Progress and prospects of concurrent or combined stress studies in plants

Abstract

Plants growing under field conditions are often exposed to multiple abiotic and biotic stresses occurring simultaneously or sequentially. Biotic stressors often interact with abiotic stressors at the plant interphase, which makes the impact of their combination on plants remarkably variable, though differing with order and intensity of stresses, as well as plant species and pathotypes. In this article, we examine the major abiotic stress combinations, as well as abiotic-biotic stress combinations, and physiological and molecular responses of plants to these combined stresses. Utilizing the available literature, information on the phenomic and transcriptomic response of plants to the combined abiotic and biotic stresses, and the cross-talk during signalling is reviewed. A succinct discussion on the scope and application of combined abiotic and biotic stress studies highlighting major gaps and novel avenues for further research is articulated.