The study used host-mediated artificial selection to iteratively enrich rice-associated microbiomes that improve growth and drought tolerance, starting from diverse soil microbial communities. Over multiple generations, selected microbiomes converged, and amplicon sequencing along with metagenome-assembled genomes identified specific bacterial taxa and functional pathways (e.g., glycerol-3-phosphate and iron transport) linked to enhanced drought performance. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of plant phenotype-driven microbiome engineering for crop improvement.

The study mapped drought‑responsive gene regulatory networks in Arabidopsis thaliana, its tolerant relative Arabidopsis lyrata, and Eutrema salsugineum using yeast one‑hybrid screens of orthologous promoters, revealing higher network connectivity and specific TF‑promoter interactions in the tolerant species. Notable findings include an Esa‑specific expansion of bZIP interactions, differential ABA‑signalling edges, and the identification of ASIL2 as a novel stress‑responsive factor, providing a comparative framework for improving crop drought tolerance.

The study evaluated drought tolerance and yield stability of eleven Andean amaranth genotypes (A. caudatus and A. mantegazzianus) across four agroecological zones in Northwest Argentina under irrigated and drought‑stressed conditions. Using linear mixed models and AMMI analysis, significant genotype and genotype‑by‑environment effects were detected, identifying several breeding lines with high yield and stability as well as a highly stable but low‑yielding landrace. The results highlight both broad and specific adaptation among amaranth genotypes for drought‑prone environments.

The study presents a high-quality genome assembly for the nickel hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens and uses it as a reference for comparative transcriptomic analyses across different N. caerulescens accessions and the non‑accumulating relative Microthlaspi perfoliatum. It identifies a limited set of metal transporters (NcHMA3, NcHMA4, NcIREG2, and NcIRT1) whose elevated expression correlates with hyperaccumulation, and demonstrates that frameshift mutations in NcIRT1 can abolish the trait, indicating an ancient, transporter‑driven origin of nickel hyperaccumulation.

The study used a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify 52 wheat proteins that interact with the inositol pyrophosphate kinase TaVIH2-3B, highlighting the fasciclin‑like arabinogalactan protein TaFLA7 as a key partner involved in cell‑wall functions. Pulldown assays and reporter fusion analyses confirmed the interaction and plasma‑membrane localization of TaFLA7, which is modulated by TaVIH2‑3B activity and shows drought‑responsive and grain‑development expression in wheat.

Double mutant hybrids in the miR394‑regulated genes ZmLCR1 and ZmLCR2, created in a W22/B73 maize background, display enhanced drought tolerance through increased epicuticular wax and reduced ROS production, while maintaining normal flowering and nutrition. Under field rainfed conditions the mutants achieve significantly higher yields (greater ear weight and kernel number) compared to wild‑type hybrids.

The study used RNA-Seq to examine transcriptional responses to dehydration in seedlings of the drought‑tolerant oak Quercus douglasii, comparing dry‑down and well‑watered treatments. Few genes were differentially expressed, but many drought‑responsive genes showed high constitutive expression, indicating that Q. douglasii relies on a combination of constitutive expression and limited plasticity to tolerate drought.

The study investigated the five Arabidopsis SCAMP proteins, focusing on SCAMP5, and identified conserved tyrosine and NPF motifs that mediate anterograde transport and endocytosis, respectively. SCAMPs were shown to dimerize at the plasma membrane and endosomes, interact with plasma‑membrane aquaporins, and their loss (triple and quintuple mutants) conferred mild developmental delay but increased drought tolerance, likely via altered PIP trafficking or stability.

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.