Abstract Considering the current global rise in health‐related issues, focussing on crops with high essential nutrient content and the potential to produce nutraceutical compounds is imperative. Buckwheat (BW) ( Fagopyrum spp.) is one such genus belonging to the family Polygonaceae explored for essential nutrients and therapeutic metabolites. In the current scenario, nutritional and health security are major concerns; hence, breeding nutrient‐rich crops such as BW will aid in moving forward to sustainable development. OMICs‐based approaches have played a pivotal role in investigating the potential of BW as the repository of nutraceuticals. Metabolomic profiling of BW has aided in the comprehensive analysis of metabolites, most of which are involved in a wide range of biochemical pathways related to plant growth, development and defence. In the current review, we explore the updated scientific findings on the metabolomic profile of BW and examine its nutraceutical potential to highlight the capacity of BW to contribute towards global food and health security.

Abstract The unprecedented challenges to crop production driven by climate change drivers warrant the development of resilient crop varieties to sustain crop yield. In the present and future, climate, drought, salinity and temperature stress will be the major yield‐limiting factors. Roots are the primary responders to drought, flooding and salinity and assume a key position in developing plant resilience. Root architecture has emerged as a promising focal point in breeding efforts aimed at developing resource‐efficient crops. However, crop selection frequently prioritises shoot performance exclusively because evaluating root traits is a more intricate process. Improving root traits will be a pivotal factor in increasing the efficiency of water and nutrient capture, reducing yield gaps and providing the necessary foundation for the ‘Evergreen Revolution’, which is essential for aligning crop production with the needs of the growing human population. However, building an ideotype for root system architecture (RSA) has been precluded by obvious difficulties in reliable phenotyping and greater growth plasticity and abiotic stress response of root, as in some cases, the plasticity can be maladaptive due to greater metabolic costs. Nevertheless, a large body of experimental data has been generated to build an optimum root ideotype for diverse stressful environments. In this article, we provide an overview of the typical RSA ideotypes under various stresses that have been suggested in previous research and indicate functional evidence on the role of root phenes that could help breeders in their efforts to include root traits in their selection pipelines for abiotic stress tolerance, aimed to improve the resilience of crops. Such an approach can deliver quicker improvements compared to selection solely based on yield, particularly in stressful environments, using a more precisely tailored approach to increase long‐term sustainability and mitigate the impacts of stresses. Also, the probabilities for aligning future abiotic stress breeding strategies based on RSA and other traits are discussed. Prioritising these ideotype‐related traits in breeding programs could significantly boost crop production and enhance the long‐term sustainability of agriculture.

Abstract Reliable and low‐cost on‐site diagnostics offer significant benefits for the detection and diagnosis of plant pests to enable a rapid response to limit their impact. This review assesses in‐field, on‐site and satellite/remote laboratory‐based diagnostic technologies for the detection of plant pests against the ASSURED criteria, a recognised set of benchmarks used to compare on‐site tests. Despite this assessment identifying a range of technologies that score highly against these criteria, routine uptake of on‐site diagnostics in plant health is limited. Several barriers to uptake exist, the most prevalent being the lack of co‐design of novel technologies with end users leading to the end product being unable to fulfil testing objectives or being unsuitable for usage under common operational conditions. This review also identified a lack of standardised validation data sourced from intended environments in the hands of the intended users, noting that this data would be invaluable in evidencing the efficacy of novel on‐site technologies within a wider testing program. The lack of this information currently limits the routine integration of on‐site tests into regulatory plant health testing due to the high‐cost implications of incorrect results.

Abstract High temperature (HT) stress negatively influences reproductive phases in field crops, and the effects are critical to understand in the present and future climate. This review focuses on research on grain crops (rice, wheat, sorghum, pearl millet, soybean and groundnut) with the goals of identifying (i) the sensitivity of reproductive stages during crop development under HT stress and (ii) the metabolic changes caused by HT on the reproductive tissue. Reproductive stages are the most sensitive stages in plants to stress, particularly flowering and gametogenesis, and which results in a reduction in seed numbers due to fertility loss, improper fertilization, and reduction in seed‐set percentage. Most of the field crops are sensitive to a temperature of >35 °C during the reproductive growth stages, and this threshold varies among the species and genotypes. Abortion of micro‐ and/or mega‐spores, premature tapetal cell degradation, loss of gamete viability, anther indehiscence, a lower pollen grain germination rate on the stigma, loss of pollen germination, stigma receptivity, pollen tube tip polarity, pollen tube growth signals, and embryo abortion are the physiological processes affected by HT stress. The major changes in the gametes lead to alteration in carbohydrate metabolism and transport, loss of viability, elevated reactive oxygen species production, increased membrane phospholipid saturation level and decreased phosphatidic acid level. Molecular and biochemical tools help to screen and identify the sources of tolerance. Developing crop tolerance to high‐temperature stress is possible through continued collaboration among biologists, breeders, and agronomists without affecting the crop grain yields.

Abstract In Pakistan, cotton is a significant cash and fibre crop. Water stress inhibits the development and growth of plants by modifying biological processes and metabolic activity. Since the severity and length of the stress are crucial for plant growth, losses due to water constraints in crop yield outweigh losses due to all other factors combined. Water‐deficit stress significantly decreases crop production by affecting morpho‐physiological characteristics which ultimately decreases the fibre quality and reduces the seed cotton yield. Tolerating water deficits includes two crucial stages involving the upregulation of signalling pathways and stimulating molecular expression responses. Enhancement requires various stress‐related actions of plants, particularly mechanisms at the physiological, molecular and biochemical regions. The physiological functions indicators of water stress, including stomata closure as well as the development of roots, cellular adaptations, pollen tube maturation, osmotic adjustments, photosynthesis, abscisic acid (ABA), Jasmonic acid (JA) and other phytohormones are generated, along with reactivity of oxygen species (ROS). Stress conditions influence the molecular basis, quantitative trait loci (QTL) and genes related to moisture‐deficit tolerance in cotton. Several genetic strategies for genome alteration such as genetic engineering, manipulation of microRNAs, functional genomics and the CRISPR/Cas9 system assist in the growth of cotton tolerance. Different genetic approaches can make it easier to find superior candidate genes connected to stress physiology approaches to functional genomics. We propose the use of comparative analyses of third‐generation sequencing data (transcriptomics, proteomics and epigenomic) along with genome‐wide analysis and functional genomic techniques to determine and differentiate novel genes. This review will help to comprehend the intricate molecular biology of stress in plants. As the intensity and length of the stress are censorious for plant growth, losses due to water constraints in crop yield outweigh losses due to all other factors combined.

Abstract Stem end rot (SER) is the name given to a post‐harvest rot disorder that manifests as internal browning and degradation of the tissues inside the fruit of avocado. It has commercial significance, causing up to 30% of a grower's yield to be negated. Symptom development is often only apparent when the fruit are opened by the consumer, resulting in complaints to the retailer, and consequent lost revenue along the supply chain. The disorder is proposed to be the consequence of infection by a number of pathogens including, Colletotrichum , Botryosphaeria , and Fusarium species and is exacerbated by orchard location, management, and environmental conditions. The exact mechanism and timing of infection is not clear although there is evidence for infection at flowering, during fruit development, and at harvest. An understanding of the infection routes of pathogens causing SER could guide effective mitigation strategies and this article explores how greater mechanistic insight into the route of infection of causative pathogens might be determined. Improvements that could be made to orchard management and at harvest/post‐harvest handling of the fruit to reduce SER development are also discussed.

Abstract Under both normal and stressful circumstances, plants produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, when environmental conditions are too unfavourable, excessive ROS is produced and the antioxidative defence mechanisms cannot handle the high amounts of ROS, which results in plant damage. The antioxidant defence system's enzymatic and non‐enzymatic components detoxify and scavenge ROS to lessen their harmful effects. The ascorbate‐glutathione (AsA‐GSH) route, also referred to as the Asada‐Halliwell pathway, entails four enzymes that are essential for the detoxification of ROS: AsA peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), and GSH reductase (GR). These enzymes work in conjunction with other plant defence mechanisms in addition to detoxifying ROS to shield plants from different abiotic stress‐related harms. Numerous studies on plants have shown that the up‐regulation or overexpression of these antioxidant enzyme genes enhances the AsA and GSH levels in response to abiotic stresses and helps plants to lower ROS levels. This article outlines the role of APX as a crucial enzyme in the AsA‐GSH pathway and the capacity of plants to withstand abiotic stress.

Abstract Evolution of insect resistance is the primary threat to the long‐term efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgene technologies. Plants have a deeply conserved defence response to pests: Jasmonic acid (JA) hormone signalling mediated by transcriptional repressors called JASMONATE‐ZIM‐DOMAIN/JAZ. JAZs normally limit expression of plant defence pathways, promoting assimilate partitioning towards growth and reproduction, by their carboxyl terminal Jas motif that antagonises MYeloCytomatosis (MYC) master transcription factor activities. Deletion, alternative splicing/intron retention, or disruption of the Jas motif results in JA insensitivity and increased resistance to pathogens including arthropod herbivores, for example by production of secondary metabolites and new leaves with higher trichome density. JA‐mediated trichome initiation and elongation also impact cotton fibre production. Since its release in 2017, the third‐generation stacked commercial Bt insecticidal Vip3A protein traits are increasingly under severe pressure for evolution of Helicoverpa zea (bollworm) resistance. Regional differences in efficacy of Bollgard ® 3 and WideStrike ® 3 against lepidopteran pests and increasing pesticide use are emerging issues. Future transgenic field control failures from bollworm infestations and incursions of Helicoverpa armigera from Central America are likely in the U.S. Cotton Belt. In this systematic primer on the problem, we take a conceptual approach to consider JAZ genes as means to leverage ‘internal’ host‐derived herbivore resistance in cotton. We consider the genetic redundancy and pleiotropic nature of JAZ master regulators on tissue‐specific growth, development, crosstalk with hormonal and small RNA pathways as nodes in networks, and limitations of JAZ efficacy due to fitness costs/growth trade‐offs versus prospects for enhancing resistance networks to orchestrate transgressive segregation (generation of extreme phenotypes in breeding progeny not seen in parental lines).

Abstract Nut tree species have a great economic and cultural value for many countries across the world. Their highly nutritious content makes them one of the most favourite healthy foods of the global population, with strong evidence of their positive impact on human health. Nut tree crops are very diverse in terms of nut chemical content and shape, growing climates, and domestication history. However, all of them have a very long juvenile phase that makes classical breeding challenging and time consuming. Also, their cultivation is very resource demanding. The application of genomic‐assisted breeding can accelerate the development of adaptive cultivars of nut tree species. In this article, we summarize recent successes in genomics for nut tree crops, specifically almond, chestnut, hazelnut, pecan, pistachio, and walnut. We report the recent discoveries on the genetic control of target traits for the genetic improvement of these species, with suggestions for future directions and breeding applications.

Abstract Lectins are ubiquitous classes of carbohydrate‐binding proteins. They serve a wide range of physiological functions in Phyto‐organisms. Among many biological significances, they play a crucial role in plant tolerance and resistance against environmental biotic and abiotic challenges. They are a component of the plant's innate immune system and defence mechanism. Lectin‐like receptor kinases (Lec‐RLK) are essential in stress sensing and saccharide signalling. Their expression can be modulated by various hormonal responses; they can also tweak downstream hormonal pathways or signal the expression of stress‐related genes. Other plant lectin families, localized in the vacuole, cytoplasm, and nucleus, could also revamp the response to different stress factors. They participate in the further downstream responses, including the clearance and turnover of accumulated undesired and misfolded nascent proteins triggered by stress, DNA protection, and chromatin modulation. Understanding the genetics, the evolution of gene mechanisms, and the functional roles of Lectins in molecular pathways affecting plant tolerance is essential to reduce the effects of global climate change on food security and the health and well‐being of humans. This review will assist in integrating existing knowledge, with a focus on understanding how plant lectins confer adaptation to challenging environmental conditions, ultimately to assist agricultural scientists in breeding plants with greater adaptive capacities.