Plant Stress最新文献

{"title":"The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize","authors":"Yanbing Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhihuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Senlin Xiao ,&nbsp;Yipu Li ,&nbsp;Suxiao Hao ,&nbsp;Fan Que ,&nbsp;Zhongjia Liu ,&nbsp;Liyu Shi ,&nbsp;Yingying Shi ,&nbsp;Zhaoheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Yang Xu ,&nbsp;Tonghui Li ,&nbsp;Yaxing Shi ,&nbsp;Chun Yin ,&nbsp;Wei Song ,&nbsp;Ronghuan Wang ,&nbsp;Weixiang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100893","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100893","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and low nitrogen negatively affect maize growth and development, leading to significant yield reductions. In previous studies, we successfully cloned the maize transcription factor gene <em>ZmCCT</em> and demonstrated its role in flowering regulation through the photocycle pathway. Additionally, we found that transposable element (TE) insertions in the <em>ZmCCT</em> promoter region reduce maize resistance to stem rot. However, although <em>ZmCCT</em> was cloned years ago, its key molecular mechanisms in response to biotic and abiotic stresses remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that <em>ZmCCT</em> plays important roles in salt and low-nitrogen stress tolerance in maize, using the Y331/Y331-ΔTE inbred line and 83B28<em>^H1^/H1/</em>83B28<em>^H5^/H5</em> haplotypes. Through DAB staining and H₂O₂ content analysis, we confirmed that Y331-ΔTE and 83B28<em>^H5/H5</em> exhibited less membrane system damage and greater stress tolerance following high-salt and low-nitrogen treatments. Under high salt and low nitrogen stress conditions, the Y331-ΔTE and 83B28<em>^H5^/H5</em> inbred lines demonstrated superior phenotypic performance compared to the Y331 and 83B28<em>^H1^/H1</em> lines. Furthermore, transgenic <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> overexpressing <em>ZmCCT</em> showed enhanced tolerance to salt and low nitrogen stress compared with wild-type plants. In addition, RNA-Seq analysis indicated that <em>ZmCCT</em> can directly activate these salt inducible genes of <em>ZmNADP, ZmPP2C, ZmbHLH55, ZmPIP1–1, ZmPIP2–4</em> and some low nitrogen involved genes of <em>ZmWRKY47, ZmMYB44, ZmMYB36, ZmPIN10</em> and <em>ZmbHLH83</em> when respond to high salt and low nitrogen tolerance. Taken together, our results have provided that <em>ZmCCT</em> functions as important roles in high salt and low nitrogen stress tolerance and further highlight that <em>ZmCCT</em> has multiple abiotic stress roles. These results indicate that <em>ZmCCT</em> may be a potential candidate to enhance plant salt and low nitrogen stresses in mazie molecular design breeding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100893"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144115874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oil-in-water nano-emulsions boost rice innate immune response against Pyricularia oryzae via the induction of salicylic acid-mediated pathway and the enhancement of antioxidant machinery","authors":"Zeinab A. Kalboush ,&nbsp;Yasser S.A. Mazrou ,&nbsp;Amr A. Hassan ,&nbsp;Osama Abd El Badeea ,&nbsp;Yasser Nehela","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice blast, caused by <em>Pyricularia oryzae,</em> is a challenging disease worldwide. The management of this serious disease mainly depends on chemical fungicides, which negatively affect human health, non-target organisms, and the environment. Therefore, searching for eco-friendly alternatives has become a necessity. Herein, we prepared and characterized three essential oil-based nano-emulsions (EO-NEs) from clove (CO-NE), lemongrass (LO-NE), and pelargonium (PO-NE). The prepared NEs were stabilized and maintained their nano-sized droplet during the emulsification and for more than a week of storage at room temperature. Moreover, Prepared NEs showed acceptable stability when centrifuged at 3500 rpm for 30 min. Our <em>in vitro</em> findings showed that EO-NEs significantly suppressed the spore germination, caused several morphological abnormalities in germ tubes, and inhibited the mycelial growth of <em>P. oryzae</em> in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the newly prepared EO-NEs' performance and their bulk emulsions were tested under greenhouse and open-field conditions. EO-NEs suppressed the development of rice blast disease and significantly decreased the leaf and panicle blast severity under both conditions. EO-NEs enhanced the defense responses of rice plants against <em>P. oryzae</em> via the induction of a complex multilayered defense system. The reduced disease severity was associated with activating both enzymatic (peroxidase [POX] and ascorbate peroxidase [APX]) and non-enzymatic (phenolics and flavonoid levels) antioxidant defense machinery. Furthermore, it was also correlated with the induction of the salicylic acid (SA)‐mediated defense pathway (SA content, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase [PAL] activity, and expression of two WRKY transcription factors). Interestingly, EO-NEs slightly enhanced the chlorophyll content and improved the grain yield of <em>P. oryzae</em>-infected rice plants, suggesting no phytotoxicity on treated plants. The findings of this study not only outline the potential application of oil-in-water NEs as sustainable, easy-to-use alternatives against <em>P. oryzae</em> but also decipher the physiological and biochemical mechanisms behind their protective role.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100889"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144115875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brassinosteroid priming mitigates negative physiological responses of Garcina humilis to flooding and salinity","authors":"Federico W. Sanchez ,&nbsp;Jonathan H. Crane ,&nbsp;Haimanote K. Bayabil ,&nbsp;Ali Sarkhosh ,&nbsp;Muhammad A. Shahid ,&nbsp;Bruce Schaffer","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It was previously determined that <em>G. humilis</em>, a woody perennial species native to the Amazon and grown commercially as a tropical fruit tree, is tolerant of either flooding or high soil salinity and simultaneous exposure to flooding and high soil salinity, as evidenced by no visible signs of stress and continued vegetative growth. However, exposure to either stressor or to both stressors simultaneously, significantly reduced net CO₂ assimilation (<em>A</em>) and stomatal conductance (<em>gs</em>), which can negatively impact plant growth and yield. This study tested the effects of 24-epibrassinolide (EB) priming on reducing the negative physiological responses of <em>G. humilis</em> to flooding and high soil salinity. <em>G. humilis</em> trees that were either flooded or non-flooded were each subjected to either low or high soil salinity levels and either primed with a solution of 1.0 mg <span>l</span>^-1 EB or not primed prior to flooding and salinity treatments. Prior to the imposition of treatments and periodically during the treatment period, <em>A, gs</em>, internal CO₂ content in the leaf (<em>Ci</em>), the leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), and the variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence ratio (Fv/Fm) were determined. At the end of the treatment period, nutrient element concentrations in the leaves and roots, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidants, and lipid peroxidation in the leaves were measured. Epibrassinolide priming decreased the negative impacts of salinity or flooding and simultaneous exposure to both stressors on <em>G. humilis</em>, apparently by reinforcing antioxidant responses which decreased ROS and lipid peroxidation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100892"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Secondary metabolites as biostimulants in salt stressed plants: mechanisms of oxidative defense and signal transduction","authors":"Muhammad Ikram ,&nbsp;Burhan Khalid ,&nbsp;Maria Batool ,&nbsp;Maaz Ullah ,&nbsp;Jiang Zitong ,&nbsp;Abdul Rauf ,&nbsp;Muhammad Junaid Rao ,&nbsp;Haseeb Ur Rehman ,&nbsp;Jie Kuai ,&nbsp;Zhenghua Xu ,&nbsp;Jie Zhao ,&nbsp;Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Guangsheng Zhou ,&nbsp;Bo Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100891","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100891","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinity, a critical environmental stressor, substantially impacts plant growth and productivity. It induces osmotic stress, disrupts ion homeostasis, and triggers the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to oxidative damage within plant cells. To counteract these detrimental effects, plants have evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms, one of which involves the production of secondary metabolites (SMs). These SMs function as biostimulants that bolster antioxidative defenses and modulate signal transduction pathways, thus enhancing the plant's tolerance to salt stress. Recent evidence reveals SMs like sulforaphane (glucosinolate-derived) uniquely stabilize redox cofactors and reprogram stress-responsive miRNAs. Furthermore, they influence key signaling cascades, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and various hormone-regulated pathways, which are instrumental in orchestrating adaptive responses to saline conditions. The regulation of SMs biosynthesis under salt stress is mediated by transcription factors like <em>MYB, WRKY</em>, and <em>bHLH</em>, which are essential for activating the genes involved in these metabolic pathways. Elucidating the intricate mechanisms by which SMs operate as biostimulants not only advances our understanding of plant stress responses but also paves the way for developing sustainable agricultural practices aimed at improving crop resilience in saline environments. This knowledge is instrumental for cultivating crops that can thrive under challenging soil conditions, ultimately contributing to global food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100891"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144115876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reducing heat stress damage in cereal crops through agronomic management and breeding strategies","authors":"Abu Bakar Siddique ,&nbsp;Sergey Shabala ,&nbsp;Chengdao Li ,&nbsp;Zhong-Hua Chen ,&nbsp;Rajeev K. Varshney ,&nbsp;Chenchen Zhao ,&nbsp;Meixue Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate change escalates the impact of heat stress (HS) and subsequent drought stress on plant species, causing significant yield loss in cereal crops. Approaches to alleviate these detrimental effects include proper agronomic practices and development of HS-tolerant cultivars. In this review, we critically assess the strength and drawback of current agronomic management strategies such as adjusting sowing time, managing water and nutrients, and applying growth modulating agents and nano-biochar, to mitigate detrimental effects of HS on plant performance. Development of climate-resilient cereal crop through quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, marker assisted selection, marker assisted backcrossing, and gene editing strategies has been exploited. Due to the limitations in agronomic management-based approaches, molecular breeding techniques for HS tolerant are considered more appropriate and effective mitigation approaches. However, with HS tolerance being a complex trait, breeding heat tolerant cultivars still face several challenges in cereal crops. Our review emphasizes the integration of different breeding approaches for developing heat tolerant cultivars as well as inclusion of efficient and modified agronomic management strategies for reducing the HS-induced damages in cereal crops. Overall, this work highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with agronomic and breeding approaches, emphasising the need for further research to optimise mitigation strategies for combined heat and drought stresses, and ensure sustainable cereal production under combined abiotic stresses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100888"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drought suppresses plant salicylic acid defence against herbivorous insects by down-regulating the expression of ICS1 via NAC transcription factor","authors":"Chan Zhao ,&nbsp;Wen-Hao Han ,&nbsp;Yu-Die Xiong,&nbsp;Shun-Xia Ji,&nbsp;Hui Du,&nbsp;Yu-Jie Chi,&nbsp;Na Chen,&nbsp;He Wu,&nbsp;Shu-Sheng Liu,&nbsp;Xiao-Wei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many herbivorous insects exhibit enhanced performance and population dynamics on drought-stressed host plants due to induced changes in plant physiology. However, the underlying mechanisms of how drought regulates plant defense against herbivorous insects are still largely unknown. In this study, we found that the survival rate and fecundity of whiteflies, notorious global pests, were significantly higher on drought-stressed tobacco. Drought stress did not affect jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation, whereas it significantly decreased the salicylic acid (SA) content by suppressing its biosynthesis. We further demonstrated that drought-induced abscisic acid (ABA) inhibited the expression of <em>isochorismate synthase 1</em> (<em>ICS1</em>), a key enzyme in the synthesis of SA. The accumulation of ABA induced the expression of <em>abscisic acid responsive NAC domain containing protein 19</em> (<em>ANAC019</em>), which directly bound to the promoter of <em>NtICS1</em> and negatively regulated its expression. Finally, we revealed that drought and ABA could activate <em>abscisic acid responsive elements-binding factor 2</em> (<em>ABF2</em>) transcription factor to up-regulate the expression of <em>NtANAC019</em>. Our study illustrates the significance of cross-talk between abiotic stress and plant-herbivore interactions and reveals the mechanisms leading to altered herbivore fitness on drought-stressed plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100887"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144123399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcription factor ZmGBF1 enhances heat stress tolerance in maize by directly increasing expression of ZmCXE2 involved in GA pathway","authors":"Liru Cao ,&nbsp;Dongling Zhang ,&nbsp;Feiyu Ye ,&nbsp;AbbasMuhammad Fahim ,&nbsp;Chenchen Ma ,&nbsp;Huafeng Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaohan Liang ,&nbsp;Xiaomeng Shen ,&nbsp;Xiangfen Zhang ,&nbsp;Qingling Shi ,&nbsp;Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaomin Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maize is one of the most important food and feed crop and it is more susceptible to heat stress (HS) compared to other plant species. This significantly impedes the growth of plants and reduces productivity. Plants have developed many molecular regulatory mechanisms to perceive, respond, and to adapt the elevated temperatures, with the aim of mitigating the detrimental impacts induced by heat. Understanding the molecular regulatory mechanisms that control HS is crucial to develop climate-resistant crops. In this study, we established transcriptome datasets of five maize inbred lines under normal and HS conditions. By co-expression network analysis we identified multiple transcription factors (TFs), including G-box-binding factor (GBF) <em>ZmGBF1</em>. Our results showed that <em>ZmGBF1</em> positively regulates maize HS tolerance. The DNA affinity purification sequencing and yeast one-hybrid (Y₁H) assay, along with dual luciferase (Dual-LUC) activity, provided evidence that <em>ZmGBF1</em> specifically interacts with the promoters of carboxylesterase (<em>ZmCXE2</em>), hence enhancing its transcription. The result illustrated that <em>ZmCXE2</em> promotes maize HS response. <em>ZmGBF1</em> and <em>ZmCXE2</em> exhibited increased expression levels in response to gibberellin (GA) stimulation. In present study we suggested an improved model of the HS response in maize. <em>ZmGBF1</em> increase maize HS tolerance by enhancing the activity of <em>ZmCXE2</em>. This mechanism helps to maintain a balance between maize growth and environmental stresses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100890"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of phytostabilized Zinc Sulfide nanocomposites on growth and Arsenic accumulation in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Arsenic stress","authors":"Naser Karimi ,&nbsp;Hadis Pakdel ,&nbsp;Zahra Souri ,&nbsp;Leila Norouzi ,&nbsp;Muhammad Rizwan ,&nbsp;Jean Wan Hong Yong","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study employed phytostabilized zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanocomposites, a novel and environmentally friendly material (orange peels), to mitigate arsenic (As) toxicity and its accumulation in wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L. cv. Pishgam). Wheat plants were exposed to sodium arsenate (via fertigation) at concentrations of 75 and 150 mg/L. These treatments caused significant reductions in shoots and roots biomass, chlorophyll contents; with concomitant higher tissue As levels, oxidative stress markers, along with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, compared to non-stressed controls. Supplementation with ZnS nanocomposites at concentrations of 75 and 150 mg/L significantly reduced As accumulation in both roots and shoots and alleviated the As toxicity. This was evidenced by increase of up to 29 % in shoot fresh weight, 76 % in root fresh weight, 27 % in foliar chlorophyll contents, 38 % in proline levels, and 21 % in total soluble protein contents. There was notable increase in zinc concentration (up to 122 %) and enzymatic activities (peroxidase (POD) increased by 98 %, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) by 28 %, and catalase (CAT) by 39 %) in plants exposed to ZnS nanocomposites levels of 75 and 150 mg/L compared to As-stressed counterparts. Furthermore, ZnS nanocomposites reduced the As accumulation in roots by up to 41 % and in shoots by up to 30 %, while enhanced the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) level by 80 % under As stress. These findings highlighted the potential of ZnS nanocomposites (especially at 75 mg/L) as a phytostabilizing, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly solution to ameliorate As toxicity in wheat plants. This study further helps to enhance identify critical avenues for focusing on the integrated application of nanoparticles in soil management to promote sustainable agricultural practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100886"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143948273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exogenous melatonin alleviates drought stress in wheat by enhancing photosynthesis and carbon metabolism to promote floret development and grain yield","authors":"Yanyan Zhang ,&nbsp;Yahui Li ,&nbsp;Jiahao Liu ,&nbsp;Liunan Suo ,&nbsp;Dongyu Li ,&nbsp;Li He ,&nbsp;Jianzhao Duan ,&nbsp;Yonghua Wang ,&nbsp;Wei Feng ,&nbsp;Tiancai Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Melatonin (MT) is a novel exogenous plant growth regulator. Spraying exogenous MT can enhance the growth and development of wheat, and alleviate drought stress, but research on the physiological mechanism by which spike floret development into grain under drought stress is limited. Therefore, we conducted a study from 2019 to 2023 in which a foliar spray of 100 μmol·L^-1 MT was applied before the peak of floret degeneration under drought stress conditions to investigate the physiological mechanisms by which exogenous MT regulates spike floret development. The results showed that, compared with the drought stress treatments, MT spraying increased the total number of florets, number of fertile florets, and grain setting rate at different spikelet positions in the two types of wheat varieties, with an increase in the number of grains per spike of 19.72 % for Zhoumai 22 and 18.65 % for Yumai 49–198. MT application enhanced photosynthetic productivity by regulating the leaf photosynthetic performance of wheat to maintain normal metabolic carbon functions. Structural equation modeling revealed that both irrigation and MT application under drought stress could promote spike floret development. Irrigation treatment affected the number of fertile spikelets mainly by regulating soluble sugars, thus promoting an increase in the number of fertile florets. MT spraying influenced mainly the grain number per spikelet by regulating ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activity and soluble sugars, facilitating the growth and transition of florets into grains. This study investigated the physiological and metabolic mechanisms by which exogenous MT regulated floret development into grains under drought stress, providing novel insights into the potential of exogenous plant growth regulators to mitigate the adverse effects of drought and increase wheat yield.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100885"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The genotype-dependent effects of biologicals on drought adaptation in spring barley","authors":"Veronic Töpfer ,&nbsp;Andrea Matros ,&nbsp;Susanne Hamburger ,&nbsp;Annegret Schmitt ,&nbsp;Ada Linkies ,&nbsp;Rod J. Snowdon ,&nbsp;Andreas Stahl ,&nbsp;Gwendolin Wehner","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Frequent periods of drought stress are causing significant challenges for agriculture worldwide. Given the global importance of drought stress, the use of biological plant growth agents (hereinafter referred to as “biologicals”) is being discussed as a potential approach to enhance the drought tolerance of plants. However, there is currently limited empirical evidence supporting positive effects of biologicals, and their mode of action is still largely unknown. In this study, eighteen biologicals were tested for their effects on early drought stress tolerance in two spring barley genotypes. Eight biologicals (Alginure, ASL Kombi Power, CropCover, ErosionControl, Burdock, Giant knotweed, FytoSafe, and Bioplantol mycos V forte) showed positive effects on six traits in one genotype and on seven traits in another genotype under early drought stress compared to the untreated control. Four biologicals were selected for validation trials with ten genotypes in greenhouse and field experiments. Thereby, grain biomass under drought stress was significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) increased by the biological Giant knotweed under both conditions. This study provides valuable insights into the genotype specific effects of biologicals and introduces a potential strategy for managing drought stress. Moreover, the results offer a better understanding of the effects and mechanisms of biologicals on abiotic stress in barley.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100884"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144170663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}