Plants, being sessile, have developed complex signaling and response mechanisms to cope with biotic and abiotic stressors. Recent investigations have revealed the significant contribution of phytohormones in enabling plants to endure unfavorable conditions. Among these phytohormones, jasmonic acid (JA) and its derivatives, collectively referred to as jasmonates (JAs), are of particular importance and are involved in diverse signal transduction pathways to regulate various physiological and molecular processes in plants, thus protecting plants from the lethal impacts of abiotic and biotic stressors. Jasmonic acid has emerged as a central player in plant defense against biotic stress and in alleviating multiple abiotic stressors in plants, such as drought, salinity, vernalization, and heavy metal exposure. Furthermore, as a growth regulator, JA operates in conjunction with other phytohormones through a complex signaling cascade to balance plant growth and development against stresses. Although studies have reported the intricate nature of JA as a biomolecular entity for the mitigation of abiotic stressors, their underlying mechanism and biosynthetic pathways remain poorly understood. Therefore, this review offers an overview of recent progress made in understanding the biosynthesis of JA, elucidates the complexities of its signal transduction pathways, and emphasizes its pivotal role in mitigating abiotic and biotic stressors. Moreover, we also discuss current issues and future research directions for JAs in plant stress responses.

Root architecture is an important agronomic trait that plays an essential role in water uptake, soil compactions, nutrient recycling, plant–microbe interactions, and hormone-mediated signaling pathways. Recently, significant advancements have been made in understanding how the complex interactions of phytohormones regulate the dynamic organization of root architecture in crops. Moreover, phytohormones, particularly auxin, act as internal regulators of root development in soil, starting from the early organogenesis to the formation of root hair (RH) through diverse signaling mechanisms. However, a considerable gap remains in understanding the hormonal cross-talk during various developmental stages of roots. This review examines the dynamic aspects of phytohormone signaling, cross-talk mechanisms, and the activation of transcription factors (TFs) throughout various developmental stages of the root life cycle. Understanding these developmental processes, together with hormonal signaling and molecular engineering in crops, can improve our knowledge of root development under various environmental conditions.