Modulation of abiotic stress tolerance by a grapevine cell culture-based biostimulant in tomato plants.
Tomato is the third most produced crop in the world, with Spain being the ninth largest producer worldwide. However, its production, as well as that of many other crop species, is being threatened by edaphoclimatic pressure resulting from climate change, especially rising temperatures and soil salinization. The use of plant biostimulants, especially those derived from higher plants (hPDBs), is gaining ground as an approach to improve crop performance and yield in plants growing in adverse conditions. In this research, a biostimulant derived from elicited grapevine cell cultures, grapevine biostimulant (GvB), has been evaluated regarding its effect on improving the growth of tomato plants, as well as the mechanisms of action that strengthen their tolerance to salt and heat stress. The results demonstrated an improvement in water relations and photosynthetic processes, the assimilation of elements and molecules essential for mineral nutrition, as well as a promotion of molecular defence mechanisms in tomato plants, especially when subjected to stress conditions. Therefore, GvB constitutes a next-generation biostimulant capable of improving physiological and defence processes in tomato plants, increasing their tolerance to abiotic stress.