Introduction Cotton is a crop of major economic importance, often cultivated under environmental conditions that expose plants to abiotic stresses such as heat and water deficit, which negatively affect physiological performance and yield. Biostimulants have emerged as promising tools to enhance plant resilience and productivity under such conditions. Methods This study evaluated the effects of foliar application of a novel biostimulant “SB”, based on a Glicoligno Lipidic Complex, at different dose rates on antioxidant metabolism, photosynthetic performance, agronomic traits, and boll yield of cotton grown under central Brazil conditions. The treatments promoted significant improvements in physiological efficiency, particularly at higher application rates, with the 2.0 L ha-¹ dose showing the most pronounced responses. Results and discussion Foliar application of the novel biostimulant SB (Glicoligno Lipidic complex) significantly improved physiological and agronomic performance of cotton grown under central Brazil conditions. SB enhanced net photosynthesis (A) by up to 15.3%, and water use efficiency (WUE) by 12-20.5% (p > 0.1) across the evaluated cultivars and application times. Also, it increased RuBisCO activity by 9–22.4%, and improved chlorophyll and carotenoid contents (p > 0.05) by up to 25.2% and 16.3%, respectively. Antioxidant responses were modulated, with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels reduced (p > 0.1) by up to 12.4% and 14.3%, respectively, indicating reduced oxidative stress. These physiological benefits translated into higher reproductive success, with number of bolls per plant increased by approximately 30% in cultivar C1 and boll weight increasing by 6–6.3% in C2. Overall fiber seed yield was enhanced (p > 0.05) by 6.9% in C1 (p > 0.1) (cultivar 1; FM 911GLTP) and 5.6% in C2 (cultivar 2; FM974 GLT). The results highlight SB as an effective foliar biostimulant that improves photosynthetic efficiency, stress tolerance, and yield formation, supporting cotton productivity under variable field conditions.
Water deficit represents a major environmental constraint that severely limits the growth and yield of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Although inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has emerged as a promising strategy to mitigate drought-induced stress, the efficacy of specific strains, such as Priestia aryabhattai CMAA 1363, remains to be fully elucidated. This study evaluated the morpho-agronomic and biochemical responses of common bean to seed inoculation with P. aryabhattai CMAA 1363 under two contrasting irrigation regimes: 100% (well-watered) and 40% (water-restricted) of available water capacity (AWC) under greenhouse conditions. Water restriction significantly compromised plant performance, reducing plant and pod length, root dry biomass, and yield components (pod and grain counts, and total grain mass). Conversely, bacterial inoculation enhanced vegetative traits, increasing plant length by approximately 15% and root dry biomass by approximately 25% compared to non-inoculated controls. Notably, under severe water deficit (40% AWC), inoculated plants achieved a 20% increase in total grain mass per plant relative to their non-inoculated counterparts. Biochemical profiling indicated that inoculation effectively attenuated oxidative stress, as evidenced by lower malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation and modulated superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, while water-stressed plants adapted by accumulating total soluble sugars and increasing peroxidase (POD) activity. Overall, P. aryabhattai CMAA 1363 promotes vegetative development, preserves grain production under drought, and orchestrates antioxidant defense mechanisms, highlighting its potential as a sustainable bioinput to improve common bean resilience in water-limited agricultural systems.
Breno Miranda Bagagi, Ronaldo de Oliveira-Elias, J. P. Barcelos et al.· Stresses· 0 citations
Drought stress poses a critical threat to maize productivity by impairing physiological processes and yield formation. Silicon (Si) has emerged as a stress-mitigating element due to its ability to improve plant water status, preserve membrane stability, and protect photosynthetic pigments under drought conditions. However, there is a further need to explore the effectiveness of foliar-applied Si in hybrid maize under different drought conditions, especially during the reproductive stage. This pot experiment was conducted during fall 2023 to evaluate the effectiveness of foliar-applied silicon (Si) in mitigating drought-induced damage in hybrid maize. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design using a factorial arrangement with three field capacity levels (100%, 80%, and 60% FC) and four silicon concentrations (0, 4, 6, and 8 mM). Drought stress at 60% FC reduced grain yield per plant by 32.7%, thousand-grain weight by 16.3%, relative water content by 23.9%, and chlorophyll a by 46.2% compared with the well-watered control. While foliar application of 8 mM Si alleviated drought effects by increasing grain yield by 30.7%, biological yield by 7.5%, and relative water content by 9.2% compared with untreated plants under 60% FC. Cell membrane injury was reduced by 12.9% with 8 mM Si under severe drought. Significant FC × Si interaction effects were observed for thousand-grain weight, grain yield per plant, biological yield, grain protein content, and grain rows per cob. These findings suggest that, among the tested treatments, foliar application of 8 mM Si was most effective in reducing drought-induced physiological damage and maintaining yield under severe reproductive-stage drought stress.
Ali Murad, Muhammad Alamgeer, M. F. Saleem et al.· Discover Plants· 0 citations
Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures (cold, hot), heavy metal toxicity, flooding, pollutants, and nutrient imbalances are emerging as major threats to global agri-food and nutritional security, significantly constraining crop productivity and resilience. Nowadays, the situation has deteriorated owing to the accelerated and profound alterations in global climatic patterns. It is utmost need to understand and find out the various adaptive and alleviative practices to reduce the impact, in which plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have the ability to assuage the negative impact of the various stresses and enhanced seed spices productivity and profitability. The interface between PGPR and crops under various stresses are positive worldwide. PGPR play a significant role in enhancing nutrient availability in the soil–plant–microbe system. Additionally, PGPR help lower ethylene levels, increase the concentration of osmolytes, and defend crops from oxidative injure under a diversity of environmental multiple stresses. The application of PGPR to seed spice crops represents a promising strategy to enhance productivity and improve plant resilience under various stress conditions. This review highlights the role of PGPR in mitigating abiotic stresses in seed spice crops and underscores the need for future research to develop effective, long-lasting microbial formulations that support sustainable cultivation under multiple stress conditions.
H. Parewa, V. Meena, Ramniwas Choudhary et al.· Discover Soil· 0 citations
Drought is one of the most common problems that can induce stress on crop production. Due to the rising temperatures caused by climate change, drought has become more frequent in many areas. It is crucial for the agricultural sector to look for more solutions on how to protect and increase plant productivity while using fewer chemical fertilisers. Studies show that biostimulants can act as anti-stress solutions, helping plants to mitigate drought stress while being an environmentally friendly option. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different biostimulants on the morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during stress and recovery periods. In this study, the biostimulants Terra-Sorb, Millerplex, and their mixture were used. Parameters were measured on the last day of the stress period and the last day of the recovery period. The results showed that drought significantly reduced the morphological parameters of winter wheat. Fresh biomass during drought decreased by approximately 39–53% compared with control (p < 0.05). Winter wheat sprayed with the mixture of biostimulants showed the smallest losses, with fresh biomass reduced by 38.85% and the net photosynthetic rate by 75.72% compared with control, indicating the highest tolerance to drought among all treatments. The mixture also maintained higher transpiration than the other treatments. During plant recovery period, biostimulants did not improve plant performance, and the biochemical parameters were not affected (p > 0.05). This study showed the effect of drought on morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters of winter wheat as well as the efficiency of different biostimulants during drought stress period, especially when biostimulants with two different active components were are used in combination.
Ugnė Diliūnaitė, I. Januškaitienė· Biologija· 0 citations
The pressing need for sustainable agriculture and food security has led to increased interest in biostimulants (BS) to mitigate abiotic stresses such as drought. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of five commercial BS (Vesta, Humifirst, Acadian, SilicaPower, and Crop-Set) on leaf-level physiology, water use efficiency (WUE), tuber yield, and tuber quality in potato under drought stress. Drought stress was applied at the onset of tuber initiation (51 days after planting) and lasted for 7 days followed by a 4-day recovery period. Drought stress significantly decreased leaf relative water content, photosynthetic parameters, and flavonol index compared to non-drought. The yield and glucose content were 26% and 21% lower, and the sucrose content was 59% higher in the tubers of the drought-stressed plants than in non-drought-stressed. BS effects were generally limited and dependent on water conditions, with significant interactions observed for WUE parameters. Under drought conditions, Vesta and SilicaPower increased intrinsic WUE by 36% and 30%, respectively, while instantaneous WUE increased by 25% with both Vesta and Humifirst and by 33% with SilicaPower. Under non-drought conditions, Acadian led to a 42% increase in intrinsic WUE and a 60% increase in instantaneous WUE. However, these effects were not consistently accompanied by improvements in photosynthesis, biomass, or yield. Overall, this comprehensive assessment indicates that tested BS exert limited effects on potato plant biomass and tubers yield under drought stress, with their primary influence restricted to increased leaf-level WUE and changes in tuber composition rather than providing broad drought stress alleviation at whole plant level.
M. A. Asghar, Karen la Cour Jørgensen, T. M. dos Santos et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
Maize is a crop that plays a fundamental role in global food security, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. However, drought stress remains one of the major constraints that limit maize production worldwide. Maize sensitivity to water deficit is especially critical during the flowering stage, often resulting in substantial yield losses. This study aimed to investigate a sustainable strategy to mitigate drought stress in sweet corn through the combined application of silicon (Si) and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in non-sterilized native soil. We hypothesized that the association between Si and AMF could enhance drought tolerance by improving the physiological and agronomic performance of the plants. Our results demonstrated that the combined treatment increased mycorrhizal colonization by 50%, root volume by 53%, soil Si availability, and leaf concentrations of Si and P by 45% and 50%, respectively. Furthermore, under water-deficit conditions, the combined application promoted significant improvements in gas exchange parameters, including increases of 51% in photosynthetic rate, 29% in transpiration rate, 29% in stomatal conductance, and 33% in intercellular CO₂ concentration, as well as a 30% increase in leaf xylem water potential. In addition, water-use efficiency increased by 29%, while industrial yield and soluble solids content increased by 29% and 30%, respectively. These findings provide strong evidence for the synergistic effects of AMF and Si in enhancing drought resilience in sweet corn, highlighting a promising strategy for sustainable agricultural production under water-limited conditions. Further studies are required to evaluate the interaction between Si and AMF using different maize hybrids and AMF strains under drought conditions in natural soils.
J. Borges, D. J. Marques, Maria Cristina Sanches et al.· Irrigation science· 0 citations