Call for articles – Root responses to multifactorial environmental constraints

Roots naturally encounter a variable chemical, physical and biotic environment in time and space. If these environmental factors exceed the normal range overcoming plant adaptive capacity, they are considered as stressors challenging plant fitness.

There is currently a gap between our mechanistic understanding of plant responses to variation of single factor in a controlled laboratory environment and the multifactorial stimuli they encounter in a natural environment. Bridging the gap between mono-factorial studies and environmental complexity is an urgent need.

Recently, a significant and increasing body of research addressed plant performance in response to bi- or multifactorial stress combinations. Although these studies mostly focus on the easily accessible shoots, the need to understand combinatorial stress effects is important for roots as well. Only then can we predict root pattern formation and physiological foraging behaviour in complex environments such as soils.

This Special Issue will focus on the responses of roots to multifactorial abiotic stress effects, such as deficiencies/surplus of nutrients, exposure to toxic metals and metalloids, temperature, drought and salinity.

We welcome studies that address the effects of combinations of these parameters and elucidate synergistic, antagonistic or neutral relationships beyond pure description of phenomenology. In addition to establishing the basal growth performance, the combinatorial interaction could be analysed using targeted approaches or with omics technologies that nowadays reach unique sensitivity. Imaging methodologies provide access to cellular and subcellular molecular processes or nutrient distribution.

We look forward to your exciting contributions.

All submissions need to be sent via Wiley’s Research Exchange submission portal: wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/PPL.

Deadline: 30th November 2025

Good to know: no publication fee and free to view for two months (from Issue compilation)

 

 

Special Issue editors: