Abstract
Biostimulants have rapidly and widely been adopted as growth enhancers and stress protectants in agriculture, however, due to the complex nature of these products, their mechanism of action is not clearly understood. By using two algal based commercial biostimulants in combination with the Solanum lycopersicum cv. MicroTom model system, we assessed how the modulation of nitrogen metabolites and potassium levels could contribute to mediate physiological mechanisms that are known to occur in response to salt/and or osmotic stress. Here we provide evidence that the reshaping of amino acid metabolism can work as a functional effector, coordinating ion homeostasis, osmotic adjustment and scavenging of reactive oxygen species under increased osmotic stress in MicroTom plant cells. The Superfifty biostimulant is responsible for a minor amino acid rich-phenotype and could represent an interesting instrument to untangle nitrogen metabolism dynamics in response to salinity and/or osmotic stress.
Highlights
The exponential growth in the world’s population and the improved quality of life is expected to double food demand by 2050 [1]
Significant differences were observed for leaf fresh weight (FW) only under 85 mM NaCl (S2), that is a decrease of 21% with respect to Control (Table 1, Figure 1)
In a previous paper of Di Stasio et al [27], MicroTom plants were submitted to a factorial combination of two nutrient strengths (100% or 70% basic nutrient solution, BNS), three salinity levels of 0 (S0), 42.5 (S1), and 85 (S2) mM NaCl and two different commercial Ascophyllum nodosum extracts (Rygex at 2.5 mL L−1 and Superfifty at 2.0 mL L−1) in order to study the ameliorative effects of these two SWEs extracts on plant growth and yield
Summary
The exponential growth in the world’s population and the improved quality of life is expected to double food demand by 2050 [1]. It is important to verify if the reduction in the use of N-fertilizers can affect the pool of nitrogen-containing compatible compounds These latter are synthetized in plants, in response to abiotic stresses (e.g., salinity, drought, high light, etc.), and interact with molecules and structures. Natural biostimulants are classified neither as pesticides nor fertilizers because they do not have direct effects on pests and pathogens or supply large amounts of nutrients They represent a promising strategy to guarantee food safety without adversely affecting the environment [24]. Salinity is able to exert adverse effects on plants by decreasing plant’s ability to extract water from the soil and the accumulation of ions like Na+ and Cl− at toxic concentrations in cell tissues This dual osmotic and ionic stress can reduce cell expansion, inhibit tissue growth, and cause nutritional imbalances and oxidative stress. While endogenous mannitol is a compatible solute for plants, if supplied exogenously it can reduce the water potential in the soil medium rendering it difficult for water and nutrients uptake by the plant [44]
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