Immune-metabolic crop management through phase-timed anti-stress interventions

Aim. To develop a phase–time management (PTM) framework linking the efficiency of stress-protective interventions to plant physiological state, and to define phase-specific protocols with verifiable field predictions. Methods. System analysis of plant molecular physiology literature, conceptual modelling of the SA–JA/ET–ABA–TOR multistable signalling network, comparative evaluation of stress modulators across plant states, and formulation of experimentally testable hypotheses for field validation. Results. The PTM concept is based on immune-metabolic multistability with five attractor states (S₁–S₅), hysteresis of signalling transitions, and defined sensitivity windows (PSW, RSW, BSW). Three phase-specific protocols are proposed: (A) cytokinin application during post-ABA recovery phase resulting in + 15% grain yield; (B) glycine betaine applied 72 h before stress preserving ≥ 40% cell wall invertase activity; (C) melatonin + nitrate applied after herbicide stress reducing SnRK1-dominant state duration by 2–3 days. Field diagnostic markers include Fv/Fm, leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, and leaf temperature. Conclusions. PTM represents a novel systems-level agronomic framework integrating plant physiological state into the timing and selection of stress-protective interventions. Proper alignment of compound, dose, and sensitivity window improves ROI to 9:1–15:1 compared to reactive management.