Stress combinations and their interactions in crop plants

Combined stresses are a common occurrence in agricultural fields. There is a pressing need for empirical understanding of the plant responses and find ways to develop stress tolerant plants and stress management strategies to tackle combined stresses in the field conditions. Here a comprehensive overview of the current understating and recent research on combined stress interactions in plants are presented. Here we comprehend the findings from various studies focusing on different aspects of combined stress, including abiotic-abiotic, abiotic-biotic, and biotic-biotic stress interactions. In general, the studies discussed here highlight the escalating impact of climate change on plants, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of plant responses to concurrent abiotic and biotic stresses. Key findings from the articles published in this issue, include the adverse effects of combined drought and high-temperature stress on crop growth and yield, the exacerbation of pathogen impacts under abiotic stresses, and the potential for melatonin and salicylic acid to mitigate stress-induced damage. Additionally, use of model systems for quicker understanding of combined stress responses and development of methods and technologies which can be extrapolated to crop plants are discussed. Overall, findings from the articles from this special issue underscore the complexity of combined stress interactions in plants and highlight the importance of interdisciplinary research efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change and ensure global food security.