New Review Reveals How Hydrogen Peroxide Enhances Plant Capacities Under Abiotic Stresses

A recent literature review has shed new light on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a powerful tool for enhancing crop resilience against climate-driven abiotic stresses, offering a promising pathway to enhance crop resilience without genetic modification.This review was published in Physiologia Plantarum.

The review, led by Prof. CHEN Yaning from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, addresses a critical gap in sustainable agriculture by exploring how H₂O₂ can serve as a natural enhancer of plant stress tolerance. Their work demonstrates how this naturally occurring molecule can be harnessed to help crops withstand the mounting pressures of climate change.

Given that abiotic stresses account for approximately 50% of global crop yield losses, the researchers examined existing research on H₂O₂'s mechanisms under various stress conditions including drought, salinity, heavy metals, temperature extremes, waterlogging, and ultraviolet radiation, all increasingly problematic due to climate change.

The review consolidates evidence showing that H₂O₂ serves multiple functions in coordinating stress resilience, influencing energy management, hormonal signaling, resource optimization, and metabolic processes. This perspective moves beyond viewing H₂O₂ solely as an antioxidant enhancer to reframing it as a versatile messenger that coordinates stress responses, protects photosynthetic machinery, and optimizes the source-sink balance to ensure efficient carbon allocation for improved yield under stress conditions.

"Unlike traditional approaches that focus on genetic modification or external inputs, H₂O₂-mediated strategies could offer environmentally friendly alternatives that work with plants' natural defense mechanisms rather than requiring genetic modification," said Hassan Iqbal, first author of the study.

A critical insight from the review is the importance of dosage. At low to moderate concentrations, H₂O₂ acts as a protective "priming" agent, triggering beneficial stress responses. However, the authors caution that high concentrations (e.g., above 80 mM in soil) can be harmful, underscoring the need for precise application protocols.

The researchers identify several promising applications, including the development of H₂O₂-based treatments that can be applied directly to crops facing environmental stress. These interventions could provide farmers with cost-effective, environmentally friendly tools to protect yields while maintaining crop quality under challenging conditions.

"As agricultural systems face increasing environmental pressures, exploring innovative solutions that utilize plants' existing capabilities becomes increasingly important," said Prof. CHEN yaning, corresponding author of the study.

The review provides a foundation for future research into translating current scientific understanding into practical agricultural applications, and suggests that H₂O₂-based strategies warrant further investigation as potential components of climate-smart agricultural practices.

Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.70488

How hydrogen peroxide application primes plants to withstand environmental stressor. (Image by XIEG)

Contact

LONG Huaping

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Web: http://english.egi.cas.cn