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Agriculture
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Biostimulants Extracted from Biomass for Better Crop Growth
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Biostimulants Extracted from Biomass for Better Crop Growth

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2541

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Davide Farruggia

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: agriculture; water management; abiotic stress; industrial crops; biostimulants; phytoremediation; wastewater reuse; essential oils
Dr. Mario Licata

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: constructed wetlands; agronomy and crop sciences; wastewater reuse in agriculture; industrial crops for energy use; aromatic and medicinal plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Beppe Benedetto Consentino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: horticulture; grafting; biostimulants; biofortification; vegetable crops
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of biomass extracts in agriculture is considered a sustainable approach to enhance crop growth and resilience. Traditionally derived from plant, algal, or microbial sources, these natural products, also defined as biostimulants, have gained renewed interest due to their potential to reduce the reliance on synthetic chemicals and improve plant tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and temperature extremes.

This Special Issue aims to consolidate cutting-edge research focused on the application of biomass extracts to boost the productivity and stress resilience of herbaceous, horticultural, and arboreal crops of agronomic importance. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that explore the mechanisms through which biomass extracts influence plant physiological processes, nutrient uptake, and overall yield. Emphasis will be placed on studies that demonstrate the role of these products in mitigating abiotic stresses, enhancing crop quality, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Papers that investigate innovative extraction methods, formulation improvements, and field application strategies are also highly encouraged. By bringing together interdisciplinary research on biomass extracts, this Special Issue seeks to advance our understanding of their practical benefits and support the development of eco-friendly solutions to improve crop performance under challenging environmental conditions.

Dr. Davide Farruggia
Dr. Mario Licata
Dr. Beppe Benedetto Consentino
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • physiological processes
  • yield
  • quality
  • biostimulants
  • climate changes
  • abiotic stress
  • agronomic practices
  • eco-friendly solutions
  • resilience

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1988 KB  
Article
Enhancement of Rice Growth Under Salinity Stress Triggered by Extracellular Polysaccharides from Pantoea alhagi Is Associated with Changes in Physiology and Root Proteomics
by Caoyaxin Zhang, Hao Chen, Changpo Zhang, Jian Xue, Xiaohai Feng, Zongqi Xu, Jian Gao, Liang Sun, Peng Lei, Rui Wang, Hong Xu and Yian Gu
Agriculture 2026, 16(8), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16080867 - 14 Apr 2026
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Soil salinization poses an escalating threat to global crop production. Extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) secreted by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have the potential to improve the salt tolerance of crops. Here, we tested the effects of Pantoea alhagi NX-11 EPSs on the growth, physiological traits, [...] Read more.
Soil salinization poses an escalating threat to global crop production. Extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) secreted by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have the potential to improve the salt tolerance of crops. Here, we tested the effects of Pantoea alhagi NX-11 EPSs on the growth, physiological traits, and root proteomic profiles of rice under salt stress. We found that NX-11 EPSs effectively increased the salt tolerance of rice in soil, with 50 mg/kg EPS exhibiting the strongest plant growth-promoting effect. This effect was associated with increased the K+/Na+ ratio and soluble protein content in roots induced by NX-11 EPSs as well as reduced stomatal aperture and transpiration rate in leaves. Proteomic analyses revealed that NX-11 EPSs markedly changed the protein profiles of roots. Specifically, proteins associated with cyanoamino acid metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and fatty acid degradation were downregulated. Together, these results suggest that NX-11 EPSs improve rice performance under salt stress, accompanied by changes in physiological traits and root protein profiles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biostimulants Extracted from Biomass for Better Crop Growth)
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15 pages, 621 KB  
Article
Application of Plant Stimulants to Slovak Grape Varieties (Vitis vinifera L.) and Their Effect on Selected Physiological Indicators
by Adrián Selnekovič, Ján Mezey, Martin Janás, Ivana Kollárová, Tomáš Vician and Dávid Ernst
Agriculture 2026, 16(7), 812; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16070812 - 6 Apr 2026
Viewed by 574
Abstract
Grapevine growth and physiological performance are strongly influenced by biotic and abiotic stresses occurring during the growing season. Plant stimulants are increasingly applied in viticulture as management tools aimed at supporting plant physiological processes and improving plant performance under variable environmental conditions; however, [...] Read more.
Grapevine growth and physiological performance are strongly influenced by biotic and abiotic stresses occurring during the growing season. Plant stimulants are increasingly applied in viticulture as management tools aimed at supporting plant physiological processes and improving plant performance under variable environmental conditions; however, cultivar-specific responses to different application strategies remain insufficiently characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of foliar plant stimulant application strategies differing in application frequency and phenological timing on selected physiological and canopy-related indicators in Slovak grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) under field conditions. The assessed parameters included leaf chlorophyll a and b contents, chlorophyll a/b ratio, leaf area index (LAI), vegetation indices (NDVI and PRI), cluster weight, and basic must composition. Grapevines were subjected to three treatment variants: a control without plant stimulant application, a variant with two foliar applications, and a variant with three foliar applications of commercial biostimulants (Tecamin Max, Tecamin Flower, and Tecamin Brix) performed at key phenological stages during the growing season. Plant stimulant applications were associated with variations in leaf chlorophyll content and LAI values, particularly under repeated application strategies. NDVI and PRI complemented leaf-level measurements by capturing cultivar-dependent differences in canopy condition and photosynthetic regulation throughout the season. Responses of cluster weight and must composition to plant stimulant application were moderate and varied among cultivars, indicating cultivar-specific responses. Although no consistent increase in cluster yield was observed, treated variants showed higher sugar content and lower titratable acidity in several cultivars, indicating differences in grape composition and ripening-related traits. Overall, the results indicate that foliar plant stimulant application strategies can influence physiological and canopy-level grapevine traits in a cultivar-dependent manner. The combined use of leaf-level, canopy-level, and spectral indicators provides a practical framework for evaluating plant stimulant strategies under field conditions and supports their application in sustainable viticulture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biostimulants Extracted from Biomass for Better Crop Growth)
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16 pages, 1380 KB  
Article
Effect of Protein Hydrolysates on Yield and Chemical Parameters of Oregano Cultivated Under Rainfed Conditions in Mediterranean Environments
by Davide Farruggia, Giovanni Urso, Giuseppe Di Miceli, Arash Khosravi, Claudio Leto, Salvatore La Bella, Johannes Novak and Mario Licata
Agriculture 2026, 16(6), 709; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16060709 - 23 Mar 2026
Viewed by 632
Abstract
A critical challenge for modern agriculture is the adoption of sustainable and effective strategies, also in the medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) sector. In many areas, MAP cultivation remains dependent on traditional farming systems, with a lack of innovative techniques. This study investigates [...] Read more.
A critical challenge for modern agriculture is the adoption of sustainable and effective strategies, also in the medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) sector. In many areas, MAP cultivation remains dependent on traditional farming systems, with a lack of innovative techniques. This study investigates the effect of the foliar application of two protein hydrolysates, one animal-derived (PH 1) and one plant-derived (PH 2), on oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) cultivated under rainfed conditions in a representative area of Sicily (Italy). The aim was to evaluate whether these types of biostimulants could enhance production yield compared to untreated plants. Results showed that both protein hydrolysates induced significant improvement of the agronomic responses compared to the control. Specifically, treatments stimulated a substantial enhancement in fresh biomass (increases from 1.9 to 6.5 t ha−1) and dry biomass (increases from 0.9 to 2.4 t ha−1). Total phenolics and antioxidant activity decreased by 15–24% and 7–15%, respectively, compared to control plants during the two years. However, the aromatic profile of the essential oils was not significantly affected by foliar application of the two protein hydrolysates. The use of these foliar biostimulants represents a sustainable and highly effective strategy to maximize productive parameters while maintaining the chemical stability required by the market, offering a significant contribution to the optimization of oregano cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biostimulants Extracted from Biomass for Better Crop Growth)
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