Progress and Prospects of Concurrent or Combined Stress Studies in Plants

Abstract

Plants growing under field conditions are often exposed to multiple abiotic and biotic stresses occurring simultaneously or sequentially. Biotic stressors often interact with abiotic stressors at the plant interphase, which makes the impact of their combination on plants remarkably variable, though differing with order and intensity of stresses, as well as plant species and pathotypes. In this article, we examine the major abiotic stress combinations, as well as abiotic‐biotic stress combinations, and physiological and molecular responses of plants to these combined stresses. Utilizing the available literature, information on the phenomic and transcriptomic response of plants to the combined abiotic and biotic stresses, and the cross‐talk during signalling is reviewed. A succinct discussion on the scope and application of combined abiotic and biotic stress studies highlighting major gaps and novel avenues for further research is articulated.

Heat and drought induced transcriptomic changes in barley varieties with contrasting stress response phenotypes

“…This clearly demonstrates that combined stress is not just an additive effect of heat and drought, but barley plants perceive this as a new threat. Combined heat and drought stress has been shown to evoke such massive transcriptional responses in other plants as well ( Mahalingam, 2015 ; Mahalingam et al., 2021 ).…”

“…Among the most consequential impacts of the ongoing global climate change, drought and high temperatures will adversely affect agricultural production world-wide ( Fedoroff et al., 2010 ; Mahalingam et al., 2021 ). While singly occurring drought or heat stress can lead to yield reduction, the concomitant occurrence of these two abiotic stressors in field can be devastating ( Barnabas et al., 2008 ; Awasthi et al., 2014 ; Cohen et al., 2021 ).…”

“…For breeding climate change resilient crop plants, a better understanding of the responses to combined drought and heat stress is important ( Zandalinas et al., 2018 ). Responses to combined drought and heat stress in different crop species have previously been reviewed recently ( Mahalingam et al., 2021 ). Combined heat and drought stress generate unique metabolic signatures in maize that are otherwise unaffected when the stressors are applied singly ( Obata et al., 2015 ).…”

Stress combinations and their interactions in plants database: a one‐stop resource on combined stress responses in plants

“…Plants are often exposed to combinations of stresses during their life cycle, and increasing evidence highlights that combined stress is a more potent and realistic threat to plant growth and productivity than individual stresses (Ahuja et al., 2010; Atkinson & Urwin, 2012; Desaint et al., 2021; Sinha et al., 2021; Zandalinas, Fritschi, et al., 2021; Zandalinas, Sengupta, et al., 2021). Considerable information on plant stress has accumulated over the years, but current understanding of the physiological and molecular responses of plants to combined stress is inadequate (Mahalingam et al., 2021; Pandey et al., 2017; Zandalinas, Fritschi, et al., 2020; Zandalinas & Mittler, 2022). Combined stress studies, although under‐represented compared to individual stress studies, entail voluminous and highly complex information on molecular mechanisms of plant defense (Cohen et al., 2021; Zandalinas, Fichman, et al., 2020; Zandalinas, Fritschi, et al., 2021).…”

Registration of Golden Promise/Otis barley recombinant inbred line mapping population

“…Despite its importance especially to the malting and brewing industry, in recent decades barley cultivation is declining, partly owing to the lack of private sector investment and competition with economically more lucrative crops such as corn ( Zea mays L.) and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Climate change, especially the concurrently increasing temperature and reduced water availability due to insufficient rainfall, during the reproductive stages of plants are detrimental to crop yields in general (Mahalingam et al., 2021). Short‐term heat and drought stress (3–5 days) during heading stages in malting barley ( Hordeum vulgare ssp.…”