This study investigated the effects of water stress on early blight disease, Alternaria alternata (EB)-severity and yield performance in 44 potato genotypes, including two control cultivars 'Agria' (susceptible) and 'Marfona' (moderately resistant) to EB, under field conditions in Esfahan, Iran over two years (2021-2022). A strip-plot design within a randomized complete-block design with three replications was used to compare conventional irrigation with water stress (30% reduction in irrigation). The disease-severity percentage (DSP) and yield components (total, marketable and nonmarketable yields) were evaluated. ANOVA results showed no significant differences between years for DSP or total yield, but water stress significantly increased DSP (from 28 to 36 ton ha-1 and reduced total yield) (from 39 to 29 ton ha-1, a decrease of ≈26%). Significant genotype effects and interactions (stress × genotype, year × genotype) were observed. Water stress significantly increased DSP in susceptible genotypes such as 10/24-R3 (from 57 to 67) and 'Marfona' (from 47 to 53), whereas resistant genotypes such as 7/27-R1 (12 to 13) and 6/27-R2 (15 to 24) showed minimal changes. The highest total yields under nonstress conditions were observed in genotypes such as 25/34-R3 (56 ton ha-1) and 5/27-R3 (55 ton ha-1), with significant reductions under stress. Moreover, there was no significant correlation between disease severity and total yield (r = -0.080ns), whereas it was significant between water stress and total yield (r = 0.668**), but not significant between nonwater stress and total yield (r = -0.236ns). Moreover, there was a significant correlation between water stress and disease severity (0.927**); but a nonsignificant association between nonwater stress and disease severity (r = -0.183ns). Phylogenetic analysis of A. alternata isolates using the gpd gene revealed genetic diversity, grouping into two main clades. The study highlights the importance of selecting drought- and disease-resistant genotypes to mitigate the combined effects of abiotic and biotic stresses. In addition to genotype selection, appropriate irrigation timing, especially during tuber formation and bulking stages, can reduce drought's adverse effects. Overall, the combined assessment of water-stress responses, genotype-specific resistance patterns and phylogenetic relationships of A. alternata isolates provides practical guidance for selecting resilient potato genotypes and optimizing irrigation management, thereby supporting breeding and integrated disease control strategies under increasing drought and climate variability. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Emerging environmental risks are often shaped not by a lack of knowledge alone, but by fragmented information across systems, disciplines, and levels of governance. This fragmentation limits the ability of local decision-makers to identify and respond effectively to rapidly developing technologies. This paper introduces a novel bow tie risk assessment framework as a practical tool for identifying and organizing these risks. By integrating engineering, environmental, and policy perspectives, the approach captures interactions across land use, water systems, and governance structures. We apply the framework to carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) development in Colorado. Analysis shows that tracking how CCS, CCU, and CCUS are defined and applied across institutions reveals gaps in accountability, coordination, and risk identification. These inconsistencies contribute to policy drift, obscure system-level impacts, and limit stakeholder engagement. The bow tie framework makes these gaps visible, drawing attention to risks that remain hidden within fragmented knowledge and governance systems. Findings from the Colorado case study indicate that current CCUS governance lacks consistent mechanisms to define, measure, and account for water use and impacts across institutions. The analysis highlights a critical gap in how water is conceptualized and measured, particularly where it may be permanently removed or altered through subsurface injection, storage, or disposal in ways that do not align with conventional distinctions between consumptive and non-consumptive use. The method provides a practical tool for local and regional governments to identify risks, engage broader stakeholders, and support coordinated, interdisciplinary, and adaptive decision-making.

Regulation of non-photochemical quenching by PsbS and zeaxanthin under variable light and drought.

Toward climate-integrated humanitarian coordination: Implications for global public health.

Projecting Actual Evapotranspiration (AET) is critical for the survival of semi-arid Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica forests but remains difficult due to climate uncertainties. We bridged this gap by developing a hybrid framework in Inner Mongolia. We trained a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network using SEBAL-derived AET as a physics-based proxy target. This approach achieved high accuracy in simulating historical dynamics (R2 = 0.926, RMSE = 13.56 mm/month). Crucially, our model relies on high-resolution data from 2021 to learn intra-annual seasonality; consequently, our projections represent responses to mean climatological shifts rather than interannual variability. To assess future risks, we drove this validated model with an ensemble of five bias-corrected CMIP6 General Circulation Models (GCMs) for the 2030–2050 period under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. The ensemble projections reveal a robust increase in total annual AET, driven by a predicted ‘warmer and wetter’ climate (+2.4°C temperature, +12% precipitation). However, this increase is uneven, showing a significant intensification specifically during the growing season (May–August). This seasonal spike indicates a heightened risk of rapid soil moisture depletion due to soaring atmospheric demand, paradoxically creating water stress despite higher annual rainfall. These findings challenge conventional views and highlight the urgent need for adaptive management focused on seasonal vulnerability.

Extreme weather events, like drought and heat stress, make it harder to meet water needs in water-insecure settings, particularly vulnerable groups. This study examines how short-term (heat stress) and long-term (drought) water stress affects hydration status across reproductive states (pregnant, lactating, compared to non-pregnant/non-lactating) for Daasanach semi-nomadic pastoralist women in northern Kenya. Drawing on unbalanced panel data, we analyzed 565 observations from 303 women (aged ≥ 16 years) in 2019-2024. Hydration was assessed via urine specific gravity (USG) with dehydration classified as USG > 1.020. Environmental heat stress was measured by ambient temperature and humidity, with sensitivity analyses using wet bulb globe temperature. Mixed effect logistic regression models indicated ambient temperature and humidity were significantly associated with greater odds of dehydration across all women. Holding heat stress constant, lactating but not pregnant women had higher odds of dehydration than non-pregnant/non-lactating women. A significant interaction between heat stress and reproductive status indicated that the probability of dehydration increased fastest for pregnant women as temperatures rose. Holding heat constant, dehydration probability increased during drought years compared to pre- and post-drought and was most pronounced among lactating women. Ambient heat stress increases dehydration risk among Daasanach women with effects compounded in pregnancy, though overall lactation was the period of greatest vulnerability to dehydration. Dehydration probability peaked during the drought illustrating how long-term periods of water scarcity also challenge water needs. Heat stress and droughts exacerbate maternal and infant health risks; thus, targeted hydration and cooling interventions are needed.

Fog and dew represent minor components of ecosystem water budgets in most ecosystems. However, fog and dew can play an essential role in ecosystem dynamics and are particularly important for water-limited systems. In addition to serving as direct water inputs, fog and dew can influence microclimate and water redistribution, thereby promoting the retention of fog and dew water near the canopy/soil surface and benefiting plants and soil microbes. In this review, we highlight recent advances in fog and dew research, emphasizing measurement approaches and the quantitative impacts of fog and dew on plant-soil functions, particularly at large scales. We focus on multiple plant functional types and biogeological soil crusts, as well as multiple spatiotemporal scales (i.e. from individual plants to the regional scale) of fog and dew research. We further highlight key knowledge gaps, including the scarcity of fog and dew-monitoring data, the quantitative role of fog and dew in mediating ecosystem water stress, the mechanisms by which they affect plant-soil processes, and their responses to a changing climate. A better understanding and quantification of the contributions of fog and dew to ecosystem functions are crucial for predicting ecosystem responses and feedback to changing climates, especially in global drylands.

Leaf water status is a key indicator for irrigation scheduling and early stress detection, but many spectroscopic prediction studies have mainly relied on near-infrared features. Here, practical prediction models were developed using mid-infrared (MIR) ATR-FTIR spectra of capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) leaves collected under glasshouse conditions during a 10-day gradual dehydration period, alongside an irrigated control. Spectra (4000-450 cm⁻1) were measured with minimal sample preparation, and leaf water traits were quantified using fuel moisture content (FMC), equivalent water thickness (EWT), and specific leaf weight (SLW). Water-related MIR bands at 3370 and 1641 cm⁻1 showed the most consistent response to dehydration, and simple band ratios generally provided stronger predictions than single bands. The best ratios were A1641/A2159 for FMC (R2 = 0.81; RMSE = 12.80) and A3370/A2849 for EWT (R2 = 0.72; RMSE = 0.0034) and SLW (R2 = 0.62; RMSE = 6.95 × 10⁻4), while predicted-versus-measured performance yielded R2 values of 0.72 for FMC, 0.68 for EWT, and 0.52 for SLW. These results indicate that MIR ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, when coupled with selected band ratios, can provide a rapid, low-preparation laboratory-based approach for estimating capsicum leaf water traits under controlled dehydration, supporting plant-based water stress assessment under controlled conditions and providing a basis for further irrigation-related sensing studies. However, the models are preliminary and require validation with larger independent datasets and tightly standardised measurement conditions before operational use in irrigation management.

Dependencies of ecological drought on climatic drivers in diverse ecosystems: Implications for water resources management.

Drought and heavy metal (HM) contamination severely constrain maize productivity in dryland agriculture. While ascorbic acid (AA) and salicylic acid (SA) are recognized as protective agents against abiotic stress, their comparative efficacy and synergistic potential under combined stress remain poorly understood. This study evaluated individual and combined applications of AA (100 mg·L-1, equivalent to 0.57 mM) and SA (0.5 mM) on maize ('Zhengdan No. 16') subjected to four water regimes: well-watered (WW 100%), mild water stress (MWS 75%), moderate water stress (MoWS, 50%), and severe water stress (SWS, 30% field capacity), with or without Pb (200 μM) or Cd (100 μM) exposure. Photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange, phytohormones (ABA, IAA), oxidative stress markers (H2O2, SOD), and macronutrient uptake (N, P, K) were quantified. The Pb concentration (200 μM) was selected based on preliminary dose-response experiments (0, 100, 200, 400 μM), where 200 μM caused significant but non-lethal growth inhibition (30%-40% biomass reduction), allowing assessment of AA/SA mitigation without complete growth arrest. Under WW conditions, AA increased chlorophyll a by 11.0% and SA by 14.5% versus controls. Combined AA+SA + Cd improved selected nutrient responses, including a 2.8% increase in leaf N and a 4.5% increase in leaf K relative to Cd alone under WW conditions; however, leaf P did not increase under all water regimes. AA reduced Cd-triggered H2O2 by approximately 30% and Pb-triggered H2O2 by approximately 18% (P < 0.05). Under SWS, combined treatments improved selected photoprotective responses, including a 14.3% increase in carotenoid content, although Chl a responses were treatment and metal-specific. Exogenous AA and SA, particularly in combination, enhance dryland maize resilience to combined drought and HM stress through improved photosynthesis, reduced oxidative damage, and optimized nutrient acquisition. These findings support antioxidant biostimulants as sustainable tools for crop stress.

Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MLE) is rich in amino acids, ascorbate, zeatin, minerals, and many other compounds known for their growth-promoting potential, and proline has become a powerful osmolyte. Therefore, a pot experiment was aimed to study the effect of foliar spray with aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves (3%) and proline (25gL-1) on some morphological, physiological, biochemical, and yield of five genotypes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under water stress. The results showed that the exogenous proline and moringa leaf extracts led to increased plant height, total plant fresh weight, total plant dry weight, flag leaf area, total chlorophyll content, relative water content, membrane stability, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity by DPPH, total soluble sugar, proline content, spike length, spike weight, spiklet per spike, number of grains per spike, grains weight per spike, number of spike per pot, grain yield per pot, biological yield per pot, harvest index with the exception of electrolyte leakage under drought stress. These results demonstrated the importance of foliar application of proline and moringa as tolerance inducers of drought stress leading to improvements in physiological and biochemical attributes in plants grown under the adverse conditions of environmental stresses. According to the results of principal component analysis (PCA), there were significant contribution and strong correlation between studied traits responded by wheat genotypes especially Hasad and Rezan.

ABSTRACT Climate change is affecting the way people carry out traditional practices, as there is a need for new approaches that cater to new environmental conditions. Synthetic fertilizer use has increased worldwide as it is easy to apply and shows quicker results. However, their use can cause detrimental environmental pollution and long-term problems. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of biofertilizers and organic fertilizers on the growth performance, seedling morphology, and drought tolerance of Eucalyptus grandis seedlings. The average measured height was longer for seedlings treated with organic fertilizers than for those treated with biofertilizer and untreated seedlings. Similarly, the average number of leaves was higher for seedlings treated with organic liquid fertilizers compared to the untreated and those treated with biofertilizers under active management in the nursery. When subjected to prolonged water stress, the seedlings treated with organic fertilizers did not survive, while those treated with biofertilizers and those not treated survived. Further studies should assess the long-term water requirements and field survival of seedlings treated with liquid organic fertilizers. The experiment could be repeated over a long period to see if there is a difference in the survival of seedlings after transplant.

Can long-term survival models improve inference in seed germination studies? evidence from tropical forest species.

Resilience to the interaction of multiple stress factors of drought, wildfire, and canker disease has been little studied. During the 2012 to 2016 megadrought in California, black walnut trees were observed to resprout from the base due to water stress-induced dieback. After monitoring plants for a year, wildfire burned all the plants at twoof our study sites, which was followed by vegetative resprouting. Plants also expressed symptoms of canker disease. We thus had an opportunity to assess the impacts of water stress, wildfire, growth form, and canker disease on plant performance. Water potentials and photosynthetic rates of drought-induced resprouts were monitored and compared to nearby adults that had not experienced drought-induced dieback, both inland (San Dimas, California) and at coastal exposures (Malibu, CA). We monitored the recovery of adults and drought-induced resprouts from 2017 to 2019, including fire-induced resprouts at coastal exposures following a 2018 wildfire. In addition, stem canker number and canker length were compared among irrigated and non-irrigated growth forms, including drought-induced resprouts, coppice-induced resprouts, adults, and resprouting adults. Drought-induced resprouts displayed higher water potentials and photosynthetic rates than adults, especially during dry periods, but had lower (more negative) values than fire-induced resprouts. Non-irrigated walnut trees displayed greater canker initiation and canker elongation rates than irrigated trees, with irrigated coppice-induced resprouts showing the least canker development. Resprouting can temporarily relieve water stress, but xylem water stress and canker disease agents feed off one another. Repeat stresses of drought, fire and disease compound to reduce the resilience of individuals and populations of walnut.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), playing a significant role in providing food security and agricultural economy, is one of the most important cereals in the world. The present experiment aimed to determine the optimal levels of organic compounds (fulvic acid, humic acid, and amino acids) to promote sustainable wheat (cv. Taktaz) cultivation in dry and semi-dry regions while reducing dependency on irrigation water. The experiment was conducted as a split-factorial based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during two cropping years, 2023-2025. Results indicated that three-way interactions were statistically significant at the 0.01 level for all traits except number of fertile spikes and number of grains per spike. According to the polygon view of the traits, applying high amounts of fulvic acid as well as average amounts of the amino acid can have positive effects on controlling stress. In addition, increasing the concentration of humic acid can compensate for low concentrations of compounds like fulvic acid and amino acids. According to the treatment stability diagram, treatments 3 (humic acid 12L h- 1) and 6 (amino acid 1.5L h- 1, humic acid 12L h- 1) under normal irrigation conditions, and 27 (fulvic acid 6L h- 1, amino acid 3L h- 1, humic acid 12L/ha) under drought stress conditions, were selected as desirable treatments. The fact that increasing organic matter, like fulvic acid and amino acids, is helpful in plant metabolism regulation and resistance enhancement against drought stress reveals the effects of compounds included in these treatments on the plant's resistance to the stress. The treatment with the highest amount of organic compounds (6L ha- 1 fulvic acid, 3L ha- 1 amino acid, 12L ha- 1 humic acid) was identified as the treatment with positive coefficients in relation to the first two components in both years. Under drought stress conditions in both years, grain yield had positive coefficients for the first two principal components. Likewise, flag leaf width had positive effects on the fourth component in both years. Treatments with high fulvic acid and medium humic acid (3L ha- 1 fulvic acid, 1.5L ha- 1 amino acid, 12L ha- 1 humic acid; 6L ha- 1 fulvic acid; and 6L ha- 1 fulvic acid, 8L ha- 1 humic acid) consistently appeared with strong relationships in the correlation network in both years. In general, treatments with moderate fulvic acid and high humic acid can be selected as desirable treatments under both normal and stress conditions. Selecting these treatments indicated that using fulvic acid and humic acid, along with an amino acid that plays a significant role, had the highest positive effects on yield improvement under both normal and irrigation stress conditions.

Increased precipitation partially alleviates the carbon-water tradeoff under the Grain for Green program.

Climate change increases the frequency of water deficit in crops, requiring efficient mitigation and monitoring strategies. This study evaluated the use of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and visible spectroscopy (400-700 nm), combined with principal component analysis (PCA), to rapidly detect water stress in maize (Zea mays L.), and assessed the protective effect of a foliar biostimulant containing GABA (GCB). Water deficit reduced stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and plant growth, while increasing membrane damage and leaf temperature. GCB, especially at 30 g ha-1, mitigated stress effects by improving physiological stability, preserving photosynthetic pigments, and enhancing biomass and leaf area. PCA effectively discriminated treatments, with 670-690 nm (chlorophyll) and 490-600 nm (carotenoids) identified as key spectral regions, while pXRF signals for K and Ca reflected stress-induced changes. The integration of biostimulants with portable spectroscopy represents a promising nondestructive approach for monitoring and managing water stress in maize under climate-related constraints.

Delhi faces a drinking water deficit of nearly 2000Million Liters per Day (MLD) driven by rapid population growth, climate variability, and dependence on interstate sources. This study proposes a phased, circular economy-based roadmap to achieve water self-reliance by 2045. Using official datasets, field inspections, consultations, and scenario modelling, both conventional and non-conventional resources are quantified. Current filtered water supply from surface and groundwater is 4540 MLD against demand of 6540 MLD. Under projected population of 54.4million by 2045, demand could rise to 14,797 MLD at the DJB norm or 10,880 MLD at the CPHEEO norm. Integrated measures such as wastewater reuse, NRW reduction, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and related interventions could raise total supply to about 14,928 MLD. Sensitivity analysis identifies population growth, NRW reduction, and reuse adoption as the most influential factors. Monte Carlo analysis shows a 90% confidence range from a deficit of 1200 MLD to a surplus of 2500 MLD. The results suggest that combined legal, technical, and behavioral measures can sharply reduce water stress and pollution, but full self-reliance will depend on strong implementation and favorable demographic trends.

Rapeseed is a major source of vegetable oil and contains a wide variety of metabolites. Recent advances, particularly the integration of metabolomics with other omics approaches, have enabled not only comprehensive but also detailed analyses of key metabolites that respond to specific conditions. To date, these recent advances in the metabolomics of Brassica crops have not yet been fully clarified. In this review, we seek to summarize the recent progresses in metabolomics studies of Brassica rapa, B. napus and B. juncea, introduce the key metabolites spanning nucleic acids, amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, organic acids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, flavonoids and glucosinolates uncovered by this approach, focusing on those associated with growth and development, and abiotic/biotic stresses, including macronutrient availability, temperature, water stress, salt stress, aluminum and cadmium toxicity, and infection of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Leptosphaeria maculans, and Plasmodiophora brassicae. Future perspectives and current challenges in metabolomics integrating with other omics are also discussed, along with its potential for breeding applications, especially in new marker discovery, trait prediction, and even metabolic selection, aimed at developing new rapeseed varieties with stable, high-yielding, and quality traits.

The tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) have emerged as pivotal regulators of eukaryotic stress responses. These small non-coding RNAs are implicated in various biological domains. This study investigates the expression and functions of plant tRFs in response to abiotic stress with focus on Eugenia uniflora L. In silico analysis identified a diverse set of small RNAs originating from 73 conserved tRNAs. High-throughput analysis of small RNA (sRNA) libraries revealed a prevalence of 5' tRFs, with 51,947 sRNAs. RT-qPCR analysis unveiled predominant tRFs, such as those derived from tRNA-Arg-CCT. Among the 11 tRFs examined, six displayed notable differences in expression levels under high salt and osmotic stress triggered by NaCl and polyethylene glycol. Notably, 5'tRF ArgTCG and 5'tRF GlyTCC were positively regulated under both saline and water stress conditions. Additionally, we demonstrated that some previously identified targets of these tRFs showed reduced expression following both types of stress. Our findings suggest that abiotic stress-related tRFs interact with various signaling and metabolic pathways. Alterations in the expression of three tRFs and their target genes in both stress conditions highlight the potential significance of tRF changes in E. uniflora adaptation to drought and salinity.