Managing plant-environment-symbiont interactions to promote plant performance under low temperature stress

Abstract

Low-temperature stresses, also referred to as cold temperature stresses, including chilling and freezing temperatures, are among the major abiotic stresses that severely reduce plant yield, quality, and marketability and pose a serious threat to plant production during whole plant life cycles. Plant-environment-symbiont interactions determine the symbiotic and crop performance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To achieve the optimum outcome, it is essential to consider not only plant-symbiont relationships, but also symbiont adaptation and symbiont-symbiont interactions under changing environmental conditions and different plant growth stages. Improving multi-symbiotic component systems and symbiont breeding together can be a useful strategy to improve symbiosis and, thus, crop production. In this review article, the role of interactions between multi-symbiotic components and plant-environment-symbiont relationships and the related biotechnology approaches are discussed in order to find the most effective sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices to improve crop performance and mitigate the adverse effects of low temperatures on plants.