Exogenous priming and manipulation of metabolic/regulatory genes for crop stress tolerance

Environmental stresses pose unprecedented threats to global food security, imperiling crop yields across diverse agroecological zones and demanding innovative intervention strategies. The articles compiled in this special issue of Current Plant Biology collectively demonstrate that exogenous priming and genetic manipulation of metabolic/regulatory genes represent powerful, complementary approaches for enhancing crop resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. Through the integration of chemical elicitors, microbial priming agents, and targeted genetic modifications, the contributions herein illuminate molecular pathways underlying stress adaptation and provide practical frameworks for advancing climate-resilient agriculture.