Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) modulate the abundance and spatial–temporal accumulation of target mRNAs and indirectly regulate several plant processes. Transcriptional regulation of the genes encoding miRNAs (MIR genes) can be activated by numerous transcription factors, which themselves are regulated by other miRNAs. Fine‐tuning of MIR genes or miRNAs is a powerful biotechnological strategy to improve tolerance to abiotic or biotic stresses in crops of economic importance. Current approaches for miRNA fine‐tuning are based on the down‐ or up‐regulation of MIR gene transcription and the use of genetic engineering tools to manipulate the final concentration of these miRNAs in the cytoplasm. Transgenesis, cisgenesis, intragenesis, artificial MIR genes, endogenous and artificial target mimicry, MIR genes editing using Meganucleases, ZNF proteins, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 or CRISPR/Cpf1, CRISPR/dCas9 or dCpf1, CRISPR13a, topical delivery of miRNAs and epigenetic memory have been successfully explored to MIR gene or miRNA modulation and improve agronomic traits in several model or crop plants. However, advantages and drawbacks of each of these new biotechnological tools (NBTs) are still not well understood. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the biogenesis and role of miRNAs in response to abiotic or biotic stresses, we present critically the main NBTs used for the manipulation of MIR genes and miRNAs, we show current efforts and findings with the MIR genes and miRNAs modulation in plants, and we summarize the advantages and drawbacks of these NBTs and provide some alternatives to overcome. Finally, challenges and future perspectives to miRNA modulating in important crops are also discussed.

Real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) expression analysis is a powerful analytical technique, but reliable results depend on the use of stable reference genes for proper normalization. This study proposed to test the expression stability of 13 candidate reference genes in Setaria viridis, a monocot species recently proposed as a new C4 model plant. Gene expression stability of these genes was assayed across different tissues and developmental stages of Setaria and under drought or aluminum stress. In general, our results showed Protein Kinase, RNA Binding Protein and SDH as the most stable genes. Moreover, pairwise analysis showed that two reference genes were sufficient to normalize the gene expression data under each condition. By contrast, GAPDH and ACT were the least stably expressed genes tested. Validation of suitable reference genes was carried out to profile the expression of P5CS and GolS during abiotic stress. In addition, normalization of gene expression of SuSy, involved in sugar metabolism, was assayed in the developmental dataset. This study provides a list of reliable reference genes for transcript normalization in S. viridis in different tissues and stages of development and under abiotic stresses, which will facilitate genetic studies in this monocot model plant.

The world’s population is expected to grow by 30%–35% over the next 60 years. Forecasts indicate that the world’s population will reach almost 10 billion by 2050, with India and China as the most populous countries. As a result, the demand for global food production, particularly protein and dairy products, and their nutritional quality will need to increase by 50%–75%. In addition to increasing food production, it is also necessary to consider and reduce the impact on the environment and ecosystem. On the one hand, the threat of climate change, the reduction of arable land for agricultural expansion, the economic impact of geopolitical conflicts, the human and animal health pandemics, the conjuncture of the domestic political environments, and the demand for new technologies are the main bottlenecks to increasing sustainable food production worldwide. In contrast, notable technological advances have been achieved in current agriculture through basic and advanced scientific research, development, innovation, and technology transfer to the agribusiness sector. Technological advances in various sectors will become increasingly important to increase food production and minimize environmental impacts. This review study briefly highlights the major technological advances in world agriculture that have contributed to the substantial increase in food production from the early days of extractive agriculture to high-performance agriculture. It then highlights the key breakthroughs, disruptive technologies, the impact of climate change on agriculture, and contributions from molecular sciences that are revolutionizing global agriculture, focusing on Brazilian agriculture, livestock, and agribusiness. Subsequently, the evolution of Brazilian agriculture is highlighted based on the market share of agricultural products and its relevance to the national GDP. Finally, the potential decision-making that could have a positive impact on the Brazilian agribusiness sector and that will affect the import and export of agribusiness products were addressed. Therefore, the importance of supporting the agribusiness sector to increase healthy food production with higher nutritional quality and with less impact on the environment and human life was highlighted.

Grapevine (Vitis spp.) is a major vegetative propagated fruit crop with high socioeconomic importance worldwide. It is susceptible to several graft-transmitted agents that cause several diseases and substantial crop losses, reducing fruit quality and plant vigor, and shorten the longevity of vines. The vegetative propagation and frequent exchanges of propagative material among countries contribute to spread these pathogens, favoring the emergence of complex diseases. Its perennial life cycle further accelerates the mixing and introduction of several viral agents into a single plant. Currently, approximately 65 viruses belonging to different families have been reported infecting grapevines, but not all cause economically relevant diseases. The grapevine leafroll, rugose wood complex, leaf degeneration and fleck diseases are the four main disorders having worldwide economic importance. In addition, new viral species and strains have been identified and associated with economically important constraints to grape production. In Brazilian vineyards, eighteen viruses, three viroids and two virus-like diseases had already their occurrence reported and were molecularly characterized. Here, we review the current knowledge of these viruses, report advances in their diagnosis and prospection of new species, and give indications about the management of the associated grapevine diseases.

Plants exhibit remarkable abilities to learn, communicate, memorize, and develop stimulus‐dependent decision‐making circuits. Unlike animals, plant memory is uniquely rooted in cellular, molecular, and biochemical networks, lacking specialized organs for these functions. Consequently, plants can effectively learn and respond to diverse challenges, becoming used to recurring signals. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) represent the new frontiers of biological sciences, offering the potential to predict crop behavior under environmental stresses associated with climate change. Epigenetic mechanisms, serving as the foundational blueprints of plant memory, are crucial in regulating plant adaptation to environmental stimuli. They achieve this adaptation by modulating chromatin structure and accessibility, which contribute to gene expression regulation and allow plants to adapt dynamically to changing environmental conditions. In this review, we describe novel methods and approaches in AI and ML to elucidate how plant memory occurs in response to environmental stimuli and priming mechanisms. Furthermore, we explore innovative strategies exploiting transgenerational memory for plant breeding to develop crops resilient to multiple stresses. In this context, AI and ML can aid in integrating and analyzing epigenetic data of plant stress responses to optimize the training of the parental plants.

The global increase in temperature and associated meteorological disruptions, such as the earlier onset of high temperatures and disruptions in precipitation, are becoming severely limiting factors in crop cultivation. Chickpea, as a cool season crop, is under the direct influence of heat and drought stress that is not only affecting this crop in its podding stage but, with current climate trends, the drought and heat are now also affecting earlier stages, such as flowering. The deteriorating effects of heat and droughts include reduced flowering, abortion of flowers and absence of podding; thus, this is severely affecting crop yield. Further research has been conducted to identify the genes correlated to higher stress tolerance and to utilize them in developing more tolerant varieties. Different alleviation approaches have been also tested and it has been determined that some positive effects can be seen in supplementation with Zn through melioration of water relations, seed priming and some transgenic and genome editing approaches. Breeding strategies for future chickpea varieties have been focused on the identification of varieties with more tolerant traits for an improved yield under stressed conditions. In this review, we have reviewed recent strategies and biotechnological approaches that have been used with chickpea crops to address the two major abiotic stresses (heat and drought) linked to future climate change.