Biostimulants as Sustainable Tools to Enhance the Nutritional Quality and Functional Properties of Food Crops
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Biotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 24
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biostimulants; enhancing plant growth; fruit cracking mechanisms; plant biochemistry; plant physiology; stress mitigation; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The growing demand for nutritionally rich and sustainably produced food crops has intensified the search for innovative agricultural tools capable of enhancing crop performance while reducing environmental impacts. Biostimulants—derived from natural sources such as seaweed extracts, beneficial microorganisms, protein hydrolysates, and plant-based compounds—have emerged as promising solutions for improving plant growth, stress resilience, and the accumulation of health-promoting phytochemicals. This Special Issue of Foods will gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews addressing the mechanisms, efficacy, and practical applications of biostimulants in enhancing both the nutritional quality and the functional properties of food crops. Contributions exploring molecular and physiological responses, field performance under biotic and abiotic stress, interactions with soil microbiota, and the development of novel bioactive formulations are particularly welcome. By integrating multidisciplinary perspectives—from plant physiology and agronomy to food science and metabolomics—this Special Issue will provide a robust scientific foundation for the sustainable use of biostimulants in modern agriculture and foster innovations that support healthier diets and resilient cropping systems
Dr. Berta Gonçalves
Guest Editor
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.
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 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
- sustainable agriculture
- green agriculture
- phytochemicals
- stress tolerance
- plant growth promotion
- seaweed extracts
- metabolomics
- bioeconomy
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