Guest Editor(s)
Prof. Dr. Rachid Lahlali
Email: rlahlali@enameknes.ac.ma
Affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, École Nationale d'Agriculture de Meknès, Meknes, Morocco
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Research Interests: plants, biotic and abiotic stresses, plant diseases, biological control, plant microbes Interaction
Summary
Plants are continuously exposed to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and nutrient deficiency, as well as biotic stresses caused by pathogens, pests, and nematodes, leading to significant yield and quality losses. In the context of climate change and sustainable agriculture, there is an urgent need for improved early detection and effective mitigation strategies. Advances in plant stress biology, omics technologies, biosensors, and remote sensing are enabling early identification of stress signals before visible symptoms appear, allowing timely interventions.
Recent studies emphasize key signaling networks, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), hormonal crosstalk (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid), and gene regulation pathways involved in plant defense responses. Alongside these mechanisms, increasing attention is being given to eco-friendly and biological approaches for stress management. Biological control and biopesticides, including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), fungal endophytes, and beneficial yeasts, play a major role in suppressing pathogens and enhancing plant immunity. Plant extracts and essential oils also offer natural antimicrobial and insecticidal properties. In addition, soil amendments such as biochar and compost improve soil health, microbial diversity, and plant tolerance to stress. Advances in formulation technologies further enhance the stability and efficacy of these biological agents under field conditions.
This special issue focuses on integrated strategies for plant stress management, from early detection to sustainable mitigation, highlighting molecular mechanisms, diagnostic tools, biological control, biopesticides, plant extracts, PGPR, fungal endophytes, biochar, compost, and innovative formulation approaches for resilient agriculture.
Keywords
abiotic stress, biotic stress, early detection, plant defense mechanisms, biological control, biopesticides, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), fungal endophytes, plant extracts, biochar and compost
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