This work investigated effects of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on vegetable growth and explored the probability of applying HRW for protected cultivation of vegetables. Reported results show that HRW treatment promoted growth of seedlings, by stimulating elongation of hypocotyl and root cells via HRW-induced increase in GA and IAA content in the hypocotyl and the root respectively.

Resistance to stress involves energy costs that result in trade-offs between different functional traits. In the semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest, species with different leaf habits coexist, but thus far, plant leaf strategies in this region remain poorly studied. We compared adaptive responses to cope with freezing temperatures and water deficits in canopy tree species. Different functional traits relationships showed that evergreen species exhibited cold tolerance, while deciduous species were more resistant to hydraulic dysfunction and showed greater water transport efficiency.

Around the world, drought lowers yield in many crops including common bean – an important source of protein for millions of people. Investigation of drought resistance in closely related bean lines showed that impact of drought on leaflet growth rate mirrors impact of drought on allocation to seeds and biomass accumulation, and was a strong indicator of yield. Genotypes with lower leaflet growth rates under well-watered conditions were less sensitive to drought, maintaining biomass and allocation to seeds.

Guard cells (GCs) play a critical role in the regulation of leaf water and gas exchange in plants. Due to technical difficulties in GC isolation, little data is available on molecular studies of GC. Here, we develop an optimised method from the leaves of spinach, sugar beet and quinoa under control and salt-stress conditions and provide direct evidence to test the quality of samples.

Melatonin promotes plant growth and development, but its role in soybean seedlings under low-temperature stress is not clear. Here, we provide evidence of how melatonin regulates plant mineral element concentrations and the transcript abundance of antioxidant related genes to promote soybean seedlings growth under low-temperature stress. We believe the commercialisation of our results can improve agriculture as a whole.

Drought stress induced damage in plant tissues as a result of excessive production of reactive oxygen species like H₂O₂. H₂O₂ accumulation led to lipid peroxidation and had a negative effect on cellular metabolism and physiology. Penconazole and Ca remarkably increased antioxidant enzymes as well as significant decrease in MDA and H₂O₂. PEN and Ca alleviated drought-induced oxidative damage by enhancing the antioxidant defence which could lead to growth improvement.

Past studies on the mechanisms of wheat grains formation have focussed on the regulation of related synthase activity and expression pattern of coding genes, but ignored the influence of cell wall microenvironment. Our study indicates that variations in wheat grain cell wall structure depend on the geography, and grains with thick cell walls show improved water retention and molecular mobility. This finding will help guide further studies on water regulation in wheat cell walls.

A comparison among four light emitting diode (LED) lights as well as fluorescent light was made to see how light quality affects Arabidopsis thaliana tolerance to wounding. LED treatments led to higher antioxidant capacity in response to wounding. RB light was proposed as the best light condition for promoting Arabidopsis growth under the wound-stress condition.