Science AI Journal
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Research topic

Open research questions in Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies

51 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 918 Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Intensive weed control, monoculture, and high specialization alter biological balances in the agroecosystem. The current and future challenge is to sustain the intensification of fruit orchards and to preserve the integrity of the environment.

    Living mulch in fruit and olive orchards. A review · 2026 · DOI

  • The hyper-arid region of southern Xinjiang in China has limited water resources. The region's soil has high salinity and low organic matter content. The fragrant pear trees require careful water and fertilizer management to optimize yield and quality.

    Reasonable water and fertilizer ratios regulate fruit cell tissue structure and improve the quality of fragrant pear in China’s extreme arid regions · 2026 · DOI

  • Climate change is directly threatening crop production and food security. Extreme weather events and changes in abiotic conditions are aggravating production losses. Global fruit and vegetable production must increase by 50 to 150% by 2050 to meet the dietary needs of 10 billion people.

    Ethephon as a bloom-delaying agent for frost-sensitive tree crop flowers at risk from a changing climate · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies involving different cultivars and genotypes are needed to confirm the broader applicability of these findings. Exploring alternative pre-treatment approaches, including chemical treatments, osmotic regulators, and biostimulants, may facilitate the development of more comprehensive strategies to overcome germination constraints in mango seeds.

    Studies on Different Pre-Sowing Treatments on Germination Performance and Initial Growth of Polyembryonic Mango (Mangifera indica L.) · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to evaluate the effects of different pre-sowing treatments on seed germination and early seedling growth of polyembryonic mango. The responses to the evaluated pre-sowing treatments may vary among cultivars and polyembryonic genotypes.

    Studies on Different Pre-Sowing Treatments on Germination Performance and Initial Growth of Polyembryonic Mango (Mangifera indica L.) · 2026 · DOI

  • While global warming is known to induce shifts in plant traits, the extent and direction in which higher temperatures may systematically alter flower and fruit traits across species in natural habitats remains poorly understood.

    Effects of temperature gradient on flower and fruit traits: a meta analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The multivariate analysis established correlations between leaf area, chlorophyll content, and fruit cracking, but the temporal dynamics of how K-mediated osmotic regulation and Ca-mediated cell wall reinforcement interact during critical fruit expansion periods in relation to environmental humidity fluctuations have not been characterized with time-series physiological measurements.

    Foliar potassium–calcium nutrition enhances fruit yield, quality and mitigates cracking in guava (Psidium guajava L.) under humid subtropical conditions · 2026 · DOI

  • The study was conducted under specific humid subtropical conditions in Uttarakhand, India, but the transferability of the potassium nitrate 2.0% and calcium nitrate 1.5% recommendations to other guava-growing regions with different soil types, climate regimes (particularly varying humidity patterns and water availability cycles), and rootstock-scion combinations remains unvalidated.

    Foliar potassium–calcium nutrition enhances fruit yield, quality and mitigates cracking in guava (Psidium guajava L.) under humid subtropical conditions · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited information on organic nutrient combinations for improving guava fruit quality - Lack of effective organic nutrient sources for sustainable guava production

    Organic nutrient combinations for enhancing nutrient uptake and fruit quality in Sardar guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. L-49 · 2026 · DOI

  • Soil erosion and degradation caused by clean tillage. Limited understanding of the effects of tillage regime and mulching material on soil carbon cycling and microbial function. Need for more sustainable orchard management practices.

    Metagenomic insights into the effects of tillage regime and branch-pruning mulch on soil carbon cycling and microbial function in apple orchards · 2026 · DOI

  • The effects of tillage regime and mulching material on soil carbon cycling and microbial function are not well understood. There is a need for more research on the potential of natural grass cultivation and composted shredded-branch mulch to improve soil carbon cycling.

    Metagenomic insights into the effects of tillage regime and branch-pruning mulch on soil carbon cycling and microbial function in apple orchards · 2026 · DOI

  • The fine-scale quantification of frost tolerance in flower buds during deacclimation remains limited. Prior studies have relied on descriptive lethal thresholds such as LT₅₀ or LT₉₀ to determine frost tolerance.

    DTA-CIFE modeling for predicting freezing dynamics and frost tolerance in deciduous fruit buds · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to identify effective biochemical indicators for resistance to fire blight disease in pears. The current study addresses this gap by comparing the resistance levels of fire blight disease-resistant genotypes and susceptible cultivars using biochemical analyses.

    Determination of Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora) Resistance in Pear (Pyrus communis L.) Cultivars and Genotypes Using Biochemical Indicators · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can investigate the effect of different planting distances on the development and yield of other hazelnut cultivars. The study’s findings can be used as a basis for further research on hazelnut cultivation practices.

    Determination of the Effects of Different Planting Distances on Plant Development and Starting to Yield in 'Yomrali' Hazelnut Cultıvar · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to investigate the effect of different planting distances on the development and yield of 'Yomrali' hazelnut cultivar. The study aims to fill this gap by providing information on the effect of different planting distances on the development and yield of 'Yomrali' hazelnut cultivar.

    Determination of the Effects of Different Planting Distances on Plant Development and Starting to Yield in 'Yomrali' Hazelnut Cultıvar · 2026 · DOI

  • The effects of living mulch depend on species selection, pedoclimatic conditions, and management practices. Few studies have focused on the effect of living mulch on fruit tree roots, and the results are often contradictory.

    Living mulch in fruit and olive orchards. A review · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding about the relationship between carbohydrate status and fruit growth in apple. Prior studies have not examined the use of the fruitlet size distribution model to generate fruit set predictions in apple.

    Fruitlet carbohydrate status and relative growth rate explain apple abscission rates irrespective of flower position · 2026 · DOI

  • The study only considered a limited number of cultivars. The research was carried out in a specific region, which may not be representative of other areas.

    Comparative evaluation of apple cultivars under late spring frost conditions in the hilly area of Bistrița · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to evaluate the sensitivity of apple cultivars to late spring frost. The study addresses the gap in knowledge on the response of different apple cultivars to frost stress.

    Comparative evaluation of apple cultivars under late spring frost conditions in the hilly area of Bistrița · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in knowledge about the botany and agrotechnics of citrus fruits in that time period. The paper aims to fill this gap by providing a scientific description of the fruit varieties, climatic adaptation, yield, and appearance.

    "BOBURNOMA"DAGI SITRUS MEVALAR TASNIFI · 2026 · DOI

  • Climate change is increasing the risk of late spring frosts, which damage flowers and developing fruitlets in tree crops. There is a need for effective strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on crop production.

    Ethephon as a bloom-delaying agent for frost-sensitive tree crop flowers at risk from a changing climate · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies should address: (1) seasonal dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates in roots, stems, and leaves to quantify carbon allocation patterns; (2) root hydraulic conductance and its correlation with scion water status; (3) hormonal signaling (particularly auxin and cytoki- nin) from rootstock to scion; and (4) long-term orchard profitability analysis incorporating establishment costs, maintenance requirements, and market premiums for quality attributes. The relative performance of these rootstocks under drought, salinity, or calcareous soil conditions common in Mediterranean environments remains unknown. Several limitations of this study should be acknowledged.

    Growth, yield and fruit quality of ‘African Rose’ plum as affected by three rootstocks · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigation of epigenetic biomarkers for predicting graft incompatibility. Development of non-destructive sensors for early detection of graft incompatibility. Exploration of the potential of AI-based methods for improving rootstock-scion selection and orchard sustainability.

    Graft incompatibility in fruit trees in early detection: integrating physiological, molecular, and technological approaches · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of reliable methods for early detection of graft incompatibility. The need for a comprehensive understanding of the physiological, molecular, and technological approaches for detecting graft incompatibility.

    Graft incompatibility in fruit trees in early detection: integrating physiological, molecular, and technological approaches · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited availability of organic nutrient sources - High cost of organic nutrient sources - Lack of knowledge on effective organic nutrient management

    Organic nutrient combinations for enhancing nutrient uptake and fruit quality in Sardar guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. L-49 · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies sub-topic

This page shows what the Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Agricultural Development and Management
515 open questions
Smart Agriculture and AI
433 open questions
Agricultural Innovations and Practices
303 open questions
Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
201 open questions
Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
198 open questions
Plant Molecular Biology Research
187 open questions
Climate change impacts on agriculture
174 open questions
Animal Nutrition and Physiology
173 open questions
51 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 918 Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.