Jolyon Dodgson^*, Anna K. Marks, David J. Marks

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.082701 - 30 July 2026

Abstract Stress can result in up to 70% losses during crop production. Plants are exposed to abiotic stresses, such as drought or salt, or biotic stresses, such as fungal pathogens like powdery mildew or septoria. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling is a part of a common response to plant stresses, but excessive ROS can be damaging. Plants produce antioxidants to reduce ROS. Wheat plants were exposed to drought stress, salt stress, and biotic stress from powdery mildew and septoria. In a glasshouse, wheat plants were treated with a functional fertiliser (Indra containing Oxygon chemistry, Levity Crop… More >

Jurica Duvnjak¹, Daniel Kujundzic², Katarina Sunic Budimir¹, John C. D’Auria², Valentina Spanic^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.082576 - 30 July 2026

Abstract In this study, metabolomic profiling using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed clear distinctions between Fusarium-infected and control wheat spikes, as shown by the separate clustering of infected samples. Out of 222 detected features, eight were found to be significantly altered in infected spikes compared to controls, highlighting specific metabolic changes associated with the plant’s response to Fusarium head blight (FHB) stress. In response to Fusarium infection, wheat exhibited significant metabolic reprogramming, with both reductions and accumulations of key metabolites. A decrease in 3-methoxytyramine (28.9–85.3%), octylamine, malic acid, and homonojirimycin suggests their early involvement in defence-related pathways… More >

Sajid Ullah Khan^*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.88, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2026.079440 - 08 May 2026

Abstract Healthcare, education, technological advancement, and farming are the key challenges facing developing countries, with agriculture unquestionably playing an important role in economic growth. Ensuring adequate food production is essential for citizens’ survival, as it is anticipated that efforts in this area would result in increased food productivity. A key approach to enhancing field productivity involves meticulous care of its components, starting with the production of crops. Wheat leaf rust poses a severe threat, particularly to young seedlings, constituting a significant fungal disease that can cause a 25% reduction in wheat productivity. To overcome these issues,… More >

Tetiana O. Yastreb¹, Pavel Vítámvás², Ilja T. Prášil², Zdeněk Cit², Ivan V. Shakhov¹, Yuriy E. Kolupaev^1,3,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.079882 - 31 March 2026

Abstract Low temperature is a major abiotic stress factor inducing the accumulation of dehydrins in plants. Dehydrins are hydrophilic, heat-stable proteins implicated in plant stress responses; however, their synthesis under cold conditions during the early stages of wheat development has not been sufficiently studied. This study investigated the relationship between cold-induced dehydrin accumulation in etiolated seedlings and frost tolerance in wheat cultivars differing in their level of frost tolerance. Three-day-old seedlings of high frost-tolerant (high-FT) cultivars (Antonivka, Doskonala, and Nordika) and low frost-tolerant (low-FT) cultivars (Tobak, Tonnage, and Altigo) of Triticum aestivum L. were hardened at +3°C… More > Graphic Abstract

Tingting Yuan^1,#, Mutong Li^1,#, Zhishun Yu¹, Jiangyun Huang¹, Qingqin Zhang¹, Suqin Zhang^1,2,*, Guangdong Geng^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.075984 - 31 March 2026

Abstract HVA22 is a gene induced by abscisic acid (ABA) and abiotic stress. Previous transcriptome data of salt-tolerant Tritipyrum “Y1805” revealed that HVA22 was significantly upregulated under salt stress. Gene TtHVA22 was successfully amplified from “Y1805”, with an open reading frame of 468 bp and encoding a protein of 156 amino acids. Gene TtHVA22 was transformed into bread wheat “1718” via coleoptile method. The relative expression level of TtHVA22 in roots was remarkably higher than in stems and leaves under salt stress. During the seedling stage, the TtHVA22 overexpression (OE) line exhibited less leaf wilting under salt stress than wild-type… More >

Dmytro A. Kiriziy¹, Oksana V. Dubrovna¹, Oksana G. Sokolovska-Sergiienko¹, Alina S. Holoboroda¹, Victor V. Rohach^1,2, Oleg O. Stasik^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.075371 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Water scarcity severely constrains the genetic potential of wheat yield worldwide. Proline is among the most versatile stress-related metabolites in plants, and targeting genes involved in proline synthesis and degradation represents a promising strategy for developing drought-tolerant wheat genotypes. This study evaluates the performance of the photosynthetic apparatus in transgenic wheat line with RNAi-mediated suppression of proline dehydrogenase (ProDH) and in the original (wild-type) genotype, under both drought and recovery conditions. Drought was induced at the flowering stage by lowering soil moisture to 30% field capacity for 7 days, compared with 70% field capacity in… More >

Jazmín Montserrat Gaucin-Delgado¹, Cristian Oswaldo Solis-López², Pablo Preciado-Rangel³, Bernardo Espinosa-Palomeque⁴, Francisco Gerardo Veliz-Deras², Viridiana Contreras-Villarreal², Ricardo Israel Ramírez-Gottfried^5,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.12, pp. 3961-3973, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.072536 - 29 December 2025

Abstract Selenium (Se) deficiency is a global health problem affecting more than 500 million people; crop biofortification is a sustainable strategy for its mitigation. This study investigated the effect of the application of selenate nanoparticles (SeO₄²⁻) and the combination of selenate (SeO₄²⁻) and chitosan (CS) (forming a SeO₄²⁻-CS complex) on the antioxidant profile, growth, biomass, bioactive compounds, enzymes, and Se accumulation of wheat (Triticum spp.) sprouts. Fourteen treatments were applied using a factorial design combining seven concentrations and two formulations: SeO₄²⁻ and SeO₄²⁻-CS. It was identified that chitosan increased Se uptake efficiency by 30% versus conventional selenate. The optimal… More >

Shaoyan Wu^1,2, Jie Tian^1,2, Yiyan Wang^1,2, Muhammad Arif^1,2, Shuyao Wang^1,2, Jing Wang^1,2, Zhuoyao Yang^1,2, Ruhong Xu^1,2,*, Luhua Li^1,2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.12, pp. 3913-3924, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.072229 - 29 December 2025

Abstract Wheat grain morphology, particularly grain length (GL) and width (GW), is a key determinant of yield. To improve the suboptimal grain dimensions of the local anthocyanin-rich variety Guizi 1 (GZ1), we crossed it with Zhongyan 96-3 (ZY96-3), an elite germplasm known for faster grain filling and superior grain size. A genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach was applied to an F₂ population of 110 individuals derived from GZ1 × ZY96-3, resulting in the identification of 23,134 high-quality SNPs. Most of the SNPs associated with GL and GW were clustered on chromosomes 2B, 3A, and 3B. QTL mapping for GL… More >

Nada Zaari Jabri¹, Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar^1,*, Fadoua Mekkaoui¹, Najwa Rabah¹, Ilham Amghar¹, Ghizlane Diria², Abdelaziz Hmyene¹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.11, pp. 3687-3701, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.071634 - 01 December 2025

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a major environmental stressor that adversely affects crop germination and early development. This study assessed the impact of increasing Cd concentrations (0.125 to 1 g/L) on seed germination and early seedling growth in three bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars: Achtar, Lina, and Snina. The results revealed a clear dose-dependent inhibitory effect of Cd. Germination percentage (GP) significantly declined with increasing Cd levels, while mean germination time was progressively delayed, particularly at higher concentrations. Vigor index (VI) also showed significant reductions, reflecting compromised seedling establishment. Morphological traits, especially shoot and root lengths,… More >

Mutong Li^1,#, Xiaolian Yang^1,#, Zhishun Yu¹, Tingting Yuan¹, Wenjie Wang¹, Suqin Zhang^1,2,*, Guangdong Geng^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.10, pp. 3175-3188, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.070731 - 29 October 2025

Abstract Wheat yield mainly depends on leaf photosynthesis and grain carbohydrate accumulation. The aux/indole-3-acetic acid 13-like (Aux/IAA13L) gene was successfully cloned from Tritipyrum ‘Y1805’ and transformed into common wheat. A bioinformatics analysis showed that the TtAux/IAA13L protein, encoding 232 amino acids, was hydrophilic and unstable. TtAux/IAA13L and Tel5E01G609500 were grouped together in a phylogenetic tree. The TtAux/IAA13L expression levels in the overexpression lines were higher than in the wild-type (WT) plants at five developmental stages: tillering, elongation, heading, flowering, and grain-filling. The expression levels in the overexpression lines first increased, peaked at the flowering stage, and then decreased.… More >