The field of horticultural crop production is increasingly challenged by both abiotic and biotic stressors, exacerbated by global climatic changes and anthropogenic activities. These stressors, including salinity, drought, temperature extremes, and heavy metal contamination, significantly impact plant growth, yield, and quality. Horticultural crops exhibit varied responses to these stressors, particularly during critical growth phases such as seedling establishment, vegetative growth, reproductive stages, and senescence. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of understanding the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of these crops to stress. However, gaps remain in fully elucidating the resistance mechanisms and mitigation strategies. Additionally, biotic stressors like viruses, fungi, bacteria, insects, and nematodes further compromise crop vigor and productivity. The role of biostimulants, hormones, novel chemicals, and microorganisms in enhancing stress tolerance is an emerging area of interest, with recent findings pointing to the beneficial effects of phytochemicals, secondary metabolites, and antimicrobial peptides in stress mitigation.

This research topic aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the morphophysiological, biochemical, and molecular tolerance mechanisms in horticultural crops against abiotic and biotic stressors. The primary objectives include investigating the physiological and biochemical responses to stress, elucidating signaling mechanisms and pathways, and exploring the role of phytohormonal interactions and defense gene activation. Additionally, the research will focus on the application of novel phytoprotectants and the mechanistic insights of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in stress regulation. By addressing these objectives, the research seeks to develop innovative strategies for sustainable agriculture and improved crop productivity under stress conditions.

To gather further insights into the complex interactions between horticultural crops and stress conditions, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Current intervention on physiological and biochemical responses and mechanisms of abiotic and biotic stress in horticultural crops
- Signaling mechanisms and pathways involved in the regulation of stress responses
- Phytohormonal cross-talk and associated mechanisms under stress conditions
- Epigenomics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics approaches in horticultural crops’ response to abiotic stress
- Osmotic adjustments and reactive species signaling in response to abiotic and biotic stress
- Transcriptional and translational regulation of stress response in horticultural crops
- Application of novel phytoprotectants in the mitigation of stresses in horticultural crops
- Mechanistic insight of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) mediated regulation of abiotic and biotic stresses

Disclaimer: Please note that studies solely describing the effects of climatic conditions or abiotic stressors on horticultural crops, without providing mechanistic insights or physiological explanations, will not be considered for review. Research must go beyond mere observation and include detailed analysis and understanding of the underlying biological processes affected by environmental changes. Purely descriptive studies will not be considered.

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Frontiers in Plant Science

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