Rapid climate change may put future food security under threat, which emphasizes the significance of assessing the morpho-physiological and biochemical traits associated with maize tolerance against recurrent water stress at the early vegetative stage. Three maize varieties (V1, SUWAN2301; V2, SUWAN4452; and V3, S7328) and three water levels (I₁, daily watering as the control; I₂, watering every two days as the short stress; and I₃, watering every four days as the prolonged stress) were employed in a factorial design pot experiment. During the experiment, I₁’s soil moisture content (SMC) was maintained at almost 100% of its field capacity (FC), whereas I₂ and I₃’s volumetric SMC dropped to an average of 22.10% and 11.57%, respectively, following a stress phase. Fourteen distinct characteristics of maize were investigated at 5, 9, and 13 days after watering treatment initiation (DAWTI). The findings revealed that water levels significantly influenced all the tested traits (p < 0.05), except for a few traits at 5 or 9 DAWTI only, whereas the maize variety significantly influenced most of the studied attributes (p < 0.05). Except for proline content in leaf (PrL) and root (PrR); total soluble sugar in leaf (TSSL) and root (TSSR); and root length to shoot length ratio (RL:SL), the value of all analyzed characters was higher under I₁ compared to I₂ and I₃. However, during the first recovery period (RP), the recovery rate (RR) of stem perimeter (SP), root length (RL), root dry weight (RDW), leaf water potential (LWP), leaf greenness (LG), and TSSL were higher in I₂, whereas leaf area (LA) and RL:SL was higher in I₃. However, in the second RP, the RR of plant height (PH), SP, RL, LWP, LG, and TSSL were higher in I₃, whereas LA, RDW, RL:SL, PrL, PrR, and TSSR were higher in I₂ compared to each other. Under I₃, the RR of biochemical traits, i.e., PrL (29.45%) and TSSR (20.23%), were higher in the first RP, and PrR (20.74%) and TSSL (15.22%) were higher in the second RP. However, the variety V1 could recover more after a re-watering, and, in the second RP, it performed better in the case of LA (120.14%), PH (18.41%), SP (19.94%), RL (17.74%), Shoot dry weight (SDW) (56.82%), RDW (11.97%), LG (0.05%), PrR (42.55%), TSSL (18.54%), and TSSR (22.87%) than other varieties. The maize varieties performed differently under I₁ and I₃ according to the principal component analysis and stress tolerance index. The variety V1 exhibited superior performance under both water levels. The biplot analysis highlighted the importance of traits, such as PrL, RL, TSSL, TSSR, PrR, and RL:SL, in water-stressed conditions. However, re-watering following a water stress period triggered the recovery rates in most traits, particularly after the second four-day stress period, and variety V1 performed better as well. Nonetheless, more research on a genomic and molecular level is required to gain a deeper understanding of the precise processes of drought tolerance in maize, particularly under recurring water stress circumstances.

Low temperature has negative effects on seed performance and seedling growth in soya bean, reducing stand establishment. It was hypothesised, that seed treatment with plant hormones could improve seed imbibition and performance at low temperature. Therefore, the effects of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and gibberellic acid (GA₃) on soya bean seed germination were studied. Seeds of ‘CM60’ and ‘CM0701-24’ were imbibed with 0.25 or 0.50 ppm EBL, 50 or 100 ppm GA₃, or distilled water at 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. The seed imbibition patterns of the two soya bean varieties followed a similar trend. Low temperature delayed seed imbibition resulting in longer time to reach the end of phases 1 and 2 of seed germination as compared with high temperature. Soya bean seeds treated with 50 or 100 ppm GA₃ showed increased germination index, shoot and root length and reduced mean germination time. Thus, 50-100 ppm GA₃ could be used as a pre-soaking seed treatment to improve soya bean seed and seedling performance under low temperature.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) represents a high-value horticultural crop in Thailand with significant export potential; however, optimizing productivity in tropical environments requires a precise understanding of how cultivation practices and harvest seasons influence marketability. Here, a split-plot experiment arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted to examine how different crop methods and harvest seasons affect asparagus yield and quality in Lopburi Province, Thailand. The main plots were categorized by harvest season—summer, rainy, and winter—while the subplots included three crop methods: conventional, GAP, and organic. Summer produced the highest yield and asparagus with the greatest levels of total chlorophyll, phenolics, and DPPH radical scavenging activity compared to other seasons. Although the conventional methods yielded the most spears per plant, these spears contained higher levels of contaminants, including cadmium, lead, and nitrate. In contrast, spears from GAP and organic methods had higher phosphorus levels. However, no pesticide residues were found in any spear samples. Economically, the organic method had the shortest payback period, owing to lower production costs; despite a lower annual yield, stable market prices kept it profitable. In addition, organic soils had the highest levels of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Overall, while conventional methods enhance the yield and certain qualities, organic farming, particularly when harvested in summer, yields the highest economic returns and the most sustainable system among those tested.

Gibberellin (GA₃) and brassinosteroid (EBL) interactions can stimulate germination, extend seedling growth and induce low temperature stress tolerance. The effects of GA₃ and EBL on seed quality, α-amylase and total dehydro­genase activities of soya bean seeds at different vigour and temperature levels were studied. The results showed that medium vigour seeds dressed with 100 ppm GA₃, 0.25 ppm EBL plus 50 ppm GA₃, and 0.50 ppm EBL plus 100 ppm GA₃ had significantly higher germination (GP) and seedling vigour rates (SVR) than those of untreated seeds. Similarly, 0.50 ppm EBL resulted in higher SVR of low and medium vigour seeds when compared to the control under low temperature. All soya bean seeds dressed with 100 ppm GA₃ had higher GP, vigour, shoot and root lengths, and SVR under both temperatures than those of the untreated seeds, and mean germination time decreased. At 15°C, all seeds dressed with 0.50 ppm EBL plus 100 ppm GA₃ had higher α-amylase activity than the untreated seeds, whereas seeds with low and medium seed vigour dressed with 100 ppm GA₃ and 0.25 ppm EBL plus 50 ppm GA₃ had higher total dehydrogenase activity than the untreated seeds.

This study evaluated the effects of growing media and fertilizer applications on greenhouse strawberry cultivars ‘Pharachatan 80’ and ‘US Jumbo’ using a 4 × 3 factorial in CRD with five replications. Growing media comprised sand (S), coconut coir dust (C), and cow manure (M) in varying ratios (1:1, 1:1:1, 1:1:2, and 1:1:3 v/v), paired with no chemical fertilizer (NCF), a half-recommended dose (½ RDCF), or a full recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDCF). Results revealed that unamended substrate (S:C = 1:1 v/v) under NCF severely constrained crop performance. Conversely, integrating cow manure with chemical fertilizers significantly enhanced vegetative growth and yield attributes. Specifically, S:C:M 1:1:1 v/v combined with ½ RDCF optimized total marketable yield, increased the proportion of Grade 2–4 fruits, and improved fruit quality across both cultivars. However, elevated temperatures in tropical lowland greenhouses constrained fruit enlargement, resulting in ≥70% Low-Grade fruits (<7.0 g). Correlation and principal component analyses confirmed that balanced root-zone management mitigates severe nutrient stress. Overall, S:C:M 1:1:1 v/v with ½ RDCF represents the most effective strategy for tropical greenhouse strawberry cultivation, although implementing microclimate cooling or exogenous biostimulants remains necessary to overcome high-temperature limitations.