Stress combinations and their interactions in crop plants

Abstract

Combined stresses are a common occurrence in agricultural felds. There is a pressing need for empirical understanding of the plant responses and fnd ways to develop stress tolerant plants and stress management strategies to tackle combined stresses in the feld conditions. Here a comprehensive overview of the current understating and recent research on combined stress interactions in plants are presented. Here we comprehend the fndings from various studies focusing on diferent aspects of combined stress, including abiotic-abiotic, abiotic-biotic, and biotic-biotic stress interactions. In general, the studies discussed here highlight the escalating impact of climate change on plants, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of plant responses to concurrent abiotic and biotic stresses. Key fndings from the articles published in this issue, include the adverse efects of combined drought and high-temperature stress on crop growth and yield, the exacerbation of pathogen impacts under abiotic stresses, and the potential for melatonin and salicylic acid to mitigate stress-induced damage. Additionally, use of model systems for quicker understanding of combined stress responses and development of methods and technologies which can be extrapolated to crop plants are discussed. Overall, fndings from the articles from this special issue underscore the complexity of combined stress interactions in plants and highlight the importance of interdisciplinary research eforts to address the challenges posed by climate change and ensure global food security.