Research on crop stress adaptation in the context of climate change is increasingly pivotal for global food security and agricultural sustainability. As agronomic environments become more volatile, abiotic stress factors—including drought, salinity, temperature extremes, intense light, and nutrient deficiencies—pose significant constraints on crop productivity. While it is well established that crop plants exhibit dynamic stress responses, our understanding of the intricate mechanisms integrating signaling pathways with metabolic and transcriptomic reprogramming remains incomplete. Notably, recent advances highlight the multifaceted interplay among reactive oxygen species (ROS), non-coding RNAs, phytohormones, sugars, and specialized metabolites. Nonetheless, critical gaps persist regarding how crops orchestrate these networks to sustain growth while adapting to fluctuating and combined stressors—a challenge that is compounded by the unpredictability of future climate scenarios.

This Research Topic aims to accelerate the discovery and integration of the fundamental biological mechanisms that underlie crops' adaptive responses to abiotic stresses. By emphasizing multi-level approaches spanning molecular genetics, signaling networks, and translational applications, the collection seeks to bridge mechanistic insights with innovative solutions for crop improvement. Key objectives include identifying regulatory hierarchies, uncovering crosstalk among signaling and metabolic networks, and harnessing these insights for engineering or breeding more resilient cultivars. Studies leveraging multi-omics technologies, predictive modeling, or field validations are especially encouraged to inform actionable strategies for climate-resilient agriculture.

The research topic encompasses integrated investigations into the breadth and depth of crops' abiotic stress adaptation, while focusing on approaches generative for translational or applied outcomes rather than purely descriptive studies. To gather further insights in crop adaptation under abiotic stress in the context of climate change, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Balancing growth and abiotic stress responses

• Roles of non-coding RNAs (e.g., lncRNAs, miRNAs) in abiotic stress regulation

• Genetic engineering and genome editing for improved abiotic stress tolerance

• Comparative studies of tolerant versus sensitive genotypes/cultivars under stress conditions

• Abiotic stress signaling: from membrane perception to gene regulatory responses

• Crosstalk among sugars, ROS, and hormones in adaptation mechanisms

• Specialized metabolites as modulators of stress signaling and metabolic plasticity

• Integration of multi-omics (e.g., metabolomics, transcriptomics) to decode abiotic stress responses

• Application of advanced breeding technologies for climate resilience

• Innovative farming and cultivation strategies to mitigate stress impacts

• Addressing food security in the face of increasing abiotic stress challenges

We welcome the submission of Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Perspectives, and related article types.

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Crops Stress Adaptation In A Changing Climate: From Signaling Networks To Metabolic Reprogramming