Stress Biology - Call for Papers --- Special Issue "Nanotechnology for Enhancing Stress Resistance/Tolerance in Plants"

Due to global warming, changes in land use and intensified agricultural practices, plants are increasingly confronted with abiotic stresses such as drought, heavy metal contamination, salinity and extreme temperatures, and biotic stresses such as diseases, insect pests and parasitic weeds. These challenges can significantly impact crop yield and quality, thus severely threatening sustainable agriculture. To promote agricultural production, it is imperative to employ various strategies to increase resistance/tolerance of plants to these stresses.

Nanotechnology, which utilizes engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), can activate plant defense systems for resistance/tolerance of plants to both abiotic and biotic stresses, and thus offers a great potential for increasing agricultural production. Although a significant progress has been achieved in this field over the past decade, molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying activation of plant defense systems by ENMs are not fully understood.

This special issue aims to publish research works that uncover the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which ENMs activate the plant defense systems to cope with abiotic and biotic stresses. Original research papers, reviews, and short communications can be submitted to the special issue.

Guest Editor: Dr. Zhenggao Xiao (E-mail: zhenggao.xiao@jiangnan.edu.cn), Jiangnan University, China

Co-Guest Editor: Dr. Xiaohong Pan (E-mail: panxiaohong@163.com), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China

Submission Deadline: 30 September 2025