Many environmental stresses are periodic and predictable. Plants have adapted to these by temporally organising their stress responses to maximise efficiency and efficacy. We review current evidence for temporal regulation of responses to the environment and environmental impacts on the plant circadian clock. Better understanding of the reciprocal interactions between the plant circadian clock and environmental stresses may aid in identifying mechanisms to improve plant growth and increase food security.

The inflated leaf petiole of Trapa pseudoincisa undergoes a developmental process from solid to hollow phase. Schizo-lysigenous aerenchyma was developed via the mechanism of programmed cell death (PCD) during the process of inflated leaf petiole morphogenesis. Thus, a trans-disciplinary systems approach that recognizes the need for integration of cytological and molecular characteristics for identification of aerenchyma type in aquatic plant is required.

Cascades by which signalling molecules participate in plant responses to changes in environmental conditions are still under intensive study. Our aim was to explain the role of NO, H₂O₂ and H₂S in adaptation of cucumber seedlings to both salt and low temperature stress. Results show that signalling molecules are important for understanding the mechanisms of modification of the activity of the plasma membrane proton pump, which is a key enzyme in abiotic stress conditions.

Sustaining plant productivity under microgravity conditions is a prerequisite for successful colonisation of space by humans. Therefore, we address the effects of simulated microgravity on seed germination and the first steps of seedling development at the total proteome level. This study complements a large body of transcriptomic data and gives an insight into gravity-related changes in early plant ontogenesis.

Chlorophyll b is the major regulator of photosynthetic antennae in land plants. Its absence diminishes light harvesting, photoprotection and ultimately photosynthesis. We show that barley mutants lacking chl b display impaired stomatal control, which can be restored by temporal shading of the plants. Thus the effects of this mutation extend beyond chloroplast metabolism.

Fine tuning the flow of chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway is crucial for the growth and development of the plants. Antioxidant systems were found to influence this pathway through maintaining the specific concentration of H₂O₂. This finding provides insights into understanding the antioxidant-mediated regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis in detail, and will help in the development of oxidative stress-resistant plants.

Understanding the mechanism of high-temperature stress (heat) tolerance during the plant reproductive phase is important for developing heat tolerant cultivars in lentil. We found a higher reduction in pollen viability and lower photosynthetic electron transport rate in heat sensitive genotypes and a functional marker amplified only in heat tolerant ones. We conclude that these traits and the associated functional markers will be useful in lentil breeding.