Flooding Stress and Responses to Hypoxia in Plants
This Collection of Functional Plant Biology focuses on ‘Flooding stress and responses to hypoxia in plants’. It includes perspectives, review papers and research articles demonstrating various plant responses to low-O2 conditions, flooding stress and a combination of stresses commonly found in flooded areas. These studies cover eco-physiological characterisations, root anatomical descriptions, seed microbiota evaluations, gene expression modifications, and evaluations of germplasm collections. This compilation significantly advances our understanding of flooding stress and responses to low-O2 levels in plants.
This article belongs to the Collection Flooding Stress and Responses to Hypoxia in Plants.
The extremophile Salicornia europaea is characterised for its tolerance to high salt and flooding conditions. Here, we studied the effect of multiple and simultaneous environmental perturbations of salinity and waterlogging on its growth. Responses to salt and hypoxia reciprocally affected each other when applied simultaneously, demonstrating the significance to investigate signalling-crosstalk between environmental stress reactions in tolerant species.
This article belongs to the Collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Livestock grazing areas are being increasingly affected by waterlogging, salinity and their combination. Festuca arundinacea demonstrates variability in response to these stresses. Accessions with decreased specific leaf area, indicating thicker/denser leaves, showed the highest tolerance to the evaluated stresses. Specific leaf area could serve as an easily measurable trait for predicting tolerance to waterlogging, salinity and saline waterlogging in future breeding programs.
This article belongs to the collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Soil moisture levels fluctuate with rainfall, and thus plants should have plasticity to adapt to the varying soil moisture levels in natural fields. Root anatomy is determined by the balance of tissue areas and chemical compositions of some specialised cells and varies among plant species and growth conditions. We identified key root anatomical features that contribute to the adaptive responses of two Phragmites species and proposed a model to adapt to drought and/or flooding stresses caused by ongoing climate change.
This article belongs to the Collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.) is a most popular flowering potted plant. However, it has been poorly studied at the physiological and molecular level. The bulky aerial roots of Phalaenopsis have a large diameter and are possibly photosynthetically active. Here, we present evidence demonstrating that root photosynthesis prevents hypoxia in the root tissue. Our results support the existence of hypoxic niches in plant roots and highlight the existence of mechanisms to modulate the intensity of hypoxia.
This article belongs to the Collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
The outer apoplastic barriers in roots are beneficial for plants growing in flooded soils and could also increase salinity and drought tolerance. We discuss how the outer aposplastic barriers support plant resilience during flooding and new discoveries in relation to conditions of water deficit. We also highlight the mechanisms by which the barrier helps during flooding or drought, the current understanding of its genetic regulation, and the potential side-effects of this trait in various circumstances and in different scenarios.
This article belongs to the collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Wild ancestors of wetland plants have adapted to flooding stress. However, the growth and development of rice (Oryza spp.) can still be impaired by flooding. We reviewed the latest research on rice with focus on root and shoot traits conferring tolerance to partial or complete submergence. These findings pave the way for breeding modern high-yielding rice cultivars showing tolerance not only to submergence but also to other types of abiotic stress such as drought and salinised soils.
This article belongs to the Collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Recovery growth after submergence (partial and complete) distinguished Lotus tenuis accessions as more tolerant than L. corniculatus. L. tenuis showed positive correlations between recovery and leaf mass fraction, in contrast to L. corniculatus. Adaptability to both partial and complete submergence scenarios was observed in L. tenuis accessions, whereas L. corniculatus accessions appeared better suited for partial submergence.
This article belongs to the collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Underwater germination is a risky decision for seeds so it must be controlled by the perception of cues forecasting a friendly environment for seedling growth in flooded environments. We discovered that high-amplitude alternating temperatures and seed priming increase underwater germination in Junglerice, a noxious crop weed. Our research teaches us more about how weed seeds in flooded crops germinate underwater thus taking advantage of a less competitive environment.
This article belongs to the collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Black-grass is a problematic weed of winter wheat. To better understand if waterlogging tolerance increases its weediness, we conducted controlled waterlogging studies comparing the physiology and molecular responses of black-grass and wheat. These revealed differences in roots and aerial tissues within and between species. Molecular analyses showed that wheat mounts a significant molecular response, altering gene expression and metabolites with waterlogging, whereas black-grass showed minimal responses to waterlogging despite its apparent tolerance.
This article belongs to the Collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
Flooding is a predominant abiotic stress for cultivated plants. We investigated the bacterial microbiome of barley grains with a different capacity to germinate during a recovery period after flooding. Our results support the hypothesis that bacterial microbiota may contribute to a successful germination and seedling establishment after flooding events.
This article belongs to the Collection Flooding Stress and Hypoxic Responses in Plants.
