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Horticulturae
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The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops
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The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2023) | Viewed by 8565

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pedro Loeza-Lara

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Guest Editor
Licenciatura en Genómica Alimentaria, Universidad de La Ciénega del Estado de Michoacán de Ocampo (UCEMICH), Sahuayo 59103, Mexico
Interests: plant growth promoting bacteria; Bacillus sp.; chitosan; salt stress tolerance; sugars in promoting plant growth
Prof. Dr. Gustavo Santoyo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (UMSNH), Morelia, Mexico
Interests: PGPR; plant–microbe interactions; biocontrol; plant growth promotion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rafael Jiménez-Mejía

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Licenciatura en Genómica Alimentaria, Universidad de La Ciénega del Estado de Michoacán de Ocampo (UCEMICH), Sahuayo 59103, Mexico
Interests: plant growth promoting bacteria; Pseudomonas sp.; salt stress tolerance; metal stress tolerance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the main challenges for global agriculture will be to fulfill increasing food demand for a growing population, estimated to be more than 9 billion people by 2050, showing the urgent need to elevate sustainable agricultural production over the coming decades. To achieve the above, it is necessary to use eco-friendly alternatives. Agricultural biostimulants include substances and microorganisms (microbial bioinoculants, humic acids, fulvic acids, protein hydrolysates, and amino acids, and seaweed extracts) that could enhance horticultural crops production by plant growth stimulation, increased nutrient uptake, and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Horticulturae, titled “The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops”, is to show the beneficial effects of new biostimulants that could also contribute to the development of sustainable horticulture. Manuscripts that show advances in the molecular mechanisms used by bioinoculants to stimulate plant growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance response are welcome. Additionally, manuscripts on bioinoculant combinations, for example, microorganisms with seaweed extracts that increase the benefits of horticultural production, are welcome.

Dr. Pedro Loeza-Lara
Dr. Gustavo Santoyo
Dr. Rafael Jiménez-Mejía
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biostimulants
  • sustainable agriculture
  • microbial bioinoculants
  • humic acids
  • fulvic acids
  • protein hydrolysates and amino acids
  • seaweed extracts

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1926 KiB  
Article
Biostimulants Affect Differently Biomass and Antioxidant Status of Onion (Allium cepa) Depending on Production Method
by Đorđe Vojnović, Ivana Maksimović, Aleksandra Tepić Horecki, Danijela Žunić, Boris Adamović, Anita Milić, Zdravko Šumić, Vladimir Sabadoš and Žarko Ilin
Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1345; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121345 - 16 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1239
Abstract
Onions, essential in various salads and cooked dishes, are sought after by producers for high yields, while consumers value their quality, particularly the presence of antioxidant compounds. This study investigates the impact of production methods and biostimulants on the biomass yield and quality [...] Read more.
Onions, essential in various salads and cooked dishes, are sought after by producers for high yields, while consumers value their quality, particularly the presence of antioxidant compounds. This study investigates the impact of production methods and biostimulants on the biomass yield and quality of onions. The two-year experiment was conducted in Vojvodina, Serbia, and compared directly seeded (DS) and from-set (FS) onions with four biostimulant treatments: control (C), seaweed extracts (T1), humic and fulvic acids (T2), and Trichoderma sp. (T3). DS onions yielded significantly more biomass, while FS onions had higher dry matter content. DS onions treated with T1 showed a significant increase in phenols (↑ 5.30%), while T2 and T3 led to declines (↓ 8.66% and ↓ 7.55%, respectively). All biostimulants reduced phenol content in FS onions. T1 and T2 significantly increased the flavonoid concentration in DS onions, with no significant changes in FS onions. T1 enhanced antioxidant properties in DS onions and reduced them in FS onions. Additionally, T2 and T3 decreased antioxidant activity in both DS and FS onions, as evidenced by DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS tests. These findings guide onion production, advocating for the fresh consumption of DS onions with higher biomass and industrial processing suitability for FS onions, emphasizing the potential of bio-based products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops)
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12 pages, 890 KiB  
Article
Garden Waste Compost Tea: A Horticultural Alternative to Promote Plant Growth and Root Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Plants
by Ana Isabel González-Hernández, María Ángeles Gómez-Sánchez, Rodrigo Pérez-Sánchez and María Remedios Morales-Corts
Horticulturae 2023, 9(10), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9101127 - 12 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1266
Abstract
The application of garden waste compost teas (CTs) in sustainable agriculture constitutes a biostimulant and environmentally friendly alternative. The purpose of this work was to study the physicochemical properties of three CTs prepared with different brewing processes (CT1, CT2, and CT3) immediately after [...] Read more.
The application of garden waste compost teas (CTs) in sustainable agriculture constitutes a biostimulant and environmentally friendly alternative. The purpose of this work was to study the physicochemical properties of three CTs prepared with different brewing processes (CT1, CT2, and CT3) immediately after extraction and six months later to determine whether those properties changed over time and evaluate the effect of CT application on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plant growth. The brewing process had a significant effect on the extracts’ chemical composition, while long-term storage did not lead to significant differences. The most energy-efficient CT was evaluated in a pot and in vitro assays by measuring plant growth parameters and root traits. CT1 directly supplied to the substrate increased the leaf number, plant height, and dry weight of tomato plants compared to the control and foliar treatments, whereas no significant differences were found among foliar treatments. In terms of the effects of CT application on root development, the results of the in vitro assays showed that CT supply enhanced the primary root length, lateral root number, and root fresh weight while decreasing shoot height and weight in 10-day-old tomato seedlings. From an agronomic standpoint, this study contributes new insights regarding the storage stability of CT and its impact on tomato plant growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops)
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14 pages, 2083 KiB  
Article
Role of Humic Acid on Inducing Salt Tolerance of Ivy Geranium (Pelargonium peltatum L.) Plants
by Khalid M. Elhindi, Fahed A. Almana and Mohammed A. Al-Yafrsi
Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9091012 - 08 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1028
Abstract
Saline water is used in floriculture as an alternative to freshwater in arid regions such as Saudi Arabia (SA). However, salt stress considerably accelerates serious physio-biochemical changes associated with a decline in plant establishment. Recently, humic acid (HA) foliar spraying has induced plant [...] Read more.
Saline water is used in floriculture as an alternative to freshwater in arid regions such as Saudi Arabia (SA). However, salt stress considerably accelerates serious physio-biochemical changes associated with a decline in plant establishment. Recently, humic acid (HA) foliar spraying has induced plant stress tolerance in the era of climate change; however, its precise roles in the floriculture industry within saline conditions are not yet well documented. A factorial pot experiment throughout the 2022/2023 season was conducted in the Nursery of Sustainability and Environmental Developmental Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, SA, to evaluate the potential effects of HA (0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L) on growth, flowering and some physiological characteristics of Ivy geranium (Pelargoniumpeltatum) plants irrigated with saline water (230 “control”, 2000 and 4000 mg/L NaCl). Irrigation with saline water markedly inhibited plant growth, flowering attributes, the chlorophyll index, as well as macro and micro-nutrient levels, but increased the content of iron, sodium and proline in plant shoots relative to plants irrigated with non-salinized water. However, HA mainly at 1000 mg/L significantly improved plant growth, flowering capacity, nutrient status, proline accumulation and chlorophyll index under salinized or non-salinized irrigation water. Additionally, spraying of HA concentrations (500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L) under normal or salinity conditions significantly increased shoot sodium content relative to non-treated plants under such salinity levels. Our findings highlight the significance of HA concentrations (500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L) in improving the salt tolerance of Ivy geranium. Within the scarcity of irrigation water, it is recommended to irrigate Ivy geranium with saline water up to 4000 mg/L NaCl associated with spraying HA concentrations in special 1000 mg/L. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops)
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19 pages, 1631 KiB  
Article
L-Tryptophan-Dependent Auxin-Producing Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria Improve Seed Yield and Quality of Carrot by Altering the Umbel Order
by Anam Noor, Khurram Ziaf, Muhammad Naveed, Khuram Shehzad Khan, Muhammad Awais Ghani, Iftikhar Ahmad, Raheel Anwar, Manzer H. Siddiqui, Amir Shakeel and Azeem Iqbal Khan
Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9090954 - 22 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1087
Abstract
Carrot (Daucus carota L.) seed quality is affected by umbel position due to uneven maturation of carrot seeds produced in different umbel orders. However, keeping this in view, we tested whether seed quality could be improved with the suppression of tertiary umbels [...] Read more.
Carrot (Daucus carota L.) seed quality is affected by umbel position due to uneven maturation of carrot seeds produced in different umbel orders. However, keeping this in view, we tested whether seed quality could be improved with the suppression of tertiary umbels under exogenous auxin application. Using auxin-producing bacterial isolates, i.e., Bacillus sp. MN54, Enterobacter sp. MN17, Pantoea sp. MN34, and Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN, the arrangements of carrot umbel order were evaluated in terms of quality carrot seed production. The results revealed that auxin production by plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria showed significant differences among measured growth indices, yield, and seed quality attributes. The selected endophytic strains co-applied with auxin via foliar application improved all growth- and yield-related traits, as well as the enzymatic activities of carrots. Noticeably, MN17+L-tryptophan and MN34+L-tryptophan effectively minimized the number of tertiary umbels by increasing the number of secondary umbels. Furthermore, treating with PsJN+L-tryptophan and MN34+L-tryptophan resulted in reduced conductivity of seed leachates and malondialdehyde levels in primary, secondary, and tertiary umbel seeds. These findings collectively indicate the potential of the foliar application of PsJN+L-tryptophan and MN34+L-tryptophan to effectively alter umbel arrangement, leading to improved yield and seed quality. This study implies that carrot seed producers can consider employing specific PGPB strains, particularly MN34+L-tryptophan, to suppress tertiary umbels and achieve higher yields of high-quality carrot seeds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops)
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16 pages, 336 KiB  
Article
Influence of Spraying Some Biostimulants on Yield, Fruit Quality, Oil Fruit Content and Nutritional Status of Olive (Olea europaea L.) under Salinity
by Adel M. Al-Saif, Muhammad Moaaz Ali, Ahmed B. S. Ben Hifaa and Walid F. A. Mosa
Horticulturae 2023, 9(7), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070825 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1162
Abstract
Salinity currently affects more than 20% of agricultural land and is expected to pose potential challenges to land degradation and agricultural production in the future. It is a leading global abiotic stress that affects general plants and cultivated crops adversely. The utilization of [...] Read more.
Salinity currently affects more than 20% of agricultural land and is expected to pose potential challenges to land degradation and agricultural production in the future. It is a leading global abiotic stress that affects general plants and cultivated crops adversely. The utilization of biostimulants can enhance the efficiency of plant nutrition, facilitate the uptake of nutrients, boost crop yield, improve the quality characteristics of fruits and enhance plants’ ability to withstand abiotic stresses. Biostimulants serve as a vital reservoir of macro- and microelements and plant hormones, such as auxins, cytokinins and gibberellins. Therefore, the current study was conducted to examine the effect of the foliar application of some biostimulants on relieving the side effects of salinity on olive trees (Olea europaea) cv. Kalamata. The olive trees were sprayed three times with moringa leaf aqueous extract (MLE) at 2, 4 and 6%, seaweed extract (SWE) at 1000, 2000 and 3000 ppm and their combinations: 2% MLE + 1000 ppm SWE (combination 1), 4% MLE + 2000 ppm SWE (combination 2) and 6% MLE + 3000 ppm SWE (combination 3). The results revealed that the application of biostimulants had a beneficial effect on the overall growth and development of olive trees, surpassing the performance of untreated trees. Spraying MLE and SWE, particularly at concentrations of 6% and 3000 ppm, respectively, significantly enhanced various aspects of olive tree performance. Notably, there were significant increases in leaf chlorophyll content, flower number, fruit set percentages, fruit yields, fruit oil content, fruit firmness, total soluble solid (TSS) percentage and leaf macro- and micronutrients. Furthermore, the combined application of MLE and SWE resulted in a greater effect when compared to using each one individually. In both seasons, combination 3 outperformed the other treatments that were applied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops)
15 pages, 327 KiB  
Article
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) Performance under Foliar Application of Humic Acid, Brassinosteroids, and Seaweed Extract
by Adel M. Al-Saif, Lidia Sas-Paszt, Rehab M. Awad and Walid F. A. Mosa
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040519 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1977
Abstract
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in fruit orchards has led to numerous problems for the environment, produce quality, and food safety. It also negatively affects soil health, beneficial microorganisms, and ground water quality, hence the resurgence of the application of biostimulants as [...] Read more.
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in fruit orchards has led to numerous problems for the environment, produce quality, and food safety. It also negatively affects soil health, beneficial microorganisms, and ground water quality, hence the resurgence of the application of biostimulants as ecofriendly ways to improve the growth, yield, and fruit quality of tree fruits. The current study was performed during 2021 and 2022 to investigate the influence of foliar spraying of 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/L humic acid (HA); 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L brassinosteroids (Brs); and 1000, 2000, and 3000 mg/L seaweed extract (SWE) compared with a control (untreated trees) in terms of the performance of an apricot (Prunus armeniaca) cv. Canino. The obtained results show that the spraying of HA, Brs, and SWE positively increased the shoot length, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content, fruit set, fruit yields, and fruit physical and chemical characteristics, as well as leaf macro- or micronutrients contents compared with those untreated trees during both study years. Moreover, the increase in parameter values was parallel to the increase in the used concentrations of HA, Brs, or SWE, where 2000 mg/L HA, 2 mg/L Brs, and 3000 mg/L SWE were superior to 1000 mg/L HA, 1 mg/L Brs, and 2000 mg/L SWE, which were better than 500 mg/L HA, 0.5 mg/L Brs, and 1000 mg/L SWE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crops)
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