Drought stress is one of the main abiotic stresses that cause plant yield reduction, and research on improving plant drought tolerance has attracted widespread attention. Our previous experiments confirmed that two mulberry spermidine synthase genes (MnSPDS1 and MnSPDS2) encode for functional proteins and were expressed highly under drought stress. Overexpression of MnSPDS1/MnSPDS2 at the physiological level alleviated membrane damage caused by drought and improved osmotic regulation and antioxidant capacity. These results suggest that a high level of accumulation of spermidine in the mulberry conferred a high tolerance to drought stress.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes form the first line of plant protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in cells. We identified 14 AvSOD genes including nine AvCSDs, two AvMSDs, and three AvFSDs genes in oat (Avena sativa) genome. The expression profile of all SOD genes under salt, drought, cold, salicylic acid, and abscisic acid treatments was strongly upregulated. Our findings provide important information about candidate genes for a further functional characterisation in oat plants to select stress tolerant varieties.

Plants are the ultimate survivors, adapting to diverse and changing environments with remarkable resilience. In this study, we investigated the intricate strategies employed by the herbaceous species Agastache rugosa to optimise its growth and resource use across varying light and nutrient conditions in tropical habitats. Our findings showed that this adaptable plant fine-tunes its leaf structure, photosynthesis, and nutrient allocation in a coordinated manner, providing valuable insights into how plants may cope with the challenges posed by global environmental change.

Iodine application reduced the deleterious effects of salinity on lettuce. Iodine affects plants in a dose-dependent manner, with low doses stimulating but high doses inhibiting. Iodine spray increased the activity of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Plants treated with iodine showed reduced toxic compounds such as H₂O₂ and malondialdehyde. Lettuce plants sprayed with iodine showed improved nutritional status and increased photosynthetic pigments. Iodine addition increased lettuce growth and yield while reducing its nitrate content

In an era where food security is increasingly threatened by climate change and plant diseases, innovative solutions are essential for sustainable agriculture. This review explores advanced gene editing techniques that enhance disease resistance in crops, revealing that methods such as CRISPR/Cas9 can significantly improve crop resilience and yield. By harnessing these cutting-edge technologies, we can pave the way for more robust agricultural practices that ensure a stable food supply and promote environmental sustainability.

This article belongs to the collection: Functional Genomics for Developing Climate Resilient Crops - Volume II.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) breeding faces challenges due to its long generation time, dioecious nature, and genetic heterogeneity. Advances in genomics and molecular biology such as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) offer precise trait modification to enhance breeding efficiency. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal stress tolerance mechanisms and secondary metabolism pathways, such as flavonoids. Genomic studies, including single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) diversity, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and miRNA profiling, provide insights into fruit development and resilience. These innovations are transforming date palm breeding, enabling faster development of superior cultivars.

Varying levels of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers influence growth, photosynthesis and metabolic activity in two rice cultivars, IRRI-6 and ksk 434. Optimal fertilization enhances nitrogen use efficiency, boosts grain yield and upregulates key genes linked to photosynthesis. Through examining leaf traits and metabolite profiles, research highlights sustainable strategies for improving rice productivity while minimizing environmental impact through more efficient fertilizer use.

This article belongs to the collection: Functional Genomics for Developing Climate Resilient Crops - Volume II.

We investigated the molecular basis of heterosis in cotton (Gossypium spp.) using RNA-seq meta-analysis of root and bud tissues from hybrid and parental lines. A total of 591 differentially expressed genes were identified, with tissue-specific and shared patterns. Functional enrichment revealed key roles in circadian rhythm, water transport, and primary metabolism. Regulatory networks involving miRNAs, transcription factors, and target genes were reconstructed, providing novel insights into heterosis-associated gene regulation and a valuable framework for enhancing hybrid performance in breeding programs.

This study identifies and characterises the calmodulin (CAM) and calmodulin-like (CML) gene family in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). Expression analyses under abiotic stress conditions revealed key genes potentially involved in stress responses, particularly drought and salinity. These findings provide insights into the functional roles of CaM and CML genes and their application in developing stress-tolerant watermelon varieties.

This article belongs to the collection: Functional Genomics for Developing Climate Resilient Crops - Volume II.

This review explores plant drought memory, emphasizing molecular and physiological strategies plants use to encode, retain, and leverage stress imprints for enhanced resilience. The roles of DNA methylation, histone remodeling, small RNAs, and abscisic acid are highlighted. Memory-induced root system plasticity, transgenerational inheritance, and interactions with beneficial soil microbes are also discussed. By integrating cutting-edge tools like CRISPR-Cas9 and single-cell multi-omics, this work presents a path toward engineering drought-resilient crops to tackle climate volatility and global food security challenges.

This article belongs to the collection: Functional Genomics for Developing Climate Resilient Crops - Volume II.

Although cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) has high salt tolerance, its growth is still affected by salt stress. Salt-tolerant cotton varieties protected the cell membrane structure by maintaining high antioxidant enzyme activity, low malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage. Thus, the normal physiological metabolism and photosynthetic system are maintained to confer high salt tolerance. This study provides clarification of the physiological mechanism of salt tolerance of cotton seedlings for growth on saline-alkaline land.

The CO₂ level in the air is an important factor affecting plant productivity. The present study shows that acclimation of Arabidopsis to both elevated and reduced CO₂ levels had similar negative effects on the function of the photosynthetic electron transport chain in higher plants. The results can help in the development of future strategies for genetic modification to offset the negative impact of changes in the air CO₂ content in any direction.