Development and Application of Agricultural Biostimulants
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 167
Editor
Interests: plant resistance induction; biostimulants; biological control agents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Agricultural systems are undergoing rapid transformation driven by climate change, resource limitations and the need for more sustainable crop production strategies. In this context, increasing attention is being given to chemically defined biostimulants and plant-resistance-inducing compounds capable of enhancing plant performance under abiotic stress conditions. Recent advances in the design, synthesis and analytical characterization of bioactive molecules have opened new opportunities for the development of next-generation agricultural inputs. Contemporary research increasingly focuses on the chemical structure of active compounds, structure–activity relationships, and their influence on plant metabolic pathways, signaling processes and stress physiology. Equally important is the precise chemical characterization of both synthetic molecules and plant-derived natural products, including metabolite profiling and compositional analysis using advanced analytical techniques. Integrating synthetic chemistry, natural product chemistry and analytical methodologies provides a strong foundation for developing innovative biostimulant compounds that support crop productivity, resilience and sustainable agricultural systems.
This Special Issue aims to compile high-quality original research articles and reviews that advance our understanding of the development, chemical basis and practical applications of biostimulants, particularly in the context of abiotic stress mitigation, nutrient efficiency and sustainable agriculture. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Design, synthesis and characterization of novel biostimulant and plant-resistance-inducer molecules
- Structure–activity relationships of bioactive compounds in plant stress responses
- Molecular mechanisms of action of biostimulant compounds
- Biostimulants and abiotic stress tolerance
- Chemical characterization and metabolite profiling of plant-derived bioactive compounds using advanced analytical techniques
- Green chemistry approaches in the development of plant biostimulants
- Ionic liquids and other advanced chemical platforms in agriculture
Dr. Rafał Kukawka
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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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 2700 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
- agricultural biostimulants
- bioactive compounds
- design and synthesis
- structure–activity relationships
- chemical characterization
- metabolite profiling
- natural compounds
- green chemistry
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