area, φPSII, and Fm′ of leaf fluorescence show significant increases when plants are grown in rockwool. No differences are found in terms of the total yield or the number of marketable fruits and fruit quality between the two substrates. However, the DPW substrate shows a significant decrease in the number of unmarketable fruits and number of Blossom End Rot (BER) fruits. Plants grown in both growing substrates consume equal water amounts for the optimal fruit production, while the water use efficiency of rockwool is better than that of DPW. Our results highlight DPW’s role in soilless production and as a key solution for resource-saving production systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario)
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20 pages, 5849 KiB  
Article
Harvesting Maturity Assessment of Newly Developed Citrus Hybrids (Citrus maxima Merr. × Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) for Optimum Juice Quality
by Narendra Singh, Radha Mohan Sharma, Anil Kumar Dubey, Om Prakash Awasthi, Ron Porat, Supradip Saha, Chellapilla Bharadwaj, Amitha Mithra Sevanthi, Amrender Kumar, Nimisha Sharma and Nir Carmi
Plants 2023, 12(23), 3978; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233978 - 26 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1236
Abstract
The assessment of the optimum harvesting stage is a prerequisite to evaluating the performance of new citrus genotypes. The intrinsic and extrinsic fruit quality traits of citrus fruits change throughout their developmental process; therefore, to ensure the highest quality, the fruit must be [...] Read more.
The assessment of the optimum harvesting stage is a prerequisite to evaluating the performance of new citrus genotypes. The intrinsic and extrinsic fruit quality traits of citrus fruits change throughout their developmental process; therefore, to ensure the highest quality, the fruit must be harvested at an appropriate stage of maturity. The biochemical changes in terms of total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, BrimA (Brix minus acidity), and ascorbic acid, in addition to the organoleptic acceptability of 16 new interspecific citrus hybrids, were evaluated in New Delhi (India) during the H1-H8 harvesting stage at 15-day intervals to standardize the optimum harvesting stage. The TA and ascorbic acid content were at a maximum level during the early harvesting stage and declined with time, reaching the minimum level in the last harvesting stage. The TSS, TSS/TA ratio, and BrimA values were found to have an increasing trend up to the last stage in most of the hybrids. The juice content shows an inclining trend during the initial harvesting observations, followed by stable juice content and then a decline. The BrimA was found to be a better predictor for consumer acceptability compared to the traditional maturity index TSS/TA ratio and, thus, harvesting maturity. Specific TSS, TA, and BrimA values, in addition to the juice percentage and ascorbic acid content, corresponding to the highest hedonic score, were judged as the optimum harvesting stage indicators for an individual hybrid genotype. Among the interspecific hybrids, SCSH-9-10/12, SCSH-11-15/12, and SCSH-17-19/13 were found to be superior, having better juice acceptability organoleptic scores (≥6.0) and higher juice content (≥40%). Principal component analysis based on fruit physico-chemical traits could be able to distinguish the optimum maturity stage in all of the citrus genotypes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario)
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14 pages, 512 KiB  
Article
How Does Climate Change Affect Tomato and Okra Production? Evidence from Nigeria
by Robert Ugochukwu Onyeneke, Fred Fosu Agyarko, Chinenye Judith Onyeneke, Emeka Emmanuel Osuji, Patience Afor Ibeneme and Iman Janghorban Esfahani
Plants 2023, 12(19), 3477; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193477 - 04 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1892
Abstract
This study examined the impacts of climate change on okra and tomato yields. Fertilizer consumption and credit to the crop sector were considered as covariates in the analysis. Time-series data, spanning a period of 40 years, were obtained from various sources. An autoregressive [...] Read more.
This study examined the impacts of climate change on okra and tomato yields. Fertilizer consumption and credit to the crop sector were considered as covariates in the analysis. Time-series data, spanning a period of 40 years, were obtained from various sources. An autoregressive distributed lag model was applied to analyze short- and long-term impacts of climate change and agricultural inputs on okra and tomato yields. Not all variables were stationary at levels (order zero), but they were all significant at first difference, indicating the presence of cointegration. The Bound’s test F-ratio was statistically significant and implied the presence of long- and short-term relationships among the variables studied. The mean temperatures had negative impacts on okra and tomato yields in both the short and long terms. Credit guaranteed to the crop sector had positive short- and long-term impacts on tomato yield; fertilizer consumption had a negative long-term impact on okra yield. Our study concludes that climate change, particularly rising temperature, impacts herbaceous fruit crop production in Nigeria. Therefore, we recommend that breeding and disseminating climate-smart tomato and okra varieties will help fruit crop farmers respond to rising temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario)
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Review

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13 pages, 1444 KiB  
Review
On the Path towards a “Greener” EU: A Mini Review on Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) as a Case Study
by Panteleimon Stavropoulos, Antonios Mavroeidis, George Papadopoulos, Ioannis Roussis, Dimitrios Bilalis and Ioanna Kakabouki
Plants 2023, 12(5), 1102; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051102 - 01 Mar 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2217
Abstract
Due to the pressures imposed by climate change, the European Union (EU) has been forced to design several initiatives (the Common Agricultural Policy, the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork) to tackle the climate crisis and ensure food security. Through these initiatives, the [...] Read more.
Due to the pressures imposed by climate change, the European Union (EU) has been forced to design several initiatives (the Common Agricultural Policy, the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork) to tackle the climate crisis and ensure food security. Through these initiatives, the EU aspires to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate crisis and achieve collective prosperity for humans, animals, and the environment. The adoption or promotion of crops that would facilitate the attaining of these objectives is naturally of high importance. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a multipurpose crop with many applications in the industrial, health, and agri-food sectors. This crop is mainly grown for its fibers or its seed and has recently gained increasing attention. The literature suggests that flax can be grown in several parts of the EU, and potentially has a relatively low environmental impact. The aim of the present review is to: (i) briefly present the uses, needs, and utility of this crop and, (ii) assess its potential within the EU by taking into account the sustainability goals the EU has set via its current policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Development of Horticulture in a Changing Climate Scenario)
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