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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Application of Plant Biostimulants in Horticultural Crops
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Application of Plant Biostimulants in Horticultural Crops

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 August 2024) | Viewed by 9422

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Armando Robledo-Olivo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fermentations and Biomolecules Lab, Food Science and Technology Department, Antonio Narro Autonomous Agrarian University, Saltillo 25315, Mexico
Interests: Bioprocess, agrifood waste valorization, biostimulants production, postharvest, fermentation technology, Sargassum valorization
Prof. Dr. Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Horticultura, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo 25315, Mexico
Interests: plant biostimulation; plant nutrition; stress tolerance induction; seed priming using nanometric or bulk species of essential and beneficial nutrients; biopolymers; UV radiation; relationships between plant biostimulation, plant nutrition, tolerance to stress, and the nutritional quality and biofortification of vegetables and fruits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carlos Juan Alvarado-López

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CONACYT—Technological Institute of Conkal, Av. Tecnológico s/n, Conkal 97345, Yucatan, Mexico
Interests: Plant soil microorganism interactions; absorption and accumulation of minerals in plants. Biofortification assisted by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current high global demand for horticultural crops and changing climatic conditions has encouraged the development of biostimulant products that magnify crop productivity. Plant biostimulants can be molecules or compounds related to the presence of various bioactive substances, which activate and help the defense system of plants. In addition, the new sustainability regulations demand that these biostimulants be of organic origin, or of green chemistry. The study of the production of new biostimulants and their application in horticultural crops can be used to satisfy the current demand for healthy and nutritious foods. In this Special Issue, articles on the application of plant biostimulants in horticultural crops are accepted, including studies on production and chemical characterization, as well as their application in seedlings and horticultural crops.

Dr. Armando Robledo-Olivo
Prof. Dr. Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza
Dr. Carlos Juan Alvarado-López
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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

  • abiotic stress
  • biotic stress
  • aqueous extraction
  • ethanolic extraction
  • fermentation
  • nanoparticles

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2599 KiB  
Article
Obtaining Lignin from Nutshells under Mild Extraction Conditions and Its Use as a Biostimulant in Tomato Seedlings
by José Alejandro Díaz-Elizondo, Azrrael Ayala-Velazco, Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza, Francisco Javier Enriquez-Medrano and Julia Medrano-Macías
Horticulturae 2024, 10(10), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10101079 - 9 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1954
Abstract
Biostimulants are an important alternative to improve and promote higher efficiency in cropping systems. Although the biostimulant industry has been developing for several years, there are still areas of opportunity for new sources of biostimulants as well as new ecofriendly extraction techniques that [...] Read more.
Biostimulants are an important alternative to improve and promote higher efficiency in cropping systems. Although the biostimulant industry has been developing for several years, there are still areas of opportunity for new sources of biostimulants as well as new ecofriendly extraction techniques that allow for a circular economy and the reuse of waste. Lignin is a heteropolymer that constitutes about 40% of the plant cell wall. A great source of lignin is agrowastes, giving it added value. Recently, its use has been tested in agronomy as a carrier of nutrients and pesticides. Walnuts are produced on a large scale in Northern Mexico, and the shell represents between 15 and 40% of its total weight. However, to obtain this biopolymer, to date, non-environmentally friendly techniques have been used; for this reason, it is necessary to find extraction alternatives to make this proposal sustainable. In this work, the obtaining and characterization of lignin through mild extraction conditions from nutshells and its evaluation as a biostimulant on the growth of tomato seedlings are reported. Lignin was extracted by hydrolysis with a mixture of acetic acid and distilled water (65:35 v/v). The results showed that it was possible to obtain 15% (w/w) lignin using mild solvents, evidenced by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), proton magnetic nuclear resonance (H-RMN), and infrared (IR). Subsequently, lignin solutions were prepared at different concentrations, 0, 10, 50, and 100 ppm, and applied via foliar weekly to tomato seedlings. A greater fresh weight of the stem was found with 10 and 50 ppm, and the height and the fresh biomass increased with the three concentrations (10, 50, and 100 ppm), concluding that lignin extracted from nutshells using mild conditions can act as a plant biostimulant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plant Biostimulants in Horticultural Crops)
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20 pages, 1721 KiB  
Article
Microbial Biostimulants and Seaweed Extract Synergistically Influence Seedling Growth and Morphology of Three Onion Cultivars
by Qianwen Zhang, Joseph Masabni and Genhua Niu
Horticulturae 2024, 10(8), 800; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080800 - 29 Jul 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1646
Abstract
Onion (Allium cepa L.), a globally cultivated vegetable crop, possesses a shallow root system, making it vulnerable to abiotic stresses. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events in recent years necessitates sustainable solutions to enhance onion growth. Biostimulants offer a promising and [...] Read more.
Onion (Allium cepa L.), a globally cultivated vegetable crop, possesses a shallow root system, making it vulnerable to abiotic stresses. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events in recent years necessitates sustainable solutions to enhance onion growth. Biostimulants offer a promising and accessible approach to promote onion growth and quality in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. This study investigated the effects of nine commercial microbial biostimulants (LALRISE Mycorrhizae, LALRISE Bacillus, Mighty Mycorrhizae, MycoApply, Spectrum DS, Spectrum Myco, Spectrum, Tribus Original, and Tribus Continuum) and one non-microbial commercial biostimulant (Kelpak—seaweed extract) on the seedling growth of three onion cultivars: Carta Blanca (white), Don Victoro (yellow), and Sofire (red). The results indicated that biostimulants did not significantly affect onion seed germination, but germination rates did vary among the onion cultivars. These cultivars also exhibited significant morphological and biomass differences, with principal component analysis revealing a more obvious effect on root growth compared to shoot growth. Kelpak seaweed extract increased the plant height, leaf area, and shoot fresh weight and dry weight of onion seedlings but decreased the root-to-shoot dry-weight ratio. The effects of microbial biostimulants on onion seedling growth depended on both the onion cultivar and Kelpak seaweed extract. In general, LALRISE Mycorrhizae, Mighty Mycorrhizae, Spectrum Myco, Spectrum DS, and Tribus Continuum exhibited positive effects on seedling growth in certain onion cultivars. Furthermore, the benefits of microbial biostimulants were amplified when combined with Kelpak seaweed extract application. These findings suggest a synergistic interaction between microbial and non-microbial biostimulants, leading to enhanced onion seedling growth. Further research is required to evaluate the long-term effects of these biostimulants on onion plant growth after transplanting to fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plant Biostimulants in Horticultural Crops)
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17 pages, 2999 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Growth, Yield, and Antioxidant Activity of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) through Amino Acid Foliar Spray Application
by Lamiaa El-Khayat, Mohssen Elbagory, Mohamed Elsadek, Nevin Ahmed, Ibrahim Mohamed, Alaa El-Dein Omara and Nesrein Salim
Horticulturae 2024, 10(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10010041 - 31 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4548
Abstract
Bitter gourd has picked up noteworthy consideration for its pharmacological benefits. However, the impact of amino acids (AAs) dosage on growth, yield, and antioxidants is uncertain. In this study, we investigated the effects of foliar spraying bitter gourd with 100, 200, and 300 [...] Read more.
Bitter gourd has picked up noteworthy consideration for its pharmacological benefits. However, the impact of amino acids (AAs) dosage on growth, yield, and antioxidants is uncertain. In this study, we investigated the effects of foliar spraying bitter gourd with 100, 200, and 300 mg/L dosages of tryptophan (Trp), glutamine (Gln), and phenylalanine (Phe). The results revealed that Trp, at a dosage of 300 mg/L, produced the most substantial increase in plant length, followed by 300 mg/L Phe. Additionally, the highest values of the fresh dry weight of the plants, fresh weight of the first fruit, fruit number per plant, fresh weight of the fruits per plant, and total fruit output per hectare were seen at 300 mg/L of Trp, followed by 300 mg/L of Gln. Phe at 300 mg/L yielded the highest levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids, coupled with strong scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. These outcomes show the potential of Trp and Gln foliar sprays to enhance bitter gourd growth, yield, and certain antioxidant compounds. These findings carry substantial implications for the enhancement of bitter gourd cultivation and quality. By revealing AA’s potential for improving bitter gourd, our research contributes to bolstering the agricultural sustainability of this remarkable crop. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plant Biostimulants in Horticultural Crops)
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