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The Role of Biostimulants in Stimulating Plant Productivity
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The Role of Biostimulants in Stimulating Plant Productivity

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2024 | Viewed by 14171

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michela Schiavon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, Univerisity of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
Interests: biostimulants; plant physiology; biofortification, plant nutrition; plant-soil interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrea Ertani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
DISAFA Departement, Largo Braccini 2, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Turin, Italy
Interests: biostimulants; plant biofortification; abiotic stress; vertical farming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

The use of biostimulants to boost crop production and improve the ability of plants to withstand a variety of stressful conditions has received increasing interest in the last few years. Biostimulants can be produced from various sources using different high-throughput methods. Most of these contain a cocktail of substances that are bioactive in the plant and can determine specific molecular signatures. Others include pools of beneficial microorganisms or consist of elements established as beneficial to plants. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which biostimulants act in plant metabolism and influence plant growth, stress physiology, nutrition, and the content of beneficial compounds are only partially known. In fact, to date only certain genes and metabolic pathways have been identified as either shared or specific targets of biostimulants. Thus, more research is needed on this topic and could aid in improving the effectiveness of the application of biostimulants to plants and provide the basis for the improvement of their formulations. In particular, this Special Issue aims to collect scientific contributions (in the form of reviews or original articles) that will provide more insight into the mechanisms of action of biostimulants in plants; the molecular signals and physiological responses that they activate; and the metabolic outcomes resulting from their application in lab, greenhouse, and field trials. This Special Issue will only handles manuscripts on biostimulants with specific chemical structures, such as humic acid and amino acid.

Dr. Michela Schiavon
Dr. Andrea Ertani
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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
  • bioactivity
  • crop nutrition
  • abiotic stress
  • humic substances
  • beneficial microorganisms
  • beneficial elements

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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5 pages, 514 KiB  
Communication
Cane Vinasses Contain Bioactive Concentrations of Auxin and Abscisic Acid in Their Composition
by Angel Mª Zamarreño, Giancarlo Valduga and Jose Mª Garcia-Mina
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 9976; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23179976 - 01 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1122
Abstract
Currently, high doses of vinasse are employed for the fertigation of sugarcane with positive results on yield. Usually, this effect is related to the presence of mineral nutrients in its composition as well as to its action on soil properties. Consequently, the concentrations [...] Read more.
Currently, high doses of vinasse are employed for the fertigation of sugarcane with positive results on yield. Usually, this effect is related to the presence of mineral nutrients in its composition as well as to its action on soil properties. Consequently, the concentrations of minerals, organic acids, and other metabolites in vinasse are very well characterized. However, considering that cane vinasses are obtained from the treatment of vegetal tissues, it is also possible that they might contain significant concentrations of phytoregulators that could have a relevant role in their beneficial action on yield. To investigate this hypothesis, we analyzed the main plant hormones in 22 samples of vinasse collected in different production sites of Brazil using HPLC–mass spectrometry. The results show that both ABA and IAA present concentrations in vinasse within the micromolar range, thus being potential active ingredients affecting plant development. In conclusion, the beneficial action of cane vinasses on sugarcane yield might involve, among other factors, the action of IAA and ABA on plant growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Biostimulants in Stimulating Plant Productivity)
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Review

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14 pages, 2131 KiB  
Review
Trichoderma spp. Improves Flowering, Quality, and Nutritional Status of Ornamental Plants
by Roman Andrzejak and Beata Janowska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 15662; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232415662 - 10 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2882
Abstract
Scientists all over the world conduct research to determine the influence of Trichoderma spp. on various groups of plants, mostly crops. However, there is little information on the influence of these fungi on ornamental plants. Therefore, the authors of this study analyzed the [...] Read more.
Scientists all over the world conduct research to determine the influence of Trichoderma spp. on various groups of plants, mostly crops. However, there is little information on the influence of these fungi on ornamental plants. Therefore, the authors of this study analyzed the influence of Trichoderma spp. on the growth, flowering, quality, and nutritional status of ornamental plants. The research showed that Trichoderma spp. in this group of plants stimulate the elongation and thickening of shoots and the formation of leaves. These fungi also stimulate or inhibit leaf elongation. They also accelerate the flowering of plants, stimulate the elongation of inflorescence shoots and inflorescences, and the development of flowers. Apart from that, Trichoderma spp. positively influence the content of chlorophyll and carotenoids in leaves, and they stimulate the uptake of micro- and macroelements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Biostimulants in Stimulating Plant Productivity)
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33 pages, 4974 KiB  
Review
An Insight into Microbial Inoculants for Bioconversion of Waste Biomass into Sustainable “Bio-Organic” Fertilizers: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review
by Jennifer Michellin Kiruba N and Agnieszka Saeid
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 13049; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232113049 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5425
Abstract
The plant-microbe holobiont has garnered considerable attention in recent years, highlighting its importance as an ecological unit. Similarly, manipulation of the microbial entities involved in the rhizospheric microbiome for sustainable agriculture has also been in the limelight, generating several commercial bioformulations to enhance [...] Read more.
The plant-microbe holobiont has garnered considerable attention in recent years, highlighting its importance as an ecological unit. Similarly, manipulation of the microbial entities involved in the rhizospheric microbiome for sustainable agriculture has also been in the limelight, generating several commercial bioformulations to enhance crop yield and pest resistance. These bioformulations were termed biofertilizers, with the consistent existence and evolution of different types. However, an emerging area of interest has recently focused on the application of these microorganisms for waste valorization and the production of “bio-organic” fertilizers as a result. In this study, we performed a bibliometric analysis and systematic review of the literature retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science to determine the type of microbial inoculants used for the bioconversion of waste into “bio-organic” fertilizers. The Bacillus, Acidothiobacillus species, cyanobacterial biomass species, Aspergillus sp. and Trichoderma sp. were identified to be consistently used for the recovery of nutrients and bioconversion of wastes used for the promotion of plant growth. Cyanobacterial strains were used predominantly for wastewater treatment, while Bacillus, Acidothiobacillus, and Aspergillus were used on a wide variety of wastes such as sawdust, agricultural waste, poultry bone meal, crustacean shell waste, food waste, and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sewage sludge ash. Several bioconversion strategies were observed such as submerged fermentation, solid-state fermentation, aerobic composting, granulation with microbiological activation, and biodegradation. Diverse groups of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) with different enzymatic functionalities such as chitinolysis, lignocellulolytic, and proteolysis, in addition to their plant growth promoting properties being explored as a consortium for application as an inoculum waste bioconversion to fertilizers. Combining the efficiency of such functional and compatible microbial species for efficient bioconversion as well as higher plant growth and crop yield is an enticing opportunity for “bio-organic” fertilizer research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Biostimulants in Stimulating Plant Productivity)
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23 pages, 1499 KiB  
Review
Current Insights into the Molecular Mode of Action of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants and the Sustainability of Seaweeds as Raw Material Resources
by Neerakkal Sujeeth, Veselin Petrov, Kieran J. Guinan, Fiaz Rasul, John T. O’Sullivan and Tsanko S. Gechev
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(14), 7654; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23147654 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3808
Abstract
Natural biostimulants, such as seaweed extracts, can stimulate plant growth and development in both model and crop plants. Due to the increasing demands for their use in agriculture, it is crucial to ensure the sustainability of the sources from which they are produced. [...] Read more.
Natural biostimulants, such as seaweed extracts, can stimulate plant growth and development in both model and crop plants. Due to the increasing demands for their use in agriculture, it is crucial to ensure the sustainability of the sources from which they are produced. Furthermore, some seaweed extracts were recently shown to prime and protect from adverse environmental factors such as drought, salinity and extreme temperatures, as well as from oxidative stress. The molecular mode of action of these biostimulants has still not been fully elucidated, but there has been significant progress in this direction in the last years. Firstly, this review examines the sustainability aspects of harvesting seaweed resources as raw materials for manufacturing biostimulants and provides an overview of the regulatory landscape pertaining to seaweed-based biostimulants. The review then summarises the recent advances in determining the genetic and molecular mechanisms activated by seaweed-based biostimulants, their influence on transcriptome reconfiguration, metabolite adjustment, and ultimately stress protection, improved nutrient uptake, and plant growth and performance. This knowledge is important for deciphering the intricate stress signalling network modulated by seaweed-based biostimulants and can aid in designing molecular priming technologies for crop improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Biostimulants in Stimulating Plant Productivity)
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