Research Progress on Plant Responses to Stress Combinations in the Context of Climate Change

Abstract

In the context of climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing, environmental pollution and global warming are exacerbated by anthropogenic activities, and plants will experience a more complex and variable environment of stress combinations. Research on plant responses to stress combinations is crucial for the development and utilization of climate-adaptive plants. Recently, the concept of stress combinations has been expanded from simple to multifactorial stress combinations (MFSCs). Researchers have realized the complexity and necessity of stress combination research and have extensively employed composite gradient methods, multi-omics techniques, and interdisciplinary approaches to integrate laboratory and field experiments. Researchers have studied the response mechanisms of plant reactive oxygen species (ROS), phytohormones, transcription factors (TFs), and other response mechanisms under stress combinations and reached some generalized conclusions. In this article, we focus on the research progress and methodological dynamics of plant responses to stress combinations and propose key scientific questions that are crucial to address, in the context of plant responses to stress assemblages, conserving biodiversity, and ensuring food security. We can enhance the search for universal pathways, identify targets for stress combinations, explore adaptive genetic responses, and leverage high-technology research. This is in pursuit of cultivating plants with greater tolerance to stress combinations and enabling their adaptation to and mitigation of the impacts of climate change.