Deciphering Stress Resilience in Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.): From Current Advances to Emerging Opportunities

Black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.), one of the world's most economically important spice crops, is increasingly challenged by climate-related stresses, emerging pests and diseases, and declining soil health, all of which threaten its productivity and sustainability. While previous reviews have predominantly focused on black pepper genomic resources, breeding strategies, and disease management, the integration of multi-omics technologies, microbiome science, and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its stress resilience has received comparatively limited attention. This review synthesizes recent advances in the molecular mechanisms underlying black pepper responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, with emphasis on omics approaches (such as genomics and transcriptomics), as well as the roles of beneficial microbial communities in enhancing stress tolerance, nutrient acquisition, and disease suppression. We further discuss emerging microbiome-assisted strategies, including the development of beneficial microbial consortia and targeted manipulation of microbial functions, for enhancing black pepper resilience under changing environmental conditions. In addition, we explore how AI-driven analytical approaches can integrate complex multi-omics and microbiome datasets to unravel the complex molecular networks governing black pepper-microbe interactions under stress conditions and accelerate precision breeding. By integrating genomics, microbial ecology, and AI, this review presents a systems-level framework for understanding and improving stress resilience in black pepper. This interdisciplinary perspective highlights new opportunities to accelerate the development of climate-resilient cultivars and advance sustainable black pepper production.