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Duckweed: Research Meets Applications—2nd Edition
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Duckweed: Research Meets Applications—2nd Edition

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 4950

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Viktor Oláh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Botany, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: duckweed research; plant ecophysiology; aquatic ecotoxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Appenroth

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Matthias Schleiden Institute–Plant Physiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
Interests: duckweed research and applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sowjanya Sree Kandregula

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Kerala, Periye 671320, India
Interests: duckweed research and applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Duckweeds or water lentils are the smallest angiosperms belonging to the family Lemnaceae. Besides their basic role in aquatic ecosystems, they offer a suitable model for ecologists, physiologists, geneticists, molecular biologists, and researchers of many other fields. Moreover, from a practical point of view, they can help in coping with various aspects of the current humanitarian and environmental crisis, serve as indicators for environmental monitoring (biomonitoring), help in removing water pollutants (phytoremediation), and provide valuable biomass for easing worldwide protein shortages or the hunger for renewable energy.

The recent bloom of duckweed-related research reflects this versatility and conveys an ever-deepening knowledge on these tiny creatures, sometimes making it difficult, even for experts in the field, to keep up with the pace. We edited a Special Issue “Duckweed: Research Meets Applications” with the aim of providing a comprehensive update of the current progress in duckweed research and applications. This Special Issue has been very well received by the duckweed community and, in total, 39 papers were published in MDPI’s Plants journal and comprehensively published in an e-book (ISBN978-3-0365-9068-4). We hope that this overview is of interest to all those involved in basic research or potential applications of duckweeds, and will also attract researchers from various other fields.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/plants/special_issues/duckweed

We now seek to launch a second volume of the Special Issue “Duckweed: Research meets Applications II”, especially (but not exclusively) for participants of the 7th International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications, in Bangkok, Thailand, from 12 to 15 November 2024 (https://www.7icdra2024.com/). Contributions in the form of both original research papers and reviews from a broad scope of disciplines related to duckweed research and applications (e.g., morphology, taxonomy, and ecology), including ecological interactions, ecotoxicology, environmental monitoring and remediation, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, omics, biotechnology, as well as biomass production and its uses, are welcome. We also encourage reports on large-scale cultivation and applications.

Dr. Viktor Oláh
Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Appenroth
Dr. Sowjanya Sree Kandregula
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • duckweed Lemnaceae
  • physiology genetics
  • omics phylogenetics ecology
  • ecotoxicology
  • remediation biomass

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2024 KiB  
Article
Varied Growth Media Necessitate Different Light Regimes for Indoor Duckweed Cultivation
by Cian Redmond, Rachel O’Mahoney, Marion Blanchard and Neil E. Coughlan
Plants 2025, 14(3), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030397 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1307
Abstract
Controlled indoor cultivation of duckweed plants can support remediation of wastewaters through generation of plant biomass. Despite numerous advantages, indoor cultivation of duckweeds on agri-food wastewaters remains underexplored. Lighting regimes need to be optimised for duckweed growth and affordability of energy consumption, as [...] Read more.
Controlled indoor cultivation of duckweed plants can support remediation of wastewaters through generation of plant biomass. Despite numerous advantages, indoor cultivation of duckweeds on agri-food wastewaters remains underexplored. Lighting regimes need to be optimised for duckweed growth and affordability of energy consumption, as it has been shown that the composition of wastewater growth medium can alter light utilisation. In the present study, four duckweed (Lemna minor) clones were grown under four different light regimes on either optimised half-strength Hutner’s medium or wastewater derived from the liquid fractions of anaerobically digested pig slurry. Cultivation of L. minor was assessed for the four light regimes using a commercial hydroponics plant growth medium in a 3.96 m2 multitiered cultivation system. When cultivated on optimised half-strength Hutner’s medium or diluted pig slurry under laboratory conditions, it appeared that photoperiod rather than light intensity was more important for duckweed growth. Yet, under moderate flow conditions within a larger scale multitiered cultivation system, greater light intensity appeared to support duckweed cultivation irrespective of photoperiod. These findings emphasise the need to move beyond small-scale and static assessments of duckweed before embarking on larger, industry-relevant scales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Duckweed: Research Meets Applications—2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 1665 KiB  
Article
Optimisation of Dairy Soiled Water as a Novel Duckweed Growth Medium
by Cian Redmond, Neil E. Coughlan, Aine Purcell and Marcel A. K. Jansen
Plants 2025, 14(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010110 - 2 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 946
Abstract
As a result of intensive agriculture, large quantities of liquid wastewaters are produced. Dairy soiled water (DSW) is produced in large volumes during the milking process of cattle. It comprises essential plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The physicochemical properties of [...] Read more.
As a result of intensive agriculture, large quantities of liquid wastewaters are produced. Dairy soiled water (DSW) is produced in large volumes during the milking process of cattle. It comprises essential plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The physicochemical properties of DSWs are highly variable as per individual farmer practices and seasonality. Currently, DSWs are disposed of primarily through land spreading, which frequently results in environmental pollution through land run-off. As a result of the large volumes produced coupled with the high variability, there are few alternative uses for DSWs, with presently little consideration of possible on-farm valorisation. Through a series of factorial experiments, the suitability of DSW as a novel duckweed (Lemna minor L.) cultivation medium is assessed. Different concentrations and pH values are assessed to determine the optimal conditions to support duckweed cultivation. Under the principles of circular economy, duckweed-based valorisation of DSWs can lead to the production of valuable, high-protein plant biomass that could be incorporated into animal feed to support livestock nutritional requirements. This study identifies the management of DSW’s pH as a key growth parameter in the successful cultivation of duckweed to underpin a circular economy approach for valorisation and improved environmental outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Duckweed: Research Meets Applications—2nd Edition)
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Review

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26 pages, 1912 KiB  
Review
The Developmental Cycle of Spirodela polyrhiza Turions: A Model for Turion-Based Duckweed Overwintering?
by Paul Ziegler
Plants 2024, 13(21), 2993; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13212993 - 26 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1722
Abstract
Duckweeds are widely distributed small, simply constructed aquatic higher plants (the Lemnaceae) found on quiet freshwater surfaces. Species inhabiting temperate climates may have to cope with long periods of severe cold during the winter season. Several duckweeds form compact resting structures from the [...] Read more.
Duckweeds are widely distributed small, simply constructed aquatic higher plants (the Lemnaceae) found on quiet freshwater surfaces. Species inhabiting temperate climates may have to cope with long periods of severe cold during the winter season. Several duckweeds form compact resting structures from the assimilatory fronds of the growing season that can bridge inhospitable conditions in a quiescent state. Of these, turions separate from the mother fronds and overwinter on the water body bottom in a dormant state. They can surface, germinate, and sprout to resume active growth upon warming in the spring. The turions of the largest duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza, have been intensively examined as to ultrastructure, the factors governing their formation and release from dormancy, and the signals driving their germination and sprouting and the accompanying starch degradation. Comparative transcriptomics of assimilatory fronds and dormant turions are revealing the molecular features of this developmental cycle. The results illustrate an elegant sequence of reactions that ensures aquatic survival of even severe winters by frost avoidance in a vegetative mode. Since little is known about other duckweed resting fronds, the S. polyrhiza turion developmental cycle cannot be considered to be representative of duckweed resting fronds in general but can serve as a reference for corresponding investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Duckweed: Research Meets Applications—2nd Edition)
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