Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Biotic Stress

Biotic stress is the adverse pressure imposed on plants by other living organisms, including pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and oomycetes, as well as nematodes, insects, parasitic plants, and competing weeds. It is distinguished from abiotic stress, which arises from non-living factors such as drought, …

Curated from this journal's research 📚 7 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 68× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2832-5311 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Biotic stress is the adverse pressure imposed on plants by other living organisms, including pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and oomycetes, as well as nematodes, insects, parasitic plants, and competing weeds. It is distinguished from abiotic stress, which arises from non-living factors such as drought, salinity, and temperature extremes, although the two frequently interact in the field and share overlapping signalling and defence responses. Biotic stress damages tissues, disrupts physiology, and reduces crop yield and quality, making resistance a central objective in plant biology and agronomy. At the molecular level, plants perceive attack through receptor-mediated recognition of pathogen- and damage-associated signals and respond with immune cascades, hormone-mediated defences, and the reprogramming of gene expression, including roles for regulatory molecules such as plant circular RNAs. Root system architecture and root phenotypic plasticity contribute to tolerance by influencing how plants withstand combined biotic and abiotic challenges. Research in this area characterizes genetic diversity and morphological and proteomic variation among genotypes, screens germplasm and selection indices for resistance and tolerance, and exploits phylogenetic and trait-based analyses in crops such as chilli, chickpea, pepper, and cocoyam. Understanding the mechanisms and genetic basis of biotic stress responses underpins the breeding of resilient cultivars and sustainable strategies for crop protection.

Research published in this journal

7 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2018

Emerging Roles of Plant Circular RNAs

Zhu Qian-HaoCorresponding author
CSIRO Agriculture and Food, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Plant Cell Development Cited by 43 doi:10.14302/issn.2832-5311.jpcd-18-1955

How this research is being cited

The 7 articles above have been cited 68 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Biotic Stress, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Plant Cell Development (ISSN 2832-5311).

Journal editorial board
Qian-Hao Zhu · Australia Baohong Zhang · United States Kin-Ying To · Taiwan

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.