Progress in Salicylic Acid-Dependent Signaling for Growth–Defense Trade-Off

One grand challenge for studying plant biotic and abiotic stress responses is to optimize plant growth and plasticity under variable environmental constraints, which in the long run benefits agricultural production. However, efforts in promoting plant immunity are often accompanied by compromised morphological “syndromes” such as growth retardation, sterility, and reduced yield. Such a trade-off is dictated by complex signaling driven by secondary messengers and phytohormones. Salicylic acid (SA) is a well-known phytohormone essential for basal immunity and systemic acquired resistance. Interestingly, recent updates suggest that external environmental cues, nutrient status, developmental stages, primary metabolism, and breeding strategies attribute an additional layer of control over SA-dependent signaling, and, hence, plant performance against pathogens. In this review, these external and internal factors are summarized, focusing on their specific roles on SA biosynthesis and downstream signaling leading to immunity. A few considerations and future opportunities are highlighted to improve plant fitness with minimal growth compensation.