Synergistic Effects of Microbial Biostimulants and Calcium in Alleviating Drought Stress in Oilseed Rape

Gavelienė, Virgilija; Mockevičiūtė, Rima; Jankovska-Bortkevič, Elžbieta; Šveikauskas, Vaidevutis; Zareyan, Mariam; Žalnierius, Tautvydas; Jankauskienė, Jurga; Jurkonienė, Sigita

doi:10.3390/microorganisms13030530

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Effects of Microbial Biostimulants and Calcium in Alleviating Drought Stress in Oilseed Rape

by

Virgilija Gavelienė

^*,

Rima Mockevičiūtė

,

Elžbieta Jankovska-Bortkevič

,

Vaidevutis Šveikauskas

,

Mariam Zareyan

,

Tautvydas Žalnierius

,

Jurga Jankauskienė

and

Sigita Jurkonienė

^*

Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030530

Submission received: 6 February 2025 / Revised: 24 February 2025 / Accepted: 25 February 2025 / Published: 27 February 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture 3.0)

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Abstract

The study aimed to examine the changes in winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) under simulated prolonged drought and to assess the effects of a microbial biostimulant ProbioHumus and calcium, individually and in combination, in order to improve the plant’s drought resistance and to identify the biochemical processes occurring in the plant tissues. The oilseed rape cv. ‘Visby’ was grown under controlled laboratory conditions. CaCO₃ (hereafter, Ca) (3.71 g) was added to the soil of one pot at 70 g m⁻². Seedlings at the 3–4 leaf stage were sprayed with ProbioHumus 2 mL 100 mL⁻¹ and exposed to drought for 8 days to achieve a high water deficit. Irrigation was then resumed, and recovery was assessed after 4 days. The data showed that the microbial biostimulant alleviated the physiological and biochemical response of oilseed rape to drought stress. ProbioHumus + Ca reduced plant wilting by increasing leaf relative water content (RWC) by 87% and induced drought tolerance by increasing endogenous proline content 4-fold, increasing photosynthetic pigment content in leaves by 10–28%, reducing H₂O₂ by 53% and malondialdehyde (MDA) by 45%, and stimulating stomata opening (by 2-fold on the upper and 1.4-fold in the lower leaf surface), vs. drought control. The most effective measure to increase plant survival and/or resume growth after drought was the application of a microbial biostimulant with additional calcium to the soil. The practical implications of this research point to the potential benefits of applying these ecological measures under field conditions.

Keywords: Brassica napus; calcium carbonate; commercial plant probiotics; drought stress responses

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MDPI and ACS Style

Gavelienė, V.; Mockevičiūtė, R.; Jankovska-Bortkevič, E.; Šveikauskas, V.; Zareyan, M.; Žalnierius, T.; Jankauskienė, J.; Jurkonienė, S. Synergistic Effects of Microbial Biostimulants and Calcium in Alleviating Drought Stress in Oilseed Rape. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 530. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030530

AMA Style

Gavelienė V, Mockevičiūtė R, Jankovska-Bortkevič E, Šveikauskas V, Zareyan M, Žalnierius T, Jankauskienė J, Jurkonienė S. Synergistic Effects of Microbial Biostimulants and Calcium in Alleviating Drought Stress in Oilseed Rape. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(3):530. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030530

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gavelienė, Virgilija, Rima Mockevičiūtė, Elžbieta Jankovska-Bortkevič, Vaidevutis Šveikauskas, Mariam Zareyan, Tautvydas Žalnierius, Jurga Jankauskienė, and Sigita Jurkonienė. 2025. "Synergistic Effects of Microbial Biostimulants and Calcium in Alleviating Drought Stress in Oilseed Rape" Microorganisms 13, no. 3: 530. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030530

APA Style

Gavelienė, V., Mockevičiūtė, R., Jankovska-Bortkevič, E., Šveikauskas, V., Zareyan, M., Žalnierius, T., Jankauskienė, J., & Jurkonienė, S. (2025). Synergistic Effects of Microbial Biostimulants and Calcium in Alleviating Drought Stress in Oilseed Rape. Microorganisms, 13(3), 530. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030530

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Synergistic Effects of Microbial Biostimulants and Calcium in Alleviating Drought Stress in Oilseed Rape

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