Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Biotic and Abiotic Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2024 | Viewed by 7490

Special Issue Editors

College of Life Science and Engineering, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
Interests: abiotic stress biochemistry; plant response to environmental stress caused by potentially toxic substances; heavy metal phytotoxicity; plant contamination; environmental pollution remediation; ecological remediation technology

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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Liaoning University of Technology, Jinzhou 121001, China
Interests: near-surface ozone pollution; plant response to environmental stress caused by potentially toxic substances; carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle; environmental pollution remediation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ornamental plants are not only very important in environmental decoration but also have wonderful mechanisms for dealing with soil contamination, maintaining a balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen in the environment, purifying the air, controlling the humidity, reducing dust and noise, etc. 

Nowadays, ornamental plants are challenged by abiotic stress factors such as heavy metal pollution, climate change, elevated near-surface O3 concentrations, low water availability (drought), excess water (flooding/water logging), temperature extremes (cold, frost and heat), and toxicity from salinity, carbon-based nanomaterials, mineral deficiency, and other pollutants. The negative effects of abiotic stresses bring about changes in plant growth, development and metabolism, and, in extreme cases, lead to plant death.

It is thus necessary to evaluate how ornamental plants can tolerate and respond to abiotic stress factors.

This Special Issue welcomes the submission of studies that explore the effect of different abiotic stresses on ornamental plants, including research in relation to the growth, development, uptake, accumulation and tolerance capacity, oxidative stress, antioxidative and molecular response, induced defense mechanisms, toxicity effects, etc., of ornamental plants.

Dr. Zhouli Liu
Dr. Yi Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • ornamental plants
  • abiotic stress
  • tolerance mechanisms
  • stress responses
  • phytotoxicity

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 7063 KiB  
Article
Functional Identification of the Isopentenyl Diphosphate Isomerase Gene from Fritillaria unibracteata
by Xinyi Yu, Jiao Chen, Han Yan, Xue Huang, Jieru Chen, Zichun Ma, Jiayu Zhou and Hai Liao
Horticulturae 2024, 10(8), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080887 - 21 Aug 2024
Viewed by 639
Abstract
Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of isoprenoids. In this paper, the in vivo biological activity of the IPI gene from Fritillaria unibracteata (FuIPI) was investigated. Combining a color complementation experiment with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis [...] Read more.
Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of isoprenoids. In this paper, the in vivo biological activity of the IPI gene from Fritillaria unibracteata (FuIPI) was investigated. Combining a color complementation experiment with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis showed that the FuIPI gene could accumulate β-carotene in Escherichia coli, and Glu190 was identified as a key residue for its catalytic activity. Bioinformatics analysis together with subcellular localization indicated that the FuIPI protein was localized in chloroplasts. Compared with wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana, FuIPI transgenic plants had higher abscisic acid content and strengthening tolerance to drought and salt stress. Overall, these results indicated that the FuIPI gene had substantial biological activity in vivo, hopefully laying a foundation for its further research and application in liliaceous ornamental and medicinal plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress)
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21 pages, 1465 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Cold Tolerance of Stenotaphrum Trin Plants by Integrating Their Performance at Both Fall Dormancy and Spring Green-Up
by Jia Qu, Dong-Li Hao, Jin-Yan Zhou, Jing-Bo Chen, Dao-Jin Sun, Jian-Xiu Liu, Jun-Qin Zong and Zhi-Yong Wang
Horticulturae 2024, 10(7), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10070761 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 581
Abstract
Owing to the poor cold tolerance of Stenotaphrum Trin and the urgent need for shade-tolerant grass species in temperate regions of East China, this study evaluated the cold tolerance of 55 Stenotaphrum accessions, aiming to provide shade-tolerant materials for temperate regions. A fine [...] Read more.
Owing to the poor cold tolerance of Stenotaphrum Trin and the urgent need for shade-tolerant grass species in temperate regions of East China, this study evaluated the cold tolerance of 55 Stenotaphrum accessions, aiming to provide shade-tolerant materials for temperate regions. A fine cold-tolerant turfgrass should have both the advantages of delayed fall dormancy and early spring green-up. However, previous research on the cold resistance of turfgrass has mainly focused on the performance of the spring green-up, with less attention paid to the fall dormancy, which has affected the ornamental and application value of turfgrass. This study first dynamically investigated the leaf colour of each accession during the fall dormancy and the coverage during the spring green-up and evaluated the cold resistance of the accession through membership functions and cluster analysis. Significant differences in the cold resistance were found with the assignment of breeding lines to four categories. The weak correlation (R2 = 0.1682) between leaf colour during the fall dormancy and coverage during the spring green-up indicates that using the performance of a single period to represent the cold resistance of accessions is not appropriate. To test whether using the laboratory-based LT50 and stolon regrowth rating analysis can replace the above-improved method, we conducted a related analysis and found that the fit between these two methods is very poor. This phenomenon is attributed to the poor correlation between the laboratory-based parameters and the pot-investigated data. Therefore, this study presents a cold resistance evaluation method for Stenotaphrum that integrates performance in both the fall dormancy and spring green-up periods. This improved evaluation method cannot be simplified by the growth performance of a single period or replaced by using laboratory-based LT50 and stolon regrowth tests. With the help of this improved method, several excellent cold tolerance accessions (ST003, S13, and S12) were identified for temperate regions of East China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress)
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19 pages, 8134 KiB  
Article
The Molecular Biology Analysis for the Growing and Development of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ under Different Light and Temperature Conditions
by Zheng Li, Tong Lyu and Yingmin Lyu
Horticulturae 2024, 10(6), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10060586 - 4 Jun 2024
Viewed by 791
Abstract
Hydrangea macrophylla, a celebrated ornamental worldwide, thrives in semi-shaded growth environments in its natural habitat. This study utilizes Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ as the experimental material to delve into its molecular mechanisms for adapting to semi-shaded conditions. Transcriptome analysis was conducted on [...] Read more.
Hydrangea macrophylla, a celebrated ornamental worldwide, thrives in semi-shaded growth environments in its natural habitat. This study utilizes Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ as the experimental material to delve into its molecular mechanisms for adapting to semi-shaded conditions. Transcriptome analysis was conducted on leaves from four different natural light growth scenarios, showcasing phenotypic variations. From each sample, we obtained over 276,305,940 clean reads. Following de novo assembly and quantitative assessment, 88,575 unigenes were generated, with an average length of 976 bp. Gene ontology analysis of each control group elucidated the terms associated with the suitable environmental conditions for normal growth, development, and flowering, such as “reproductive bud system development” and “signal transduction”. The exploration of gene interactions and the identification of key genes with strong connectivity were achieved by constructing a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. The results indicate that hydrangea grows vigorously and blooms steadily under semi-shaded conditions; the photosynthetic efficiency of hydrangea is stabilized through genes related to photosynthesis, such as PHYB, PSBR, FDC, etc. Hormone signal transduction genes like PIN3, LAX2, TIF6B, and EIN3 play important roles in responding to environmental stimulation and regulating growth and development, while genes such as SOC1, COL4/5/16, and AGL24 promote flowering. The expression of genes such as BGLUs and TPSs provides additional energy substances to support flowering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress)
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15 pages, 1480 KiB  
Article
Exogenous Application of Gamma Aminobutyric Acid Improves the Morpho-Physiological and Biochemical Attributes in Lavandula dentata L. under Salinity Stress
by Awad Y. Shala, Amira N. Aboukamar and Mayank A. Gururani
Horticulturae 2024, 10(4), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10040410 - 18 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 947
Abstract
Saline water has been proposed as a solution to partially supply plants with their water requirements due to a lack of fresh water for cultivation in arid and semi-arid sites. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid participating in numerous metabolic processes [...] Read more.
Saline water has been proposed as a solution to partially supply plants with their water requirements due to a lack of fresh water for cultivation in arid and semi-arid sites. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid participating in numerous metabolic processes to mitigate the undesirable effects of salinity. A pot experiment was carried out during 2021 and 2022 at Sakha Horticulture Research Station to investigate the effect of foliar application of GABA at 20 and 40 mM on vegetative growth and biochemical changes in French lavender under increasing levels of sea water salinity irrigation treatments (0, 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm). Results indicated that increasing salinity concentration noticeably decreased plant height, number of branches, herb fresh and dry weight, root length, root fresh and dry weights, photosynthetic pigments, relative water content, and essential oil percentage. On the other hand, accumulation of proline and antioxidant enzymes was increased under increasing salinity concentrations. We conclude that foliar application of GABA acid at 40 mM can alleviate the adverse effects of salinity on the abovementioned French lavender plant characteristics by improving vegetative growth and root characteristics, as well as diminishing chlorophyll degradation, maintaining high leaf relative water content, increasing proline accumulation and antioxidant activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress)
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16 pages, 3504 KiB  
Article
Vegetation and Dormancy States Identification in Coniferous Plants Based on Hyperspectral Imaging Data
by Pavel A. Dmitriev, Boris L. Kozlovsky and Anastasiya A. Dmitrieva
Horticulturae 2024, 10(3), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030241 - 1 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1177
Abstract
Conifers are a common type of plant used in ornamental horticulture. The prompt diagnosis of the phenological state of coniferous plants using remote sensing is crucial for forecasting the consequences of extreme weather events. This is the first study to identify the “Vegetation” [...] Read more.
Conifers are a common type of plant used in ornamental horticulture. The prompt diagnosis of the phenological state of coniferous plants using remote sensing is crucial for forecasting the consequences of extreme weather events. This is the first study to identify the “Vegetation” and “Dormancy” states in coniferous plants by analyzing their annual time series of spectral characteristics. The study analyzed Platycladus orientalis, Thuja occidentalis and T. plicata using time series values of 81 vegetation indices and 125 spectral bands. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to identify “Vegetation” and “Dormancy” states. The model contained three to four independent variables and achieved a high level of correctness (92.3 to 96.1%) and test accuracy (92.1 to 96.0%). The LDA model assigns the highest weight to vegetation indices that are sensitive to photosynthetic pigments, such as the photochemical reflectance index (PRI), normalized PRI (PRI_norm), the ratio of PRI to coloration index 2 (PRI/CI2), and derivative index 2 (D2). The random forest method also diagnoses the “Vegetation” and “Dormancy” states with high accuracy (97.3%). The vegetation indices chlorophyll/carotenoid index (CCI), PRI, PRI_norm and PRI/CI2 contribute the most to the mean decrease accuracy and mean decrease Gini. Diagnosing the phenological state of conifers throughout the annual cycle will allow for the effective planning of management measures in conifer plantations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress)
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15 pages, 5272 KiB  
Article
Melatonin Application Induced Physiological and Molecular Changes in Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) under Heat Stress
by Mohamed S. Elmongy and Mohaned M. Abd El-Baset
Horticulturae 2024, 10(2), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10020122 - 26 Jan 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1401
Abstract
Carnation is one of the most important ornamental plants worldwide; however, heat stress is a problem, which affects carnation cultivation. The harmful effects of heat stress include impaired vegetative development and reduced floral induction. In this study, to enhance carnation growth under conditions [...] Read more.
Carnation is one of the most important ornamental plants worldwide; however, heat stress is a problem, which affects carnation cultivation. The harmful effects of heat stress include impaired vegetative development and reduced floral induction. In this study, to enhance carnation growth under conditions of heat stress, various concentrations of melatonin were added to in vitro culture media. The mechanism by which melatonin reduced heat stress damage was then studied by taking measurements of morphological parameters, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as differential gene expression, in carnation plants during in vitro culture. These data revealed that untreated carnation plants were more harmed by conditions of heat stress than plants treated with melatonin. Melatonin at concentrations of 5 and 10 mM increased chlorophyll content, fresh weight, and plant height to a greater extent than other concentrations. Melatonin may, thus, be used to alleviate damage to carnations caused by heat stress. The application of melatonin was also found to reduce oxidative damage and enhance antioxidant defense mechanisms. In addition, the expression of heat-related genes was found to be upregulated; in melatonin-treated plants, an upregulation was recorded in the expression of GAPDH, DcPOD1, DcPOD2, DcPOD3, Gols1, MBF1c, HSF30, HSP101, HSP70, and sHSP (MT) genes. In short, we found that melatonin treatment increased heat tolerance in carnation plants. The data presented here may serve as a reference for those seeking to enhance the growth of plants in conditions of heat stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress)
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15 pages, 2536 KiB  
Article
Greenhouse Screening for pH Stress in Rhododendron Genotypes
by Shusheng Wang, Marie-Christine Van Labeke, Emmy Dhooghe, Johan Van Huylenbroeck and Leen Leus
Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1302; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121302 - 4 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1248
Abstract
The genus Rhododendron is known for its preference for acidic soils, although some genotypes can tolerate a more neutral or alkaline pH. In this study, a greenhouse experiment was set up for 140 days to examine different parameters to assess pH stress in [...] Read more.
The genus Rhododendron is known for its preference for acidic soils, although some genotypes can tolerate a more neutral or alkaline pH. In this study, a greenhouse experiment was set up for 140 days to examine different parameters to assess pH stress in the progeny of R. fortunei and the cross combination R. ‘Pink Purple Dream’ x ‘Belami’. Additional cultivars ‘Gomer Waterer’ and ‘Cunningham’s White’ were included in the greenhouse test. The plants were divided into two groups. One group was planted in a substrate with a neutral pH (treatment, pH 6.3) and the other group of plants was planted in an acidic pH substrate (control, pH 4.5). Tolerance to pH stress was evaluated for the individual genotypes on both substrates 140 days after the start of the experiment. The following parameters were analyzed: shoot length, root development, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), leaf color and weight (fresh and dry). In intolerant genotypes, all parameters except for number of shoots were negatively affected by pH stress; especially, the development of roots was negatively impacted by the neutral pH, resulting in above-ground symptoms of pH stress, including decreased height and lower fresh and dry weight. The results show variation in pH tolerance within the genotypes tested and point to the potential for the selection of Rhododendron genotypes with improved tolerance to neutral pH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tolerance and Response of Ornamental Plants to Abiotic Stress)
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