Advances in Strategies & Solutions against Abiotic Stresses in Crops under Climate Changes

Dear Colleagues,

Natural resources, especially those in intensive agroecosystems, are becoming more restricted in food production. Deterioration in the quality and availability of hydro-resources and lands due to different constrains (excessive salinity/alkalinity, pollution, droughts, waterlogging, ruined biodiversity, etc.) causes a wide range of physiological dysfunctions, such as abiotic stress in crops. After a certain stress threshold is reached, yield and quality starts to deteriorate sharply. Additionally, one stressor often coincides with numerous other environmental constrains (e.g., drought, waterlogging, heat waves, pollution, etc.), which can result in additive, antagonistic, or synergistic effects on crops and other biota; in practice, this makes it very difficult to choose the most effective strategy or combination approach against stressor(s). As a consequence, abiotic stresses progressively exacerbate the threat to food security and general ecosystem resilience. In this context, agroecosystems, especially those in rain-fed and (semi-)arid areas, in soils with low water retention capacity and depleted in recalcitrant organic buffers (humics) are more frequently and markedly exposed to abiotic stresses. It is plausible that abiotic stresses in (agro)ecosystem services and food production will be further aggravated under global climate changes. Therefore, the crucial question is whether existing strategies and solutions against abiotic stresses in crops can be made more proactive and effective by some promising and advanced scientific findings as climate change becomes more pronounced.

For instance, remotely sensed and integrated data modelling approaches using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms of environmental constrains in combination with in situ and lab-based approaches have never been so rapid, precise, and applicable on large scales, representing the most advanced approach in implementation of targeted measure against abiotic stressors. In addition, continued progress in biotechnology and ecoengineering offers some of the most advanced and effective solutions against abiotic stresses in crops (e.g., nano-based agrochemicals, marker-assisted breeding, genome editing, and plant–microbial associations); however, there are still many knowledge frontiers to be overcome before an effective transfer of these potential solutions to large-scale field frameworks.

The aim of this edition is to present and promote the latest and most advanced insights and progresses in the study of abiotic stress in crops, from different conditions (form lab to open field) and at different scales (from the molecule to the whole ecosystem).

This Special Issue welcomes all article types (original, review, communication, opinion, and perspective) on topics including, but are not limited to the following keywords given.

Prof. Dr. Gabrijel Ondrasek,
Prof. Dr. Marjorie Reyes-Díaz,
Dr. Cristian Merino-Gergichevich,
Guest Editors

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