Extreme environments: Crucibles of potent abiotic stress tolerance

Abstract

Extreme environments, in which physical conditions for plant life can approach the limits of the biochemically possible for multicellular organisms, comprise a large fraction of the Earth’s surface. With non-linear climate change looming, bringing increasingly unpredictable weather, both the natural and the cultivated agro-ecological environment will experience increasing exposure to extreme conditions. Plants that evolved to grow in extreme environments can cope with more extreme events than generally encountered in the managed agricultural space. In this special issue, a diverse collection of reviews discusses current literature in this field, proposing some intriguing approaches inspired by plants growing in extreme environments that are relevant for cultivated plants and food security.