Abstract
Abiotic stress represents a main constraint for agriculture, affecting plant growth and productivity. Drought and soil salinity, especially, are major causes of reduction of crop yields and food production worldwide. It is not unexpected, therefore, that the study of plant responses to abiotic stress and stress tolerance mechanisms is one of the most active research fields in plant biology. This Special Issue compiles 22 research papers and 4 reviews covering different aspects of these responses and mechanisms, addressing environmental stress factors such as drought, salinity, flooding, heat and cold stress, deficiency or toxicity of compounds in the soil (e.g., macro and micronutrients), and combination of different stresses. The approaches used are also diverse, including, among others, the analysis of agronomic traits based on morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical studies, and transcriptomics or transgenics. Despite its complexity, we believe that this Special Issue provides a useful overview of the topic, including basic information on the mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance as well as practical aspects such as the alleviation of the deleterious effects of stress by different means, or the use of local landraces as a source of genetic material adapted to combined stresses. This knowledge should help to develop the agriculture of the (near) future, sustainable and better adapted to the conditions ahead, in a scenario of global warming and environmental pollution.
Highlights
Abiotic stress represents the main constraint for agriculture, affecting plant growth and productivity worldwide
The approaches used are diverse, including, among others, the analysis of agronomic traits based on morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical studies, and transcriptomics or transgenics
We believe that this Special Issue provides a useful overview of the topic, including basic information on the mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance as well as practical aspects such as the alleviation of the deleterious effects of stress by different means, or the use of local landraces as a source of genetic material adapted to combined stresses
Summary
Abiotic stress represents the main constraint for agriculture, affecting plant growth and productivity worldwide. The knowledge of the limits of tolerance to abiotic stress of different crops, and the understanding of their mechanisms of response to increasing environmental constraints are gaining importance in agronomic research [5]. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1308 crop abiotic stress responses is diverse, as plants undergo specific changes in their gene expression, metabolism, and physiology in response to different environmental stress conditions [6]. In this Special Issue, 22 research papers and 4 reviews are presented covering different aspects of the responses of plants to abiotic stresses and their mechanisms of tolerance. Understanding those mechanisms will help us to improve our interventions towards a more sustainable and efficient agriculture
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