Riboflavin: Enhancing Plant Resilience Under Stress Conditions

Plants are constantly exposed to abiotic (drought, high temperatures, salinity, chilling, and air pollution) and biotic (pathogens, insects, and other animals) stressors, or to both, either simultaneously or sequentially. Several biochemical, molecular, and physiological strategies have been proposed to improve crop plants’ performance under stress conditions. The main goal is either to remove the stressor from around the plants or to treat the affected parts, or to keep the plants as resilient as possible from seed to seed to the next generation by boosting immunity. Eliminating stressors from around the plants or stressed parts is not always straightforward. The simplest way to protect plants from stress is to prevent it. Since plants lack a closed circulatory system like animals or humans, their immunity may not reach the same levels as in other organisms. However, recently, numerous studies and publications have emerged regarding induced resistance or immunity in plants. Several key molecules that enhance plant resilience to single or multiple stressors and that trigger biochemical and molecular pathways have been proposed. In this chapter, we examine the role of riboflavin and its potential applications, alongside other emerging compounds, to enhance plant resistance or tolerance to abiotic, biotic, or combined stresses, to promote sustainable agriculture.