Phosphorus (P), an essential macronutrient, plays a pivotal role in the growth and development of plants. However, the limited availability of phosphorus in soil presents significant challenges for crop productivity, especially when plants are subjected to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and extreme temperatures. Unraveling the intricate mechanisms through which phosphorus participates in the physiological responses of plants to abiotic stresses is essential to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production systems. This review aims to analyze the influence of phosphorus supply on various aspects of plant growth and plant development under hostile environmental conditions, with a special emphasis on stomatal development and operation. Furthermore, we discuss recently discovered genes associated with P-dependent stress regulation and evaluate the feasibility of implementing P-based agricultural practices to mitigate the adverse effects of abiotic stress. Our objective is to provide molecular and physiological insights into the role of P in regulating plants’ tolerance to abiotic stresses, underscoring the significance of efficient P use strategies for agricultural sustainability. The potential benefits and limitations of P-based strategies and future research directions are also discussed.

The greatest challenge for the agriculture sector in the twenty-first century is to increase agricultural production to feed the burgeoning global population while maintaining soil health and the integrity of the agroecosystem. Currently, the application of biochar is widely implemented as an effective means for boosting sustainable agriculture while having a negligible influence on ecosystems and the environment. In comparison to traditional biochar, nano-biochar (nano-BC) boasts enhanced specific surface area, adsorption capacity, and mobility properties within soil, allowing it to promote soil properties, crop growth, and environmental remediation. Additionally, carbon sequestration and reduction of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture can be achieved with nano-BC applications, contributing to climate change mitigation. Nonetheless, due to cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and environmental friendliness, waste-derived nano-BC may emerge as the most viable alternative to conventional waste management strategies, contributing to the circular bioeconomy and the broader goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, it's important to note that research on nano-BC is still in its nascent stages. Potential risks, including toxicity in aquatic and terrestrial environments, necessitate extensive field investigations. This review delineates the potential of waste-derived nano-BC for sustainable agriculture and environmental applications, outlining current advancements, challenges, and possibilities in the realms from a sustainability and circular bioeconomy standpoint.

The application of polyploidy in sustainable agriculture has already brought much appreciation among researchers. Polyploidy may occur naturally or can be induced in the laboratory using chemical or gaseous agents and results in complete chromosome nondisjunction. This comprehensive review described the potential of polyploidization on plants, especially its role in crop improvement for enhanced production and host-plant resistance development against pests and diseases. An in-depth investigation on techniques used in the induction of polyploidy, cytogenetic evaluation methods of different ploidy levels, application, and current research trends is also presented. Ongoing research has mainly aimed to bring the recurrence in polyploidy, which is usually detected by flow cytometry, chromosome counting, and cytogenetic techniques such as fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Polyploidy can bring about positive consequences in the growth and yield attributes of crops, making them more tolerant to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the unexpected change in chromosome set and lack of knowledge on the mechanism of stress alleviation is hindering the application of polyploidy on a large scale. Moreover, a lack of cost–benefit analysis and knowledge gaps on the socio-economic implication are predominant. Further research on polyploidy coupling with modern genomic technologies will help to bring real-world market prospects in the era of changing climate. This review on polyploidy provides a solid foundation to do next-generation research on crop improvement.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a popular nutritious vegetable crop grown in Malaysia and other parts of the world. However, fungal diseases such as anthracnose pose significant threats to tomato production by reducing the fruit quality and food value of tomato, resulting in lower market prices of the crop globally. In the present study, the etiology of tomato anthracnose was investigated in commercial tomato farms in Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 22 fungal isolates were obtained from anthracnosed tomato fruits and identified as Colletotrichum species, using morphological characteristics. The phylogenetic relationships of multiple gene sequence alignments such as internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (tub2), glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh), actin (act), and calmodulin (cal), were adopted to accurately identify the Colletotrichum species as C. truncatum. The results of pathogenicity tests revealed that all C. truncatum isolates caused anthracnose disease symptoms on inoculated tomato fruits. To our knowledge, the present study is the first report of tomato anthracnose caused by C. truncatum in Malaysia. The findings of this study will be helpful in disease monitoring, and the development of strategies for effective control of anthracnose on tomato fruits.