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Phytohormone-like plant growth regulators are becoming hallmarks in plant stress biology since they can offer incredible benefits to plants, such as increased crop output, improved growth features and stress tolerance. Among them polyamines (PAs) such as putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), are recognized as important bio-stimulants that can boost plant growth, productivity, and stress tolerance, whether provided exogenously or synthesized endogenously by genetically engineered plants. However, the precise mechanism by which they regulate plant development and stress responses and their interactions with other signaling molecules remains unknown. Hence, unravelling the molecular complexity of PAs signaling in plants can help us to improve crop stress resistance and yield. This review focuses on the distribution, biosynthesis, and role of PAs in plant growth and development, abiotic stress tolerance, and the involvement of a possible novel interlinked signaling cascade between them. Further, we focused on our current understanding and knowledge gaps of how PAs interact with other signaling molecules like hormones and nitric oxide (NO) to regulate plant growth and stress tolerance in a coordinated manner. We also provide an overview of PA signaling in plants, focusing on calcium (Ca 2+ ) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) under abiotic stress, and some key insights into omics and nanotechnology approach for future research.

Silicon (Si) is considered a non-essential element similar to cadmium, arsenic, lead, etc., for plants, yet Si is beneficial to plant growth, so it is also referred to as a quasi-essential element (similar to aluminum, cobalt, sodium and selenium). An element is considered quasi-essential if it is not required by plants but its absence results in significant negative consequences or anomalies in plant growth, reproduction and development. Si is reported to reduce the negative impacts of different stresses in plants. The significant accumulation of Si on the plant tissue surface is primarily responsible for these positive influences in plants, such as increasing antioxidant activity while reducing soil pollutant absorption. Because of these advantageous properties, the application of Si-based nanoparticles (Si-NPs) in agricultural and food production has received a great deal of interest. Furthermore, conventional Si fertilizers are reported to have low bioavailability; therefore, the development and implementation of nano-Si fertilizers with high bioavailability could be crucial for viable agricultural production. Thus, in this context, the objectives of this review are to summarize the effects of both Si and Si-NPs on soil microbes, soil properties, plant growth and various plant pathogens and diseases. Si-NPs and Si are reported to change the microbial colonies and biomass, could influence rhizospheric microbes and biomass content and are able to improve soil fertility.

Drought stress profoundly impacts agricultural productivity, significantly reducing crop yields and global food insecurity. Consequently, improving crops to develop resistance against drought stress is imperative. To combat the adverse impact of climate change on crop productivity, designing the root system architecture (RSA) of crops can be a viable option. RSA is essential for crop adaptation and productivity because most soils have different resource distributions making the spatial root distribution a crucial factor for judicious resource exploitation. RSA involves several structural features like root length, branching angle, and thickness which play key roles in developing crops with desirable roots. Legumes are protein-rich foods and the diverse number of cultivated species makes them one of the most widespread crops. However, legumes are greatly affected by various abiotic stresses like drought and mineral stress. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the environmentally adaptive root development to improve agronomic traits in legumes by employing the OMICS approaches. Several abiotic stressors like drought stress demand proliferative and deep root systems, hence it is important to comprehend the response of RSA to stressors. Further, the genetic regulation (genomics) accompanied by other omics approaches aid in deciphering the biology behind RSA in legumes. The current appraisal may help in devising strategies to modulate legume RSA for efficient uptake of water and nutrients under drought stress.

Beneficial microbes or their products have been key drivers for improving adaptive and growth features in plants under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. However, the majority of these studies so far have been utilized against individual stressors. In comparison to individual stressors, the combination of many environmental stresses that plants experience has a greater detrimental effect on them and poses a threat to their existence. Therefore, there is a need to explore the beneficial microbiota against combined stressors or multiple stressors, as this will offer new possibilities for improving plant growth and multiple adaptive traits. However, recognition of the multifaceted core beneficial microbiota from plant microbiome under stress combinations will require a thorough understanding of the functional and mechanistic facets of plant microbiome interactions under different environmental conditions in addition to agronomic management practices. Also, the development of tailored beneficial multiple stress tolerant microbiota in sustainable agriculture necessitates new model systems and prioritizes agricultural microbiome research. In this review, we provided an update on the effect of combined stressors on plants and their microbiome structure. Next, we discussed the role of beneficial microbes in plant growth promotion and stress adaptation. We also discussed how plant-beneficial microbes can be utilized for mitigating multiple stresses in plants. Finally, we have highlighted some key points that warrant future investigation for exploring plant microbiome interactions under multiple stressors.

Climate change is an inevitable event that obstructs the output of aquaculture farms and culture-based fisheries in open waters. It poses a serious threat to global food security, altering biodiversity, ecosystems, and global fish output by displacing fish stocks from their natural habitats. When compared to freshwater aquaculture, marine/coastal aquaculture is more affected. To combat the effects of climate change, several mitigation methods and adaptations are being implemented, emphasizing future demands of affordable protein. Selective breeding, species diversification, and aquaculture systems like integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, aquaponics, and recirculating aquaculture system are some of the most widely accepted and adapted solutions. Further research on intervention in seed and feed in terms of quality improvement, bioresource utilization, and technological and genetic improvement is required. Climate change policies from the government are also essential. The present study differs from previous reviews by portraying the various abiotic stress factors contributing to the drastic climate change, encompassing adaptation strategies followed in distinct aquaculture sources such as freshwater, inland saline water, brackish water, coastal waters, and culture-based capture fisheries with its future implications.

Under the changing climate due to global warming, various abiotic stresses including drought (D) and salinity (S) are expected to further trigger their devastating effects on the already vulnerable crop production systems. This experiment was designed to unravel and quantify the potential role of exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) in mitigating both D and S stresses and their combination (D+S), with three replications using CRD (Completely Randomized Design). The obtained results of the current study demonstrated significant effects of all three types of stresses (D, S, and D+S) on various parameters in Brassica napus plants. Quantifying these parameters provides a more informative and precise understanding of the findings. Current results revealed that all three stress types (D, S, and D+S) resulted in a reduction in leaf area (13.65 to 21.87%), chlorophyll levels (30 to 50%), gaseous exchange rate (30 to 54%) and the concentration of mineral ions compared to non-stressed plants. However, application of SA helped in mitigating these stresses by ameliorating the negative effects of these stresses. Moreover, Malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, an indicator of lipid per-oxidation and oxidative stress, the levels of antioxidants, proline content, an osmolyte associated with stress tolerance, and sugar content in the leaves were elevated in response to all stress conditions. In addition, the ultra-structures within the leaves were negatively affected by the stresses, while an application of SA considerably minimized the deterioration of these structures thus providing protection to the brassica plants against the stresses. In a nutshell, the findings of this study suggest that SA application in S, D and S+ D stresses provides evasion to the plants by improving different physiological and growth indices. The application of Salicylic Acid (SA) mitigated the negative effects of the stresses on all the above parameters, reducing MDA contents (47%), antioxidants (11 to 20%), proline (28%), sugar contents (20.50%), and minimizing the deterioration of ultra-structures. The findings emphasize the potential mitigatory role of SA in mitigating D and S stresses and highlight the need for further research to understand the underlying mechanisms in detail and explore its practical application in farming practices.

Background Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are widely distributed in higher plants and play crucial roles in regulating plant growth and development processes and resisting abiotic stress. Cultivated tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) is an important vegetable crop worldwide; however, its growth, development, yield, and quality are currently severely constrained by abiotic stressors. In contrast, wild tomato species are more tolerant to abiotic stress and can grow normally in extreme environments. The main objective of this study was to identify, characterize, and perform gene expression analysis of LEA protein families from cultivated and wild tomato species to mine candidate genes and determine their potential role in abiotic stress tolerance in tomatoes. Results Total 60, 69, 65, and 60 LEA genes were identified in S. lycopersicum , Solanum pimpinellifolium , Solanum pennellii , and Solanum lycopersicoides , respectively. Characterization results showed that these genes could be divided into eight clusters, with the LEA_2 cluster having the most members. Most LEA genes had few introns and were non-randomly distributed on chromosomes; the promoter regions contained numerous cis -acting regulatory elements related to abiotic stress tolerance and phytohormone responses. Evolutionary analysis showed that LEA genes were highly conserved and that the segmental duplication event played an important role in evolution of the LEA gene family. Transcription and expression pattern analyses revealed different regulatory patterns of LEA genes between cultivated and wild tomato species under normal conditions. Certain S. lycopersicum LEA ( SlLEA ) genes showed similar expression patterns and played specific roles under different abiotic stress and phytohormone treatments. Gene ontology and protein interaction analyses showed that most LEA genes acted in response to abiotic stimuli and water deficit. Five SlLEA proteins were found to interact with 11 S. lycopersicum WRKY proteins involved in development or resistance to stress. Virus-induced gene silencing of SlLEA6 affected the antioxidant and reactive oxygen species defense systems, increased the degree of cellular damage, and reduced drought resistance in S. lycopersicum . Conclusion These findings provide comprehensive information on LEA proteins in cultivated and wild tomato species and their possible functions under different abiotic and phytohormone stresses. The study systematically broadens our current understanding of LEA proteins and candidate genes and provides a theoretical basis for future functional studies aimed at improving stress resistance in tomato.

The Zagros oak forests in Iran are facing a concerning decline due to prolonged and severe drought conditions over several decades, compounded by the simultaneous impact of temperature on oak populations. This study in oak woodlands of central Zagros forests in Lorestan province analyzed abiotic factors such as climate properties, topographic features, land use, and soil properties from 1958 to 2022. We found that higher elevation areas with steeper slopes and diverse topography show significant potential for enhancing oak tree resilience in the face of climate change. Additionally, traditional land use practices like livestock keeping and dryland farming contribute to a widespread decline in oak populations. Preserving forest biodiversity and ensuring ecological sustainability requires immediate attention. Implementing effective land-use management strategies, such as protecting and regulating human-forest interaction, and considering meteorological factors to address this issue is crucial. Collaborative efforts from stakeholders, policymakers, and local communities are essential to oppose destructive suburban sprawl and other developments. Sustainable forestry practices should be implemented to improve the living standards of local communities that rely on forests and traditional livestock keeping, offer forestry-related jobs, and ensure social security. Such efforts are necessary to promote conservation awareness and sustainable practices, safeguarding this unique and vital ecosystem for future generations.

Abstract Honey bees are the most important managed insect pollinators in the US and Canadian crop systems. However, the annual mortality of colonies in the past 15 years has been consistently higher than historical records. Because they are eusocial generalist pollinators and amenable to management, honey bees provide a unique opportunity to investigate a wide range of questions at molecular, organismal, and ecological scales. Here, the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) created 2 collections of articles featuring investigations on micro and macro aspects of honey bee health, sociobiology, and management showcasing new applied research from diverse groups studying honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the United States and Canada. Research presented in this special issue includes examinations of abiotic and biotic stressors of honey bees, and evaluations and introductions of various stress mitigation measures that may be valuable to both scientists and the beekeeping community. These investigations from throughout the United States and Canada showcase the wide breadth of current work done and point out areas that need further research.

Scytonemin, a potent UV sunscreen and antioxidant, can be exploited in pharmaceutical industries to develop new cosmeceuticals and medicines. This small hydrophobic alkaloid pigment can be exclusively synthesized in some ensheathed cyanobacteria in complex interplay of various stress factors. In this study, the capacity of marine cyanobacterium Leptolynbya mycodia in scytonemin synthesis under diverse stressful conditions was investigated in two-stage cultivations. The effects of nitrate deficiency as well as salinity and temperature were separately examined on scytonemin synthesis in 2nd stage of cultivations under P-regime (photosynthetically active radiation) and PU-regime (P-regime combined with ultraviolet radiation (UVR)). Nitrate deficiency (0.1-3 mM) alone could not induce scytonemin synthesis under P-regime, while it promoted synthesis induction under PU-regime without remarkable change in cell growth. Nitrate stress level of 0.5 mM showed synergistic effect on UV-induced cell synthesis response (> 25% increase compared to optimal-nitrate level). On the contrary, salt stress reinforced scytonemin synthesis in the absence of UVR. Combination of salt stress at moderate level (100–200 mM) and UVR resulted in a synergistic effect on scytonemin synthesis (~ 20%). Under various temperature treatment studies, synthesis was not induced under P-regime and higher scytonemin was obtained under PU-regime and heat shock as much as 10 degrees above the optimum temperature. Based on these findings, neither nitrate limitation nor temperature elevation alone induced scytonemin synthesis in L. mycodia while salinity can induce its synthesis pathway without involvement of UVR. However, scytonemin biosynthesis can be intensified under all examined abiotic stressors in conjunction with UVR.