Legume crops, essential for global agriculture due to their high nutritional value and nitrogen‐fixing ability, often face significant yield reductions from environmental stresses like salinity, drought and extreme temperatures. Seed priming has emerged as a promising pre‐sowing strategy to improve seed vigour, stress tolerance and overall crop performance. Despite numerous studies exploring different seed priming techniques, including hydropriming, osmo‐priming, halo‐priming and bio‐priming, there is a lack of consolidated insights on their comparative effectiveness across legume species. This review aims to fill that gap by evaluating the mechanisms through which seed priming enhances germination, plant growth and yield under stress conditions. By highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the current research, this review outlines the importance of optimising seed priming protocols tailored to specific legume species and stress conditions. Advancing research in field settings and prioritising underutilised legume species is essential to strengthen global food security in the context of climate change. These efforts directly support Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, by promoting resilient agricultural systems and improving the availability of nutritious food.

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is valued for its medicinal and nutritive properties. The nutrient status of sequentially harvested shoots and fruits at various growth stages in L. siceraria has not been documented to date. This study aimed to compare the nutritional status of L. siceraria landrace shoots and fruits harvested at different maturity stages. Micronutrients, macronutrients, and proximate composition of shoots and fruits were determined using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Data were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis. The nutrient attributes differed significantly (p < 0.05) within and among landraces at different growth stages. Correlation of nutritional traits was primarily based on shared absorption sites and comparable chemical composition. The first five principal components in shoots and fruits had 90.218 and 89.918% total variability, respectively. The micronutrients Ca, Mg, K, P, and N in shoots and the macronutrients Fe, Zn, Cu, and Al in fruits were the main contributors to variability. The biplot and dendrogram clustered landraces with comparable nutrient values. Shoot traits classified landraces into three major clusters, where clusters I and II grouped landraces with superior and inferior Mg, P, K, N, Fe, K/Ca+Mg, ADL, and protein levels at 42–63 DAS. Cluster III consisted of landraces with more Ca, Na, Mn, Zn, and Cu. However, the fruit nutrient status classified landraces into two major clusters. Cluster I comprised landrace KSC (as a singlet) with the highest Ca, P, N, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu contents at various stages of growth (7–21 DAA). Cluster II had landraces with higher K, C/N ratio, Na, moisture content, ash, protein, and fat. The nutritional status of shoots and fruits determined at different stages of growth is essential for selecting the best harvest time and landrace(s) for required daily nutrient intake.

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley is a prominent food source as almost all its plant parts are edible. However, no studies have recorded the changes in shoots, peduncles and fruits during its growth. Hence, this study aimed to record changes in shoot traits and relate the peduncle to the fruit traits of L. siceraria landraces across different growth stages. Changes in shoots, peduncles and fruits during growth were compared within and among landraces using analysis of variance, correlation, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and heritability estimates. Almost all landraces had harvestable shoots at 42 days after sowing. Peduncles became shorter and wider as the fruits elongated. Shoots, peduncles and fruits correlated positively with each other. The informative principal components had a total variability of 84.488%, with a major contribution from shoot traits. The biplot and dendrogram clustered landraces with similar growth habits and the harvestable shoot and fruit attributes into three clusters, but KRI and NSRC formed singlets. Shoot width (60.2%) and peduncle length (55.2%) had high heritability estimates. The general low heritability estimates and genetic advances indicated the presence of non-additive gene action. This study is the first report on changes in harvested shoots and the relationship between peduncles and fruits during growth.

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley is a food and medicinal source with anti-proliferative, anti-fertility, anti-HIV and anti-cancerous properties. The current study investigated the phytochemical constituents of L. siceraria fruits using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Five isoprenoids present in all investigated landraces were 1-Dodecene, 2,3-Dimethyldodecane, E-15-Heptadecenal, Eicosane, and Tridecane, 6-propyl. Lighter metabolites such as 1-Dodecene and 2,3-Dimethyldodecane were recorded at a shorter retention time range of 9.08–16.29 min over a lower relative peak area ranging from 1.09 to 6.97%. However, heavier compounds (E-15-Heptadecenal, Eicosane and Tridecane, 6-propyl) had a longer retention time range of 13.42–18.00 mins over a higher relative peak area range of 2.25–11.41%. Cluster analysis grouped landraces into 5 clusters (I -V) according to their fruit and seed attributes, and isoprenoid units significant to each cluster. Terpenoids were the prominent phytochemicals present in fruits. This is the most comprehensive study on the fruit phytochemical constituents of different L. siceraria landraces to date.

Trichilia emetica and T. dregeana butter oils are gaining recognition in the cosmeceutical industry, yet comparative data on their yields and bioactive composition remain scarce. This study assessed oil yields, fatty acid profiles, and tocol compositions of kernel and aril oils extracted by screw press from seeds collected in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. T. emetica produced smaller but more numerous seeds (603 per 200 g) than T. dregeana (159). Kernel oil yields were slightly higher in T. emetica (52.86%) than in T. dregeana (50.81%), while aril oils averaged 48.61% and 45.22%, respectively. Kernel oils of both species showed strong oxidative stability, with low peroxide and anisidine values and lower free fatty acid content compared to aril oils. T. emetica kernel oil was dominated by saturated fatty acids (SFAs), particularly palmitic acid (51.8%), and contained high γ-tocopherol (202 mg/kg), supporting applications in soaps, bio-lubricants, and industrial formulations. In contrast, T. dregeana kernel oil was richer in oleic acid (47.6%) and α-tocotrienol, favouring nutraceutical and cosmetic uses. Aril oils were dominated by linoleic acid (24–25%), with T. dregeana aril oil distinguished by elevated α-tocopherol (91.8 mg/kg) and a more diverse tocotrienol profile, making it suitable for antioxidant-rich cosmetics and dietary products. The dual-oil system offers complementary value: kernel oils provide structural stability for industrial applications, while aril oils supply bioactive-rich lipids for health and cosmetic formulations. Seed cakes present additional potential as biofertilizers or feedstock. This study provides the first comparative analysis of kernel and aril oils from T. emetica and T. dregeana, revealing interspecific differences in yield, fatty acid composition, and tocol profiles, and linking these to ecological adaptation and differentiated industrial potential.

Main conclusion: The review highlights PGPR (e.g., Pseudomonas spp.) as sustainable, low-cost solution to mitigate drought and Fusarium stress in maize, enhancing yield and resilience. Maize ( Zea mays L.) is a vital staple crop worldwide, yet its productivity is under growing pressure from the combined effects of drought and Fusarium verticillioides infection. These stresses often occur together, compounding the damage. Drought limits water availability, disrupts nutrient uptake, and slows photosynthesis, while also making plants more vulnerable to disease. In turn, F. verticillioides harms plant tissues, contaminates grain with fumonisins , and can further intensify water stress. Conventional approaches such as irrigation, fungicides, and resistant cultivars often fall short when both stresses occur simultaneously. In recent years, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), particularly Pseudomonas spp., have gained attention as eco-friendly partners in managing these challenges. These beneficial bacteria support maize growth by improving nutrient availability, regulating plant hormones, enhancing osmoprotectants’ production, activating antioxidant defenses, and suppressing pathogens through antifungal compounds, competitive root colonization, and induced systemic resistance. Findings from single-stress experiments show that Pseudomonas endophytes can boost drought tolerance by maintaining osmotic balance and antioxidant activity, while also limiting F. verticillioides infection and toxin production. However, studies examining their effectiveness under the combined pressures of drought and fungal attack remain limited. This review brings together current knowledge on the mechanisms, case studies, and practical constraints of Pseudomonas -mediated stress relief in maize, highlighting research gaps and setting priorities for strain selection, microbial consortia design, and large-scale field testing. Harnessing these bacteria could be a key step toward building climate-resilient maize production systems that protect both yields and grain safety in an era of environmental uncertainty. Graphical Exogenous application of Pseudomonas spp. modulate drought and Fusarium verticillioides .