Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important legume for human consumption worldwide and an important source of vegetable protein, minerals, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds. The N₂-fixation capacity of this crop reduces its demand for synthetic N fertilizer application to increase yield and quality. Fertilization, yield, and quality of common bean may be optimised by several other agronomic practices such as irrigation, rhizobia application, sowing density, etc. Taking this into consideration, a systematic review integrated with a bibliometric analysis of several agronomic practices that increase common bean yield and quality was conducted, based on the literature published during 1971–2021. A total of 250 publications were found dealing with breeding (n = 61), sowing density and season (n = 14), irrigation (n = 36), fertilization (n = 27), intercropping (n = 12), soilless culture (n = 5), tillage (n = 7), rhizobia application (n = 36), biostimulant/biofertilizer application (n = 21), disease management (n = 15), pest management (n = 2) and weed management (n = 14). The leading research production sites were Asia and South America, whereas from the Australian continent, only four papers were identified as relevant. The keyword co-occurrence network analyses revealed that the main topics addressed in relation to common bean yield in the scientific literature related to that of “pod”, “grain”, “growth”, “cultivar” and “genotype”, followed by “soil”, “nitrogen”, “inoculation”, “rhizobia”, “environment”, and “irrigation”. Limited international collaboration among scientists was found, and most reported research was from Brazil. Moreover, there is a complete lack in interdisciplinary interactions. Breeding for increased yield and selection of genotypes adapted to semi-arid environmental conditions combined with the suitable sowing densities are important agronomic practices affecting productivity of common bean. Application of fertilizers and irrigation practices adjusted to the needs of the plants according to the developmental stage and selection of the appropriate tillage system are also of high importance to increase common bean yield and yield qualities. Reducing N-fertilization via improved N-fixation through rhizobia inoculation and/or biostimulants application appeared as a main consideration to optimise crop performance and sustainable management of this crop. Disease and weed management practices appear neglected areas of research attention, including integrated pest management.

This review integrates current knowledge on how greenhouse conditions regulate the nutritional quality and shelf life of tomato, cucumber, and sweet pepper. Preharvest environmental factors jointly shape fruit composition, firmness, and storage performance through their control of photosynthesis, assimilate partitioning, and structural stability. Across all variables, light intensity and fruit temperature emerge as the dominant determinants of overall quality and shelf life potential. Relative air humidity (RH), irrigation regime, and nutrient balance primarily affect firmness, water loss, and physiological disorders, while CO₂ enrichment, shading, and mineral or biostimulant inputs exert secondary yet consistent effects. Comparative evaluation shows that tomato is most sensitive to temperature and RH, cucumber to water status and epidermal stress, and sweet pepper to radiation for color and antioxidant development. These distinctions confirm that no single climatic optimization can be universally applied, and management must therefore target species-specific physiological constraints to sustain both nutritional excellence and storage performance. Major knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding the combined effects of interacting environmental drivers and the integration of physiological responses with postharvest behavior. Future research should adopt multifactorial designs and predictive modeling to support climate-smart greenhouse strategies that optimize quality and storability under variable growing conditions.

Inappropriate fertilisation results in the pollution of groundwater with nitrates and phosphates, eutrophication in surface water, emission of greenhouse gasses, and unwanted N deposition in natural environments, thereby harming the whole ecosystem. In greenhouses, the cultivation in closed-loop soilless culture systems (CLSs) allows for the collection and recycling of the drainage solution, thus minimising contamination of water resources by nutrient emissions originating from the fertigation effluents. Recycling of the DS represents an ecologically sound technology as it can reduce water consumption by 20–35% and fertiliser use by 40–50% in greenhouse crops, while minimising or even eliminating losses of nutrients, thereby preventing environmental pollution by NO₃⁻ and P. The nutrient supply in CLSs is largely based on the anticipated ratio between the mass of a nutrient absorbed by the crop and the volume of water, expressed as mmol L⁻¹, commonly referenced to as “uptake concentration” (UC). However, although the UCs exhibit stability over time under optimal climatic conditions, some deviations at different locations and different cropping stages can occur, leading to the accumulation or depletion of nutrients in the root zone. Although these may be small in the short term, they can reach harmful levels when summed up over longer periods, resulting in serious nutrient imbalances and crop damage. To prevent large nutrient imbalances in the root zone, the composition of the supplied nutrient solution must be frequently readjusted, taking into consideration the current nutrient status in the root zone of the crop. The standard practice to estimate the current nutrient status in the root zone is to regularly collect samples of drainage solution and determine the nutrient concentrations through chemical analyses. However, as results from a chemical laboratory are available several days after sample selection, there is currently intensive research activity aiming to develop ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for online measurement of the DS composition in real-time. Furthermore, innovative decision support systems (DSSs) fed with the analytical results transmitted either offline or online can substantially contribute to timely and appropriate readjustments of the nutrient supply using as feedback information the current nutrient status in the root zone. The purpose of the present paper is to review the currently applied technologies for nutrient and water recycling in CLSs, as well as the new trends based on ISEs and novel DSSs. Furthermore, a specialised DSS named NUTRISENSE, which can contribute to more efficient management of nutrient supply and salt accumulation in closed-loop soilless cultivations, is presented.

Salinity, one of the major abiotic stresses in plants, significantly hampers germination, photosynthesis, biomass production, nutrient balance, and yield of staple crops. To mitigate the impact of such stress without compromising yield and quality, sustainable agronomic practices are required. Among these practices, seaweed extracts (SWEs) and microbial biostimulants (PGRBs) have emerged as important categories of plant biostimulants (PBs). This research aimed at elucidating the effects on growth, yield, quality, and nutrient status of two Greek tomato landraces (‘Tomataki’ and ‘Thessaloniki’) following treatments with the Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract ‘Algastar’ and the PGPB ‘Nitrostim’ formulation. Plants were subjected to bi-weekly applications of biostimulants and supplied with two nutrient solutions: 0.5 mM (control) and 30 mM NaCl. The results revealed that the different mode(s) of action of the two PBs impacted the tolerance of the different landraces, since ‘Tomataki’ was benefited only from the SWE application while ‘Thessaloniki’ showed significant increase in fruit numbers and average fruit weight with the application of both PBs at 0.5 and 30 mM NaCl in the root zone. In conclusion, the stress induced by salinity can be mitigated by increasing tomato tolerance through the application of PBs, a sustainable tool for productivity enhancement, which aligns well with the strategy of the European Green Deal.

Salinity is a major stress factor that compromises vegetable production in semi-arid climates such as the Mediterranean. The accumulation of salts in the soil can be attributed to limited water availability, which can be exacerbated by changes in rainfall patterns and rising temperatures. These factors can alter soil moisture levels and evaporation rates, ultimately leading to an increase in soil salinity, and, concomitantly, the extent to which crop yield is affected by salinity stress is considered cultivar-dependent. In contrast to tomato hybrids, tomato landraces often exhibit greater genetic diversity and resilience to environmental stresses, constituting valuable resources for breeding programs seeking to introduce new tolerance mechanisms. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of mild salinity stress on the growth, yield, and nutritional status of sixteen Mediterranean tomato landraces of all size types that had been pre-selected as salinity tolerant in previous screening trials. The experiment was carried out in the greenhouse facilities of the Laboratory of Vegetable Production at the Agricultural University of Athens. To induce salinity stress, plants were grown hydroponically and irrigated with a nutrient solution containing NaCl at a concentration that could maintain the NaCl level in the root zone at 30 mM, while the non-salt-treated plants were irrigated with a nutrient solution containing 0.5 mM NaCl. Various plant growth parameters, including dry matter content and fruit yield (measured by the number and weight of fruits per plant), were evaluated to assess the impact of salinity stress. In addition, the nutritional status of the plants was assessed by determining the concentrations of macro- and micronutrients in the leaves, roots, and fruit of the plants. The key results of this study reveal that cherry-type tomato landraces exhibit the highest tolerance to salinity stress, as the landraces ‘Cherry-INRAE (1)’, ‘Cherry-INRAE (3)’, and ‘Cherry-INRAE (4)’ did not experience a decrease in yield when exposed to salinity stress. However, larger landraces such as ‘de Ramellet’ also exhibit mechanisms conferring tolerance to salinity, as their yield was not compromised by the stress applied. The identified tolerant and resistant varieties could potentially be used in breeding programs to develop new varieties and hybrids that are better adapted to salinity-affected environments. The identification and utilization of tomato varieties that are adapted to salinity stress is an important strategy for promoting agriculture sustainability, particularly in semi-arid regions where salinity stress is a major challenge.

Drought stress is a critical abiotic constraint on agricultural productivity, particularly affecting crops like pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), which are highly susceptible to water deficits due to their physiological characteristics. The present study investigated the impact of a 40% reduction in irrigation on yield, macronutrient concentrations, and fruit quality across several pepper genotypes. The cultivars evaluated included two landraces, namely ‘JO109’ and ‘JO204’ (Capsicum annuum var. grossum), as well as the California cultivar ‘Yolo Wonder’ and the commercial F1 hybrid ‘Sammy RZ’, which served as controls. The experiment was conducted at the greenhouse facilities of the Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Agricultural University of Athens. Under reduced irrigation, most of the cultivars studied exhibited a decline in yield, which was attributed to a decrease in fruit number in ‘Yolo Wonder’ and a reduction in fruit weight in both ‘JO204’ and ‘Sammy’. In contrast, the landrace ‘JO109’ exhibited consistent yields under both growing conditions, a response likely attributed to elevated K concentration in the leaves and lower Na accumulation in the fruit, indicating enhanced tolerance to water deficit. A decline in leaf K concentration was observed in response to drought stress, while concomitantly increased concentrations of Na, Ca and Mg were recorded. Among fruit macronutrients, only Ca showed a significant decrease under reduced irrigation. Furthermore, fruit firmness (FF), titratable acidity (TA) and total soluble solids content (TSSC) exhibited higher levels under drought stress, particularly in ‘JO109’, while TA remained unaltered. These findings highlight the potential of landraces such as ‘JO109’ to be utilized in breeding programs aimed at enhancing resilience, while maintaining pepper fruit quality under limited water availability.