Research interest into the exposure of plants to magnetic fields (MF), including electromagnetic fields (EMF), has increased recently but results often vary depending on factors such as plant species and treatment dose. In this study, we exposed young (one year) and old (four years) field bean (Vicia faba L. (partim)) seeds to EMF (50 Hz, 7 mT) and observed seed germination and seedling growth under different conditions (growth media and light). The results indicated a stimulation by EMF of germination and early root growth of Petri dish-sown old seeds in continuous darkness and inhibition of germination of the pot-sown young seeds under long-day conditions. Root growth of two-week-old seedlings from pot-sown young seeds was stimulated by EMF treatment while their stem growth was inhibited. Some selected biochemical traits were examined, showing specific changes in membrane integrity, amylase activity, H₂O₂ levels, photosynthetic pigments, and content of the main groups of phytohormones, depending on seed age. The results indicate that priming of field bean seeds with EMF (50 Hz, 7 mT) could be a eustress factor that influences germination, early growth, and cellular activities and could positively influence the ability of field bean plants to grow and develop in more stressful conditions at later stages. Full article

The high salinity of soil salts limits plant growth. Wheat is sensitive to toxic levels of mineral salts. Salinity leads to the accumulation of toxic ions in all organs of wheat. Depending on the level of ion accumulation, wheat is defined as salt stress-tolerant or -sensitive. The wheat variety Zolotaya accumulated Cl⁻ and Na⁺ ions to a greater extent than the Orenburgskaya 22 variety. The accumulation of toxic ions was accompanied by an increase in ROS and an increase in damage to root tissues up to 80% in the Zolotaya variety. The formation of autophagosomes is considered a defense mechanism against abiotic stresses in plants. At a concentration of 150 mM NaCl, an increase in the expression level of TOR, which is a negative regulator of the formation of autophagosomes, occurred. The level of TOR expression in the Zolotaya variety was 2.8 times higher in the roots and 3.8 times higher in the leaves than in the Orenburgskaya 22 variety. Under the action of salinity, homeostasis was disturbed in the root cells and ROS production accumulated. In the unstable variety Zolotaya, ROS was found in the cap zone and the root meristem in contrast to the resistant variety Orenburgskaya 22 in which ROS production was found only in the cap zone. Accumulation of ROS production triggered autophagy and PCD. PCD markers revealed DNA breaks in the nuclei and metaphase chromosomes, cells with a surface location of phosphatidylserine, and the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, which indicates a mitochondrial pathway for the death of part of the root cells during salinity. Based on electron microscopy data, mitophagy induction was revealed in wheat root and leaf cells under saline conditions. Full article

Environmental conditions affect many plant traits such as biochemistry, physiology, morphology, and even their distribution around the world. Human activities have increased greenhouse gas emissions, which will promote a global rise in temperatures. The impact of climate change on natural vegetation and crops is difficult to predict, making it necessary to conduct experiments that mimic potential future climate conditions. Here, oilseed rape has been grown under environmental conditions that reproduce severe and intermediate climate change, setting the current climatic conditions as a control, with the main objective of evaluating the impact of climate change on the health status of this plant of agronomic interest. For such a purpose, two approaches (invasive and non-invasive) have been applied. Invasive quantitative measurements are based on the absorbance of biochemical compounds. Non-invasive methods such as thermal, multicolor fluorescence, and hyperspectral reflectance imaging sensors rely on the spectral properties of the plants. The results revealed that climate change induced lipid peroxidation, as well as alterations in pigment composition, transpiration, photosynthesis, and secondary plant metabolism. Those changes were more drastic the more severe the climatic condition imposed. Novel vegetation indices obtained from hyperspectral reflectance and specifically tailored to detect stress in brassicas correlated with physiological traits such as lipid peroxidation and secondary plant metabolism. Full article

This work studied the sensitivity of the postharvest period of early maturing nectarine trees (Prunus persica L. Batsch, cv. Flariba) to water stresses. Along with a well-irrigated treatment (T-0), three water deficit treatments (by withholding irrigation) were applied: T-1: early postharvest (June–July), T-2: late postharvest (August–September), and T-3: the whole postharvest period (June–September). Soil water content (θ_v) and midday stem water potential (Ψ_stem) were measured throughout the study. During winter dormancy, L-arginine, starch, and phosphorus content in the roots were analyzed. Yield, fruit quality, and metabolites were determined at harvest. Ψ_stem reached −1.7 and −2.3 MPa at the end of the early and late postharvest periods, respectively. Total yield and number of fruits per tree were significantly reduced in all deficit treatments with respect to T-0, while no significant differences were observed in physicochemical fruit quality. The T-2 treatment showed the highest percentage of cracked fruits. Significantly, lower values of L-arginine and phosphorus were observed in the roots of T-2 trees, with respect to T-0, while they were similar in T-1 trees. Although the early postharvest stage is key for the application of RDI strategies, our results indicated that the late postharvest period was also a sensitive period to severe drought, as the accumulation of winter root reserves (L-arginine and phosphorus) was reduced, which limited yield. Full article

Momilactones A (MA) and B (MB) are known as phytoalexins which principally play a role in the rice defense system against pathogens. This is the first study revealing that MA and MB contribute to rice tolerance to environmental stresses, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation and chilling conditions. The proofs were achieved by scrutinizing the responses of rice under stresses through the expression of relevant biosynthetic genes to momilactones (MRBG) and phenolics (PRBG) and their accumulation. Accordingly, the expression tendency of PRBG was in line with that of MRBGs, which increased under UV irradiation but decreased under chilling conditions. In UV-exposed rice, the proliferation of MA and MB strongly correlated to that of salicylic and chlorogenic acids, esculetin, rutin, and fisetin. In terms of increasing chilling duration, the biosynthetic propensity of MB was consistent with that of benzoic, cinnamic, ρ-coumaric, salicylic, and syringic acids, quercetin, and tricin while the syntheses of MA and other compounds were reduced. The concomitant biosyntheses of momilactones with these acknowledged stress-resistant phenolics imply that momilactones might play a role as signaling molecules in the response mechanism of rice to UV and chilling stresses. Further comprehensive studies should be conducted to validate this paradigmatic finding. Full article

Salicylic acid (SA) plays an important role in regulating salt stress tolerance in plants. However, there are no studies on the effect of exogenous SA on Saponaria officinalis under salt stress. To study the effectiveness of SA on mitigating salt stress, S. officinalis were used in a pot experiment of salt stress simulated with an NaCl solution (100, 200, and 300 mmol L⁻¹), while an SA solution (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 mmol L⁻¹) was sprayed on leaves. Under salt stress, spraying SA caused an increase in the salt damage index, electrolyte leakage, and a reduction in malondialdehyde and Na⁺ content, but an increase in the rate of photosynthesis, chlorophyll, soluble sugar, soluble protein, free proline, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ content, the K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase activity, and the comprehensive score. The results show that SA improves the salt tolerance capacity of S. officinalis by modulating its photosynthetic rate, osmoprotectants, antioxidant levels, and ion homeostasis. However, the effectiveness of SA was not linearly related to its concentration. In summary, our findings reveal the protective roles of SA against salinity in S. officinalis and suggest that the use of 0.6 mmol L⁻¹ of SA in salt stress conditions could be an effective approach to reduce the damage caused by saline soil in S. officinalis. Full article

As a medicinal and edible plant, basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn. var. pilosum (Willd.) Benth.) has rich nutrition and significant economic value. The increase in heat stress caused by global warming adversely affects the growth and yield of plants. However, the response mechanism of basil to heat stress is poorly understood. This work investigated the changes in phenotype, metabolome, and transcriptome in basil under heat stress. The results showed that heat stress triggered severe oxidative damage and photosynthesis inhibition in basil. Metabonomic analysis showed that, compared to the control group, 29 significantly differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified after 1 d of heat treatment, and 37 DAMs after the treatment of 3 d. The DAMs were significantly enriched by several pathways such as glycolysis or gluconeogenesis; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. In addition, transcriptomic analysis revealed that 15,066 and 15,445 genes were differentially expressed after 1 d and 3 d of heat treatment, respectively. Among them, 11,183 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were common response genes under 1 d and 3 d heat treatment, including 5437 down-regulated DEGs and 6746 up-regulated DEGs. All DEGs were significantly enriched in various KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways, most dominated by glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, followed by starch and sucrose metabolism, and by the biosynthesis and metabolism of other secondary metabolites. Overall, all the above results provided some valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of basil in response to heat stress. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the combination of two ethylene removal methods and temperature on the post-harvest quality of peaches. For this purpose, filters with potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) and lamps emitting ultraviolet light (UV) were mounted on machines which enabled air movement in the conservation chambers, facilitating the removal of ethylene by KMnO₄ and photocatalysis simultaneously. This system was used at two temperatures, 1 °C and 25 °C, simulating an ideal storage temperature in industry and extreme temperature to observe faster ripening, respectively. The results obtained showed that this combination of ethylene scavengers favoured the efficient elimination of this gas. Consequently, the use of this innovative technique made possible a better preservation of fruit firmness, colour, soluble solids content, pH, total acidity, and maturity index. Moreover, using this method in peaches subjected to 25 °C increased their survival by seven days more than those without this system, indicating the effectiveness of ethylene scavengers even under these extreme temperatures. Full article

Many plant producers tend to overwater crops to prevent water stress and salt-induced damage. These practices waste irrigation water and cause leaching that harms the environment and increases production costs. In order to optimize water consumption and minimize the environmental impact of plant production, this study aimed to determine the physiological and morphological responses of Hebe andersonii to three substrate volumetric water contents (49%, 39%, and 32%). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with an irrigation protocol that consisted of adding small volumes of water to avoid leaching while monitoring substrate moisture with dielectric soil sensors. The results showed that moderately low substrate moisture improved the water-use efficiency, while growth was significantly reduced under more severe water deficit conditions (but without leaf chlorosis or abscission). The photosynthetic activity of Hebe was primarily controlled by the stomatal aperture, which was co-determined by the substrate moisture and seasonal temperature. Hebe leaves promoted non-photochemical quenching when carbon assimilation was limited by a water deficit, and accumulated solutes through an osmotic adjustment process (especially Cl⁻, Na⁺, and K⁺) to maintain their water status. Overall, Hebe andersoni cv. Variegata could successfully grow and improve its water-use efficiency in low substrate moisture and under a non-draining irrigation regime. Full article

In the current scenario of human-driven climate change, extreme weather events will likely affect agricultural production worldwide. Soilless production systems have recently arisen as a solution to optimize the use of natural resources, such as water and soil, and hence will contribute to reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. However, nutritional imbalance due to adverse environmental factors, such as drought, high temperatures, and salinity, might produce calcium-related physiological disorders during plant growth, such as blossom-end rot (BER) in fruits and tipburn (TB) in leaves, which are a serious problem in crop production. Here, we discuss the different agronomic, physiological, and genetic factors that favor the induction of BER in tomato and TB in lettuce and anticipate the use of an integration of breeding and technological approaches to alleviate nutritional disorders in soilless production systems. Full article

The maintenance of seed quality during the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources is crucial for averting the projected food crises that are linked to the changing climate and rising world population. However, ageing-induced loss of seed vigour and viability during storage remains an inevitable process that compromises productivity in several orthodox-seeded crop species. Seed ageing under prolonged storage, which can occur even under optimal conditions, induces several modifications capable of causing loss of intrinsic physiological quality traits, including germination capacity and vigour, and stand establishment. The problems posed by seed ageing have motivated the development of various techniques for mitigating their detrimental effects. These invigoration techniques generally fall within one of two categories: (1) priming or pre-hydrating seeds in a solution for improved post-harvest performance, or (2) post-storage reinvigoration which often involves soaking seeds recovered from storage in a solution. Seed priming methods are generally divided into classical (hydropriming, osmopriming, redox priming, biostimulant priming, etc.) and advanced (nanopriming, magnetopriming and priming using other physical agents) techniques. With the increasing popularity of seed invigoration techniques to achieve the much-desired enhanced productivity and resilience in the face of a changing climate, there is an urgent need to explore these techniques effectively (in addition to other important practices such as plant breeding, fertilizer application, and the control of pests and diseases). This review aims to provide an overview of ageing in orthodox seeds and invigoration techniques that can enhance desirable agronomic and physiological characters. Full article

Melia azedarach Linn. is a deciduous tree of the Melia genus in the Meliaceae family that is native to China. To study the mechanism of drought resistance in Melia azedarach and evaluate the drought resistance capacity of each provenance, we selected eight provenances (Shandong Kenli, Jiangsu Pizhou, Hubei Shayang, Jiangsu Xuanwu, Jiangxi Xihu, Jiangsu Jurong, Guangdong Luogang, and Henan Shihe) as the research subjects and set four levels of drought stress treatment (CK: 75% of field capacity, mild drought: 60% of field capacity, moderate drought: 45% of field capacity, and severe drought: 30% of field capacity). The results showed that the growth in the seedling height and the ground diameter, the leaf relative water content, transpiration rate (Tr), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and the content of chlorophyll (Chl) decreased with the increasing stress levels, while the root–shoot ratio, water saturation deficit, and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) increased. The SOD in most provenances initially increased and then decreased, reaching a peak during moderate drought. At the late stage of treatment, the magnitude of the changes in the photosynthetic indicators was more pronounced than in the physiological indicators. Principal component analysis showed that the contribution of all four principal components under the three drought stresses was above 85%, which represented the majority of the original data. Combined with the affiliation function method and weights, the comprehensive evaluation value (D value) of the drought resistance was calculated for the eight provenances. Then, we obtained the order of drought resistance of the test materials under the three drought stresses, respectively. The combined results revealed that the drought resistance of Henan Shihe and Jiangxi Xihu was stronger, while the drought resistance of Guangdong Luogang and Hubei Shayang was weaker. Based on the above findings, we can select provenances with strong and weak drought resistance for transcriptome sequencing to screen drought-resistant genes for an in-depth study at the molecular level. Full article