Soil salinization is related to a progressive accumulation of salt reducing plant growth and productivity, and it is also one of the main causes of the loss of arable land, threatening global food security. Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be also used to improve crop resilience in saline soils and counteract their deleterious effects. The aim of our study was to physiologically, genetically, and biochemically characterize four halophilic/halotolerant bacterial strains isolated from the rhizospheres of either maize or quinoa, and to evaluate their potential as PGPR under saline conditions. The isolated strains belong to the genera Bacillus and Halomonas, two taxa known for their ability to produce plant-growth-promoting factors such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, phosphatases, or ACC deaminase. In our case, it was observed that the production of these compounds and enzymes varies in relation to the NaCl concentration and bacterial strain used. Specifically, the production of IAA was promoted by the presence of NaCl by Halomonas sp., whilst the opposite was true for Bacillus sp. Moreover, our research also aimed to conduct an in vivo assay of their PGP features, inoculating tomato seedlings and growing them under saline stress. At the end of the experiment, morphometric and biomass data were collected, showing an increase in root length and fresh weight in the case of PGPR inoculum with respect to the control. To date, this study is still ongoing; we are investigating oxidative stress and tomato epigenetic modifications caused by both salt and bacterial consortium. Furthermore, the data obtained in our work have allowed us to prove that the bacteria were, effectively, PGPR; however, further studies are needed to evaluate their potential usefulness in biotechnological applications aimed to counteract saline stress on agricultural crops.

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) offers innovative strategies for optimizing crop production and nutritional quality. Specific features of halophytes, such as the ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum), require diverse cultivation conditions compared to leafy vegetables grown in CEA. This study aimed to assess how light intensity, spectrum, and photoperiod, as well as the pH and salinity of the nutrient solution, affect the growth, macro (P, K, Mg, Ca) and micro (Fe, Mn, Na, Zn) element content, and the elements' distribution in the leaves and roots of the ice plant. Ice plants were grown in walk-in chambers, and five cultivation experiments were performed, comparing the impact of (I) photosynthetically active photon flux densities (PPFDs) of 150, 200, 250, and 300 µmol m^-2 s^-1 over a 16 h photoperiod; (II) the spectral composition of red (R), blue (B), RB, and RBFR (far-red) at 250 µmol m^-2 s^-1 and a 16 h photoperiod; (III) 12 h, 16 h, and 24 h photoperiods at 250 µmol m-2 s-1; (IV) hydroponic solutions of pH 5.0-5.5, 5.5-6.0, and 6.0-6.5, and (V) hydroponic solution salinity concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM L^-1 NaCl under optimized lighting conditions. Other cultivation parameters were kept constant in all experiments. The results demonstrate that ice plant biomass productivity is resilient to different lighting and hydroponic cultivation conditions in CEA; however, the lighting conditions significantly affect Mg and Ca contents in plant leaves, while hydroponic nutrient solution pH and salinity have selective effects for different mineral nutrients.

Protein-rich food resources are garnering more interest in Europe as an alternative protein source, especially in modern diets (vegetarians, vegans, healthy diets). Legumes have become more attractive for agronomists, especially with their nitrogen-fixing ability and the following implications on the cereal–legume crop rotation in terms of lowering nitrogen demands and sustaining soil health. In Hungary, chickpea cultivation is not documented nowadays, and the possibility of cultivating chickpea as a second crop in the summer after harvesting and before sowing winter wheat is not yet studied. Moreover, whether supplemental irrigation can enhance the physiological and, hence, the seed yield and/or quality under the well-documented drought conditions in the country is not clear. An experiment was carried out in 2024 at the experimental garden of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management of the University of Debrecen, with the aim of analyzing the physiological response of three chickpea varieties sown in the summer after wheat harvesting in comparison with the traditional sowing date in spring under supplemental irrigation conditions. The results showed that supplemental irrigation significantly increased leaf area index (LAI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and biomass in the “Elmo” variety only. Plant height, LAI, NDVI, biomass, and flower number per plant were significantly higher in all three varieties sown in spring. However, the number of pods per plant and photosynthetic pigment content (chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, and total carotenoids) did not differ significantly between the two sowing dates. Moreover, the number of days until flowering decreased significantly in all three varieties sown late. It could be concluded that supplemental irrigation for chickpea in the studied area might be unnecessary, regardless of sowing date. The possibility of the late sowing of chickpea seems promising, as the number of pods, one of the main yield component traits, was not affected by the late sowing date.

Acknowledgements: Implemented and supported by National Research, Development and Innovation Fund (Project no. MEC-R 149328) and the Publication Science Support Program of the University of Debrecen.

Climate change is a major challenge to agricultural development and ensuring enough food for a growing world population. For this reason, many models have been proposed in the past that could help plants adapt to drought caused by climate change, but none are sufficient to solve this worldwide growing problem completely.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is among the most common and widely used crops worldwide. Improving wheat drought stress tolerance is a very challenging task, and more research is necessary, since many parts of the world depend on this crop for food and feed.

Our current work is focused on the influence of probiotic microorganisms in combination with calcium salts on the physiological and biochemical metabolic pathways that wheat uses when exposed to drought stress and on the analysis of gene expression levels that contribute to wheat drought tolerance.

The research was carried out in the laboratory, under controlled conditions, simulating a prolonged drought from 6 to 18 days. Seedlings were treated with different probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus paracasei, and some yeast) separately and in combination with each other in 10⁵ CFU/ml concentrations for seed priming, and later in the same concentration for seedling spraying. In total, 70 g/m² CaCO₃ or 10 g/m² CaCl₂ was added to the soil. Almost all tested compounds improved plant growth and had a positive effect on long-term drought resistance in winter wheat. Bacillus subtilis + CaCl₂ had the greatest effect on maintaining the relative leaf water content (RWC) and growth parameters close to those of irrigated plants along with lower levels of drought-induced gene expression.

This study showed that using some probiotics in combination with calcium salts can activate the defense reactions of plants in response to drought.

To address genetic vulnerability and maximize the genetic gain of modern crop cultivars in the era of climate change, one of the approaches is to utilize new and diverse sources of variations. The crop wild relatives (CWRs) continue to evolve under diverse natural conditions and thus have developed many useful traits, such as high levels of resistance/tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses. Utilizing these CWRs in crop improvement programs can enhance the productivity and resilience of cultivated crops. Systematic and focused pre-breeding using CWRs at ICRISAT led to the creation of new variability for further use in breeding programs for improving mandate crops such as pigeonpea, chickpea, peanut, and pearl millet. Development of pre-breeding lines with improved pod borer tolerance in pigeonpea, late leaf spot resistance in peanut, blast resistance in pearl millet, and botrytis grey mould resistance in chickpea are some of the successful examples of using CWRs in crop improvement programs. The Crop Wild Relatives Project (Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting, and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives) [http://cwr.croptrust.org/] and the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods, and Development (BOLD) Project [https://bold.croptrust.org/] brought together researchers, plant breeders, and farmers to collect, conserve, and use the wild relatives of priority crops to help future-proof the world’s food supplies. Several success stories and impacts have already been generated. The pre-breeding lines developed under these projects can be readily utilized in breeding programs to develop new climate-resilient high-yielding cultivars with a broad genetic base. Under the BOLD Rice project in Vietnam, for example, farmers organized in seed clubs are evaluating rice pre-breeding lines derived from CWR in on-farm trials. The first CWR-derived varieties are currently being released.

Climate change presents significant challenges for the agri-food sector, particularly drought, which is characterized by extended periods of water scarcity and severely impacts crop productivity and food security. To counter these effects, the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is essential. While drought stress has been extensively studied during the vegetative and reproductive stages, its impact on germination remains poorly studied. Therefore, this work proposes to investigate the effects of drought at the germination stage in a collection of Italian maize varieties. The objectives of the work include (1) identification of maize varieties susceptible or tolerant to drought, and (2) the development of sustainable protocols to improve seed germination under drought. The treatments include using plant-derived biostimulants (PBs), natural substances that can enhance plant growth and stress resilience. PBs are employed for seed priming, a method developed to improve germination performance. PBs from red chicory and cauliflower waste products are obtained and applied as seed priming agents to investigate drought resilience at the germination stage in maize. Germination efficiency is monitored for 14 days under soil drought stress under controlled conditions. Multiple germination parameters (percentage, speed, synchrony, uniformity, and seedling growth) are monitored to evaluate the effects of priming treatments and drought levels. Preliminary results evidence that PBs improve seed germinability under drought stress. This work is part of the project NODES, which has received funding from the MUR – M4C2 1.5 of PNRR funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU (Grant agreement no. ECS00000036).

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a globally grown pseudocereal and its consumption offers potential health benefits. It is also grown as a natural form of control against weeds, pests, and plant diseases. It is an excellent honey plant, and it is known as a green manure and cover crop. In general, it effectively competes with weeds, but heavy infestation affects seed production. The cultivar 'Hajnalka' was sown on 24 May 2023 at Nyíregyháza (Hungary). Flurochloridone (2 L ha^-1) and S-metolachlor (1.4 L ha^-1) were applied on the day of sowing. Other herbicides were applied post-emergence, alone or in combination, including 2,4-D (1 L ha^-1), clopyralid (0.2 L ha^-1), halauxifen-methyl + clopyralid (0.75 and 1 L ha^-1), metribuzin (0.3 and 0.4 L ha^-1), sulfosulfuron (8 and 10 g ha^-1), triflusulfuron-methyl (25 g ha^-1), thifensulfuron-methyl (15 g ha^-1), mesotrione (0.25 L ha^-1), and terbuthylazine + mesotrione + S-metolachlor (4 L ha^-1). Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data were collected throughout the growing season, and phytotoxicity was also assessed. Weed counts were taken per plot to assess herbicide efficacy, and the contamination of the harvested crop was determined. Several treatments caused strong phytotoxicity, most notably 2,4-D, with a significantly higher phytotoxicity score than many other treatments. Based on NDVI values and phytotoxicity scores, several of the active substances were considered safe, but in terms of seed yield, the S-metolachlor treatment was the best. A negative correlation was detected between NDVI values and visually recorded phytotoxicity scores (r = -0.644). Conversely, a positive correlation was found between NDVI values and seed yield (r = 0.410). This study concluded that further testing of flurochloridone, S-metolachlor, clopyralid, and metribuzin is strongly recommended.

Funding: Project C1771371 has been implemented with the support provided by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund, financed under the KDP-2021 funding scheme.

This review leverages multi-omics approaches to explore the environmental and genetic regulation of melon traits, focusing on a near-isogenic line (NIL) of melon with an introgression in linkage group X (LG X). We examine the effects of this introgression on texture, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and gene expression, presenting a comprehensive overview of molecular mechanisms that govern melon quality and how these interact with seasonal conditions and genetic factors. In comparing NIL SC10-2 with its parental ‘Piel de Sapo’ (PS) line, significant differences in texture and VOC concentrations at harvest were observed across seasons. SC10-2 showed higher whole-fruit hardness, flesh firmness, and fibrousness but lower juiciness than PS. While environmental conditions had a larger impact on VOCs than on textural traits, specific VOCs and potential quantitative trait loci (QTL) in LG X were pinpointed as key aroma contributors. Transcriptomic analysis during ripening indicated that SC10-2 maintained higher flesh firmness and lower juiciness than PS, alongside decreased respiration and ethylene production rates. Differential gene expression analysis identified 909 genes linked to the introgression that influence ripening and quality traits. Several key genes, including CmTrpD, CmNADH1, CmTCP15, CmGDSL esterase/lipase, CmHK4-like, and CmNAC18, were implicated in controlling these traits. Integrating data from genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and phenomics, this review underscores the complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors in shaping melon quality. These findings offer valuable insights for breeding programs aimed at enhancing melon traits to adapt to diverse climatic conditions.