Abiotic Stresses and Plant Defences in Climate Change

Submission Deadline: 28 February 2026 View: 721 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Dr. Antonela Markulj Kulundžić

Email: antonela.markulj@poljinos.hr

Affiliation: Agricultural Institute Osijek, Južno predgrađe 17, Osijek, 31000, Republic of Croatia

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Research Interests: plant physiology and vitality, photosynthetic efficiency, cutting-edge methodologies to improve crop performance

Dr. Marija Viljevac Vuletić

Email: marija.viljevac@poljinos.hr

Affiliation: Agricultural Institute Osijek, Južno predgrađe 17, Osijek, 31000, Republic of Croatia

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Research Interests: genetic variability, oxidative stress at the physiological level, bioactive compounds, seed and fruit quality, nutritional parameters

Summary

Climate change affects ecosystems and human populations worldwide, with the agricultural and forestry sectors particularly vulnerable. Europe has experienced a temperature increase of more than twice the global average over the past three decades, making it the continent most affected. The consequences of these changes are already evident across Europe: loss of biodiversity, increased forest fires, reduced agricultural yields, and extreme weather conditions such as increased temperatures, droughts, and storms. These changes pose a serious challenge to the environment, the economy, and the population's quality of life and require urgent measures to adapt and mitigate their consequences.

For these reasons, scientists and agronomists advocate an active approach to developing new techniques, methods, and approaches for monitoring environmental crop cultivation. A detailed analysis of the mechanisms of the plant's oxidative stress status and antioxidant systems during abiotic stress will enable the creation of genotypes tolerant to adverse climatic conditions. Such an approach provides a basis for developing sustainable strategies in agriculture, which is crucial in facing the challenges brought by changing climate conditions.

This special issue of the journal welcomes scientific papers dealing with the research of abiotic stresses on crop cultivation, with a special emphasis on applying different methodologies to clarify the effect on plant defence mechanisms. Papers that contribute to understanding these processes and offer innovative solutions in the context of climate change adaptation are of great importance for the future development of agricultural science and practice.

Potential subjects for this topic include, but are not limited to:
- oxidative stress and antioxidant defence systems in plants under various abiotic stresses
- breeding or engineering crop genotypes with enhanced tolerance to climate-induced stresses, such as drought, extreme temperatures, salinity, etc.
- development and application of innovative methods (e.g., remote sensing, precision agriculture, or bioinformatics tools) to monitor crop growth and stress responses in real time
- evaluations of how agronomic practices, such as the use of plant growth regulators or soil amendments, can mitigate the adverse effects of abiotic stresses on crop productivity
- combining ecological, physiological, and technological perspectives to develop sustainable strategies for adapting agriculture to changing climate conditions

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