Glutacetine® Biostimulant Applied on Wheat under Contrasting Field Conditions Improves Grain Number Leading to Better Yield, Upgrades N-Related Traits and Changes Grain Ionome.

Victor Maignan,Patrick Géliot,Jean-Christophe Avice

doi:10.3390/plants10030456

Abstract

Wheat is one of the most important cereals for human nutrition, but nitrogen (N) losses during its cultivation cause economic problems and environmental risks. In order to improve N use efficiency (NUE), biostimulants are increasingly used. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Glutacetine®, a biostimulant sprayed at 5 L ha−1 in combination with fertilizers (urea or urea ammonium nitrate (UAN)), on N-related traits, grain yield components, and the grain quality of winter bread wheat grown at three field sites in Normandy (France). Glutacetine® improved grain yield via a significant increase in the grain number per spike and per m2, which also enhanced the thousand grain weight, especially with urea. The total N in grains and the NUE tended to increase in response to Glutacetine®, irrespective of the site or the form of N fertilizer. Depending on the site, spraying Glutacetine® can also induce changes in the grain ionome (analyzed by X-ray fluorescence), with a reduction in P content observed (site 2 under urea nutrition) or an increase in Mn content (site 3 under UAN nutrition). These results provide a roadmap for utilizing Glutacetine® biostimulant to enhance wheat production and flour quality in a temperate climate.

Highlights

IntroductionEspecially nitrogen (N), are one of the main inputs for boosting yield, and one of the most expensive inputs in terms of economic costs and environmental risks
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of foliar application of Glutacetine® on winter wheat grown under field conditions with different N fertilizer regimes (urea alone or urea–ammonium–nitrate solution (UAN))
Considering each of the N fertilizer forms, the effect of site on grain yield and its components was confirmed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), except for grain number per spike, which was not significant under urea nutrition (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Especially nitrogen (N), are one of the main inputs for boosting yield, and one of the most expensive inputs in terms of economic costs and environmental risks. Many crops require large amounts of this element to maximize yield [1,2], but the use of N fertilizers is implicated in damage to the environment and human health. The main environmental impacts of N are in the contamination of surface and groundwater resources and greenhouse gas emissions [3,4,5]. In terms of human health, the effects depend on the accumulation of nitrate in plant tissue; when nitrate is reduced to nitrite in the human body, it can cause methemoglobinemia, which is dangerous for young children [6]

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