European Journal of Sustainable Agroecosystems

The background of the research is about plants as stationary species that depend on phytohormonal networks—abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene, jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, brassinosteroids, strigolactone, and more contemporary melatonin—for their reaction to existing weather conditions, such as drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and heavy metal pollution. In this regard, it is critical to mention that these hormones cannot work separately from one another but through various mechanisms they can help arrange trade-off decisions.
The aim of the current study is to summarize the studies published from 2015 to 2026 (with some of the older works included) in order to analyze the phenomenon of hormonal interactions in the context of adapting to different environmental conditions and detect the gaps that limit the practical use of this information in the agriculture.
The methodology of the literature review is based on the structures search through PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar that allowed the researchers to find 812 sources, out of which only 74 had become relevant after adjustments were made according to PRISMA parameters.
Main results: ABA is proven to perform the role of a major integrator of osmotic stress signalings and it involves mostly antagonistic communication with JA. Meanwhile, the sending of signals from ABA to SA always involves a synergy. The group of growth-promoting hormones (auxin, for example) is thought to show opposite effects in comparison with ABA but can actually be used as an instrument to regulate root plasticity and osmotic adjustment, leading to stimulation of the direction of the growth process. There is a new group of regulators – melatonin, strigolactone, and hydrogen sulfide – which work as crosstalk hubs in defining ROS homeostasis and enhancing classical hormonal pathways. There is a lot of difference in different species and types of tissue under different combinations of stressors.
Research issues: There are not enough studies confirming the results of the research in the fields, not enough studies investigating the causes of simultaneous stresses, and the methods of studying the absence of agreement in hormone quantification.
Conclusion: Hormonal crosstalk is an important yet insufficiently investigated factor influencing (abiotic) stress resistance. In order to tackle the problem of the application of the technology and its practical aspects one needs standardised methods.