Foliar application of Trichoderma harzianum cell‑free culture filtrates (CF) increased fruit yield, root growth, and photosynthesis in a commercial tomato cultivar under prolonged water deficit in a Mediterranean greenhouse. Integrated physiological, metabolite, and transcriptomic analyses revealed that CF mitigated drought‑induced changes, suppressing about half of water‑stress responsive genes, thereby reducing the plant’s transcriptional sensitivity to water scarcity.

The study identifies the transcription factor MdBRC1 as a key inhibitor of bud growth during the ecodormancy phase in apple (Malus domestica), directly regulating dormancy‑associated genes and interacting with the flowering promoter MdFT2 to modulate bud break. Comparative transcriptomic analysis and gain‑of‑function experiments in poplar demonstrate that MdFT2 physically binds MdBRC1, attenuating its repressive activity and acting as a molecular switch for the transition to active growth.

Field trials of Pongamia pinnata in two subtropical Queensland sites revealed rapid biomass accumulation (13–19 kg per tree over 3–4 years) and high carbon sequestration (2.9–4.0 t C ha⁻¹) even on nutrient‑poor soils. Growth variability correlated with the maternal seed source, highlighting the importance of elite genetic material, and seedlings displayed strong drought tolerance.

The study introduced full-length SOC1 genes from maize and soybean, and a partial SOC1 gene from blueberry, into tomato plants under constitutive promoters. While VcSOC1K and ZmSOC1 accelerated flowering, all three transgenes increased fruit number per plant mainly by promoting branching, and transcriptomic profiling revealed alterations in flowering, growth, and stress‑response pathways.

Loss‑of‑function mutations in the drought‑induced genes GASA3 and AFP1 confer enhanced drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana, primarily through smaller stomatal apertures and increased ABA accumulation via hydrolysis of ABA‑GE. Constitutive overexpression of these genes heightens drought sensitivity, indicating that the AFP1/GASA3 module negatively regulates stomatal closure and ABA signaling.

The study reanalyzed 1,107 public grapevine RNA‑seq datasets to build condition‑specific gene expression atlases and a whole‑genome co‑expression network associated with drought stress, and deployed these resources via a web‑based Hydric Stress Atlas App. Network topology analysis identified candidate hub genes that could serve as molecular markers or targets for gene editing to improve drought tolerance in Vitis vinifera.

The study generated wheat (Triticum aestivum) mutants with targeted deletions in the SAL gene family (TaSAL1 and TaSAL2) to assess the impact of chloroplast-to-nucleus retrograde signaling on field performance. Across 15 diverse Australian field trials, TaSAL2 deletions conferred 4–8% higher yields and improved water productivity by maintaining photosynthetic efficiency and dynamic stomatal control under drought, whereas TaSAL1 deletions reduced yields. These results demonstrate that locus‑specific retrograde signaling modifications can simultaneously enhance yield and stress resilience in a major crop.

The study evaluated high‑throughput spectroscopy and poro‑fluorometry to predict leaf morphological and ecophysiological traits in a grapevine diversity panel under well‑watered and drought conditions. Spectroscopy reliably estimated leaf mass per area and water content, while poro‑fluorometry accurately predicted net CO2 assimilation, and the derived predicted traits showed substantial broad‑sense heritability. These results demonstrate that non‑destructive, rapid phenotyping tools can support genetic analyses of drought‑related traits in grapevine.