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Disciglio G, Tarantino A, Frabboni L. Yield and Fruit Characteristics of Tomato Crops Grown with Mineral Macronutrients: Impact of Organo-Mineral Fertilizers through Foliar or Soil Applications. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1458. [PMID: 38891267 PMCID: PMC11174471 DOI: 10.3390/plants13111458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The utilization of plant biostimulants has gained importance as a strategy by which to improve plant productivity and soil health. Two independent trials were conducted across two seasons (2021 and 2023) to evaluate the effects of foliar or soil applications of various commercial organo-mineral fertilizers (Futuroot®, Radicon® Amifort®) with biostimulant action that is exerted on yield and fruit characteristics of processing tomato crops (cv Taylor F1) that have been exposed to mineral macronutrients. These treatments were administered three times during the season: at the transplanting, pre-flowering and berry development stages. In the first trial, conducted in two fields characterized respectively by low and high fertility, foliar applications of Radicon®, which is based on humic acid and amino acids, increased the leaf greenness index SPAD compared with the control. Furthermore, the leaf green colour intensity (SPAD index), measured during the reproductive phases of the tomato exhibited a positive correlation (R2 = 0.726) with the marketable yield obtained. This increase in marketable yield was significant in the biostimulant treatment compared with the control in both soils, especially in the soil characterized by lower fertility (16.1%), when compared with the more fertile soil (6.8%). In the second trial, conducted in the low-fertility field mentioned above, soil applications of all biostimulants (Futuroot®, Radicon® and the combinations [Radicon® + Amifort-Plus®]) significantly increased the marketable yield by 27.8%, 13.5% and 27.7%, respectively, compared with the control. The most significant beneficial effects of both Futuroot® and [Radicon® + Amifort®] could be attributed to the combination of humic acids and auxins, cytokinins or microelements (Zn, Mn, MgO) present in the formulation of these products. Furthermore, the increase in marketable yield obtained when Radicon® was applied to leaves was higher (16.1%) than that observed with soil application (13.5%). In both trials, no relevant effects of biostimulant products were observed on most of the physicochemical characteristics of tomato fruits. In conclusion, the biostimulants based on humic acid and amino acids combined with chemical fertilizers tested in the present study and applied by fertigation were more effective in improving tomato yield, and therefore they can be recommended for efficient agricultural production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Disciglio
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy; (A.T.); (L.F.)
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Ntanasi T, Karavidas I, Spyrou GP, Giannothanasis E, Aliferis KA, Saitanis C, Fotopoulos V, Sabatino L, Savvas D, Ntatsi G. Plant Biostimulants Enhance Tomato Resilience to Salinity Stress: Insights from Two Greek Landraces. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1404. [PMID: 38794474 PMCID: PMC11125247 DOI: 10.3390/plants13101404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Salinity, one of the major abiotic stresses in plants, significantly hampers germination, photosynthesis, biomass production, nutrient balance, and yield of staple crops. To mitigate the impact of such stress without compromising yield and quality, sustainable agronomic practices are required. Among these practices, seaweed extracts (SWEs) and microbial biostimulants (PGRBs) have emerged as important categories of plant biostimulants (PBs). This research aimed at elucidating the effects on growth, yield, quality, and nutrient status of two Greek tomato landraces ('Tomataki' and 'Thessaloniki') following treatments with the Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract 'Algastar' and the PGPB 'Nitrostim' formulation. Plants were subjected to bi-weekly applications of biostimulants and supplied with two nutrient solutions: 0.5 mM (control) and 30 mM NaCl. The results revealed that the different mode(s) of action of the two PBs impacted the tolerance of the different landraces, since 'Tomataki' was benefited only from the SWE application while 'Thessaloniki' showed significant increase in fruit numbers and average fruit weight with the application of both PBs at 0.5 and 30 mM NaCl in the root zone. In conclusion, the stress induced by salinity can be mitigated by increasing tomato tolerance through the application of PBs, a sustainable tool for productivity enhancement, which aligns well with the strategy of the European Green Deal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Ntanasi
- Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (T.N.); (I.K.); (G.P.S.); (E.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Ioannis Karavidas
- Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (T.N.); (I.K.); (G.P.S.); (E.G.); (D.S.)
| | - George P. Spyrou
- Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (T.N.); (I.K.); (G.P.S.); (E.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Evangelos Giannothanasis
- Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (T.N.); (I.K.); (G.P.S.); (E.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Konstantinos A. Aliferis
- Laboratory of Pesticide Science, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece;
- Department of Plant Science, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Costas Saitanis
- Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece;
| | - Vasileios Fotopoulos
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science Cyprus University of Technology, P.O. Box 50329, 3603 Lemesos, Cyprus;
| | - Leo Sabatino
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Dimitrios Savvas
- Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (T.N.); (I.K.); (G.P.S.); (E.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Georgia Ntatsi
- Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (T.N.); (I.K.); (G.P.S.); (E.G.); (D.S.)
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Turan M, Ekinci M, Argin S, Brinza M, Yildirim E. Drought stress amelioration in tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings by biostimulant as regenerative agent. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1211210. [PMID: 37662171 PMCID: PMC10469020 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1211210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Drought adversely affects many physiological and biochemical events of crops. This research was conducted to investigate the possible effects of biostimulants containing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on plant growth parameters, chlorophyll content, membrane permeability (MP), leaf relative water content (LRWC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), hormone content, and antioxidant enzymes (catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) activity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings under different irrigation levels. This study was carried out under controlled greenhouse conditions with two irrigation levels (D0: 100% of field capacity and D1: 50% of field capacity) and three biostimulant doses (B0: 0, B1: 4 L ha-1, and B2: 6 L ha-1). The results of the study show that drought stress negatively influenced the growth and physiological characteristics of tomato seedlings while biostimulant applications ameliorated these parameters. Water deficit conditions (50% of field capacity) caused decrease in indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), salicylic acid (SA), cytokine, zeatin, and jasmonic acid content of tomato seedlings by ratios of 83%, 93%, 82%, 89%, 50%, and 57%, respectively, and shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, plant height, stem diameter, and leaf area decreased by 43%, 19%, 39%, 29%, 20%, 18%, and 50%, respectively, compared to the control (B0D0). In addition, 21%, 16%, 21%, and 17% reductions occurred in LRWC, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll contents with drought compared to the control, respectively. Biostimulant applications restored the plant growth, and the most effective dose was 4 L ha-1 under drought condition. Amendment of biostimulant into the soil also enhanced organic matter and the total N, P, Ca, and Cu content of the experiment soil. In conclusion, 4 L ha-1 biostimulant amendment might be a promising approach to mitigate the adverse effects of drought stress on tomato.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metin Turan
- Department of Agricultural Trade and Management, Faculty of Economy and Administrative Sciences, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Melek Ekinci
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Türkiye
| | - Sanem Argin
- Department of Agricultural Trade and Management, Faculty of Economy and Administrative Sciences, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | | | - Ertan Yildirim
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Türkiye
- Atatürk University Plant Production Application and Research Center, Erzurum, Türkiye
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Soussani FE, Boutasknit A, Ben-Laouane R, Benkirane R, Baslam M, Meddich A. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Compost-Based Biostimulants Enhance Fitness, Physiological Responses, Yield, and Quality Traits of Drought-Stressed Tomato Plants. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12091856. [PMID: 37176914 PMCID: PMC10180964 DOI: 10.3390/plants12091856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change-driven water resource constraints cause tomatoes to suffer from drought. The use of biostimulants has emerged as an important approach to enhancing resilience to drought. However, the roles of biostimulants in the physicochemical characteristics of tomatoes in response to drought are poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the ability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and compost (versus NPK application) to improve the agro-physiology, yield, and fruit quality of tomato plants and their tolerance to drought by comparing them with conventional chemical fertilizers (NPK). Under drought conditions, plant growth traits associated with yield and fruit bioactive compounds (carotenoids: 73%; lycopene: 53%; polyphenols: 310%; and flavonoids: 158%) were increased in the AMF-tomato treatment. Compost significantly enhanced sugars (ca. 60%) and protein contents (ca. 20%). Moreover, AMF protected the photosynthetic apparatus from drought-induced oxidative stress, improved photosynthetic efficiency, leaf water potential, and osmolytes, and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation by increasing peroxidase (POX) (140%) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) (340%) activities compared to their controls. Our findings revealed that NPK is an important nutrient-based fertilizer for plant growth and development. However, its efficiency as a fertilizer is quite low. In addition, we highlighted different mechanisms mediated by AMF and compost, inducing drought tolerance in tomato plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Ezzahra Soussani
- Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit Labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), "Physiology of Abiotic Stresses" Team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Plant, Animal, and Agro-Industry Productions, Faculty of Science, University Ibn Toufail, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
| | - Abderrahim Boutasknit
- Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit Labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), "Physiology of Abiotic Stresses" Team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
| | - Raja Ben-Laouane
- Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit Labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), "Physiology of Abiotic Stresses" Team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Techniques, BP. 509, Boutalamine, Errachidia 52000, Morocco
| | - Rachid Benkirane
- Laboratory of Plant, Animal, and Agro-Industry Productions, Faculty of Science, University Ibn Toufail, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
| | - Marouane Baslam
- Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit Labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), "Physiology of Abiotic Stresses" Team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
| | - Abdelilah Meddich
- Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit Labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), "Physiology of Abiotic Stresses" Team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
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Roșca M, Mihalache G, Stoleru V. Tomato responses to salinity stress: From morphological traits to genetic changes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1118383. [PMID: 36909434 PMCID: PMC10000760 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1118383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tomato is an essential annual crop providing human food worldwide. It is estimated that by the year 2050 more than 50% of the arable land will become saline and, in this respect, in recent years, researchers have focused their attention on studying how tomato plants behave under various saline conditions. Plenty of research papers are available regarding the effects of salinity on tomato plant growth and development, that provide information on the behavior of different cultivars under various salt concentrations, or experimental protocols analyzing various parameters. This review gives a synthetic insight of the recent scientific advances relevant into the effects of salinity on the morphological, physiological, biochemical, yield, fruit quality parameters, and on gene expression of tomato plants. Notably, the works that assessed the salinity effects on tomatoes were firstly identified in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases, followed by their sifter according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and with an emphasis on their results. The assessment of the selected studies pointed out that salinity is one of the factors significantly affecting tomato growth in all stages of plant development. Therefore, more research to find solutions to increase the tolerance of tomato plants to salinity stress is needed. Furthermore, the findings reported in this review are helpful to select, and apply appropriate cropping practices to sustain tomato market demand in a scenario of increasing salinity in arable lands due to soil water deficit, use of low-quality water in farming and intensive agronomic practices.
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Cristofano F, El-Nakhel C, Colla G, Cardarelli M, Pii Y, Lucini L, Rouphael Y. Modulation of Morpho-Physiological and Metabolic Profiles of Lettuce Subjected to Salt Stress and Treated with Two Vegetal-Derived Biostimulants. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:709. [PMID: 36840057 PMCID: PMC9964113 DOI: 10.3390/plants12040709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Salinity in water and soil is a critical issue for food production. Using biostimulants provides an effective strategy to protect crops from salinity-derived yield losses. The research supports the effectiveness of protein hydrolysate (PH) biostimulants based on their source material. A greenhouse experiment was performed on lettuce plants under control (0 mM NaCl) and high salinity conditions (30 mM NaCl) using the Trainer (T) and Vegamin (V) PH biostimulants. The recorded data included yield parameters, mineral contents, auxiliary pigments, and polyphenolics. The plant sample material was further analyzed to uncover the unique metabolomic trace of the two biostimulants. The results showed an increased yield (8.9/4.6%, T/V) and higher photosynthetic performance (14%) compared to control and salinity treatments. Increased yield in salinity condition by T compared to V was deemed significant due to the positive modulation in stress-protecting molecules having an oxidative stress relief effect such as lutein (39.9% 0 × T vs. 30 × V), β-carotene (23.4% vs. V overall), and flavonoids (27.7% vs. V). The effects of PH biostimulants on the physio-chemical and metabolic performance of lettuce plants are formulation dependent. However, they increased plant growth under stress conditions, which can prove profitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cristofano
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Christophe El-Nakhel
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Colla
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Cardarelli
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Youry Pii
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Luigi Lucini
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Research Centre for Nutrigenomics and Proteomics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Youssef Rouphael
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
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