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Plants
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Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops
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Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 18548

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Beatriz Ramos Solano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad San Pablo-CEU Universities, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: biofertilization; biostimulation; secondary metabolism; plant antioxidants; adaptation; PGPR; bioactives; abiotic stress; plant defense
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. F. Javier Gutierrez-Manero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad San Pablo-CEU Universities. 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: biofertilization; biostimulation; secondary metabolism; plant antioxidants; adaptation; PGPR; bioactives; abiotic stress; plant defense

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The journal Plants will be publishing a Special Issue “Biofertilization, Biocontrol, and Bioprotection of Crops”, in the section plant–microbe interaction.

The expected increase in the human population in the next decades, together with global warming and climate change, poses a great challenge for agriculture, as crop yields must be increased in harsh conditions, with limited access to water and chemical supplies, with the aim of achieving food security. To address this challenge, plants must be considered and managed with their natural partners, beneficial micro-organisms, in mind.

As sessile organisms, plants are fixed in the soil and have to overcome all types of environmental challenges to survive. For this purpose, plants have developed a complex network of chemical pathways to produce a plethora of different molecules to ensure adaptation to changing conditions. The chemical arsenal covers abiotic stress factors, including temperature, soil salinity, lack of nutrients, water stress, pH, and biotic stress factors, such as hervibores, nematodes, bacteria, and fungi. In short, secondary metabolism is activated by a number of factors and irrespective of the nature of these, there is a common feature: reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is involved in signal transduction to trigger defensive metabolism. To synthetize these molecules, plants need to maintain active photosynthesis to supply carbon scaffolding to the activated biosynthetic machinery, which also calls for a good nutrient supply.

In addition to the plant’s genetic endowment to carry out all of these metabolic processes, they have recruited experts in the form of soil micro-organisms to collaborate in successful adaptations: plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). The potential benefits of these microorganisms include the mobilization of soil nutrients, the release of enzymes or molecules to inhibit the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms, and in certain PGPR, the systemic induction of secondary metabolism, triggering plant defensive responses which confer an enhanced defensive potential upon pathogen outbreak. Frequently, systemic induction affects metabolites with bioactive potential for human health, so PGPR can also be used as a tool to improve crop quality due to increases in bioactive contents, and consequently, human health. The multitargeted help provided by PGPR can be seen as an excellent alternative to increase crop yield and quality.

Thus, considering the many situations in which crops are grown, the factors limiting crop yield and quality, and potential benefits for human health, this Special Issue will consider manuscripts covering the improvement of plant nutrition (biofertilization), biocontrol, and bioprotection, in which beneficial bacteria or derived molecules are involved. We welcome varied contributions, from early experimental work under controlled conditions describing mechanisms of action to field experiments reporting beneficial effects on yield, protection, and quality.

Prof. Dr. Beatriz Ramos Solano
Dr. F. Javier Gutierrez-Manero
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. Plants 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 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

  • biofertilization
  • biostimulation
  • secondary metabolism
  • plant antioxidants
  • adaptation
  • PGPR
  • bioactives
  • abiotic stress
  • plant defense
  • agronomic production
  • food security

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3453 KiB  
Article
Selenium Fortification Alters the Growth, Antioxidant Characteristics and Secondary Metabolite Profiles of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) Cultivars in Hydroponic Culture
by Mahboobeh Saeedi, Forouzandeh Soltani, Mesbah Babalar, Fatemeh Izadpanah, Melanie Wiesner-Reinhold and Susanne Baldermann
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1537; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081537 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2377
Abstract
Nowadays the importance of selenium for human health is widely known, but most of the plants are poor in terms of selenium storage and accumulation because of the low selenium mineralization potential of the soil. For this purpose, foliar application of different sodium [...] Read more.
Nowadays the importance of selenium for human health is widely known, but most of the plants are poor in terms of selenium storage and accumulation because of the low selenium mineralization potential of the soil. For this purpose, foliar application of different sodium selenate concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 mg/L) was used to treat the cauliflower cultivars “Clapton” and “Graffiti”. Higher yields and other related vegetative attributes were improved at 10 and 15 mg/L sodium selenate application. At a concentration of 10 mg/L sodium selenate, photosynthetic pigments, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity were enhanced in both cultivars, but the “Graffiti” cultivar responded stronger than the “Clapton” cultivar. The glucosinolates were accumulated in response to selenium fortification and the highest amounts were found in the “Graffiti” cultivar at 10 mg/L. Selenium accumulated concentration-dependently and rose with higher fertilization levels. In general, foliar application of selenium at 10 mg/L led to an accumulation of secondary metabolites and also positively affected the growth and yield of florets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops)
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13 pages, 2875 KiB  
Article
Soil Nitrate Nitrogen Content and Grain Yields of Organically Grown Cereals as Affected by a Strip Tillage and Forage Legume Intercropping
by Aušra Arlauskienė, Viktorija Gecaitė, Monika Toleikienė, Lina Šarūnaitė and Žydrė Kadžiulienė
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1453; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071453 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2303
Abstract
Reducing tillage intensity and increasing crop diversity by including perennial legumes is an agrotechnical practice that strongly affects the soil environment. Strip tillage may be beneficial in the forage legume–cereals intercropping system due to more efficient utilization of biological nitrogen. Field experiments were [...] Read more.
Reducing tillage intensity and increasing crop diversity by including perennial legumes is an agrotechnical practice that strongly affects the soil environment. Strip tillage may be beneficial in the forage legume–cereals intercropping system due to more efficient utilization of biological nitrogen. Field experiments were conducted on a clay loam Cambisol to determine the effect of forage legume–winter wheat strip tillage intercropping on soil nitrate nitrogen (N-NO3) content and cereal productivity in various sequences of rotation in organic production systems. Forage legumes (Medicago lupulina L., Trifolium repens L., T. alexandrinum L.) grown in pure and forage legume–winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) strip tillage intercrops were studied. Conventional deep inversion tillage was compared to strip tillage. Nitrogen supply to winter wheat was assessed by the change in soil nitrate nitrogen content (N-NO3) and total N accumulation in yield (grain and straw). Conventional tillage was found to significantly increase N-NO3 content while cultivating winter wheat after forage legumes in late autumn (0–30 cm layer), after growth resumption in spring (30–60 cm), and in autumn after harvesting (30–60 cm). Soil N-NO3 content did not differ significantly between winter wheat strip sown in perennial legumes or oat stubble. Winter wheat grain yields increased with increasing N-NO3 content in soil. The grain yield was not significantly different when comparing winter wheat–forage legume strip intercropping (without mulching) to strip sowing in oat stubble. In forage legume–winter wheat strip intercropping, N release from legumes was weak and did not meet wheat nitrogen requirements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops)
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16 pages, 1643 KiB  
Article
Ulva intestinalis Extract Acts as Biostimulant and Modulates Metabolites and Hormone Balance in Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and Parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.)
by Roberta Paulert, Roberta Ascrizzi, Silvia Malatesta, Paolo Berni, Miguel Daniel Noseda, Mariana Mazetto de Carvalho, Ilaria Marchioni, Luisa Pistelli, Maria Eugênia Rabello Duarte, Lorenzo Mariotti and Laura Pistelli
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1391; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071391 - 7 Jul 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3423
Abstract
Natural elicitors from macroalgae may affect plant secondary metabolites. Ulvan is a sulfated heteropolysaccharide extracted from green seaweed, acting as both a plant biotic protecting agent, and a plant elicitor, leading to the synthesis of signal molecules. In this work, the aqueous extract [...] Read more.
Natural elicitors from macroalgae may affect plant secondary metabolites. Ulvan is a sulfated heteropolysaccharide extracted from green seaweed, acting as both a plant biotic protecting agent, and a plant elicitor, leading to the synthesis of signal molecules. In this work, the aqueous extract of Ulva intestinalis L., mainly composed of ulvan, was used as foliar-spraying treatment and its eliciting effect was investigated in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.). Antioxidant metabolites (polyphenols and carotenoids), volatile compounds (both in headspace emissions and hydrodistilled essential oils), and hormones (jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, salicylic acid 2-O-β-D-glucoside, abscisic acid, and azelaic acid) were quantified. The foliar-spraying treatment with U. intestinalis extract increased salicylic acid and its β-glucoside in parsley; in basil, it induced the accumulation of jasmonic and abscisic acids, indicating the presence of a priming effect. In basil, the elicitation caused a change of the essential oil (EO) chemotype from methyl eugenol/eugenol to epi-α-cadinol and increased sesquiterpenes. In parsley EO it caused a significant accumulation of 1,3,8-p-menthatriene, responsible of the typical “parsley-like” smell. In both species, the phenylpropanoids decreased in headspace and EO compositions, while the salicylic acid concentration increased; this could indicate a primarily defensive response to U. intestinalis extract. Due to the evidenced significant biological activity, U. intestinalis extract used as an elicitor may represent a suitable tool to obtain higher amounts of metabolites for optimizing plant flavor metabolites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops)
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13 pages, 1014 KiB  
Article
Impact of Commercial Seaweed Liquid Extract (TAM®) Biostimulant and Its Bioactive Molecules on Growth and Antioxidant Activities of Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
by Mohamed Ashour, Shimaa M. Hassan, Mostafa E. Elshobary, Gamal A. G. Ammar, Ahmed Gaber, Walaa F. Alsanie, Abdallah Tageldein Mansour and Rania El-Shenody
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1045; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061045 - 21 May 2021
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 5048
Abstract
Bioactive molecules derived from seaweed extracts are revolutionary bio-stimulants used to enhance plant growth and increase yield production. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a commercially available seaweed liquid extract, namely, True-Algae-Max (TAM®), as a plant growth stimulant on nutritional, and [...] Read more.
Bioactive molecules derived from seaweed extracts are revolutionary bio-stimulants used to enhance plant growth and increase yield production. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a commercially available seaweed liquid extract, namely, True-Algae-Max (TAM®), as a plant growth stimulant on nutritional, and antioxidant activity of Capsicum annuum. Three concentrations of TAM® (0.25, 0.5, and 1%) of various NPK: TAM® ratios were investigated via foliar spray, over 2017 and 2018 cultivation seasons, under greenhouse conditions. TAM® is rich in phytochemical compounds, such as ascorbic acid (1.66 mg g−1), phenolics (101.67 mg g−1), and flavonoids (2.60 mg g−1) that showed good antioxidant activity (54.52 mg g−1) and DPPH inhibition of 70.33%. Promoting measured parameter results stated the extensive potentiality of TAM® application, in comparison with conventional NPK treatment. Yield and composition of C. annuum were significantly improved in all TAM® treated groups, especially the TAM0.5% concentration, which resulted in maximum yield (4.23 Kg m−2) and significant amounts of profuse biological molecules like chlorophyll, ascorbic, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and total nutrients. Compared to the NPK control treatments, C. annuum treated with TAM0.5% improved the total antioxidant activity of hot Pepper from 162.16 to 190.95 mg g−1. These findings indicate that the extract of seaweed can be used as an environmentally friendly, multi-functional biostimulant in the agricultural field for more sustainable production, in addition to reducing the use of hazardous synthetic fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops)
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12 pages, 2101 KiB  
Article
Root Endophytism by Pochonia chlamydosporia Affects Defense-Gene Expression in Leaves of Monocot and Dicot Hosts under Multiple Biotic Interactions
by Shimaa R. T. Tolba, Laura C. Rosso, Isabella Pentimone, Mariantonietta Colagiero, Mahmoud M. A. Moustafa, Ibrahim I. S. Elshawaf, Giovanni Bubici, Maria Isabella Prigigallo and Aurelio Ciancio
Plants 2021, 10(4), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040718 - 7 Apr 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2424
Abstract
A study was carried out on the effect of the root endophytic fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia on plant systemic signal of defense related genes during fungal or nematode parasitism. Different biotic stress factors were examined, inoculating roots of dicot and monocot hosts with the [...] Read more.
A study was carried out on the effect of the root endophytic fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia on plant systemic signal of defense related genes during fungal or nematode parasitism. Different biotic stress factors were examined, inoculating roots of dicot and monocot hosts with the endophyte, and measuring the expression of defense genes in leaves. A first greenhouse assay was carried out on expression of PAL, PIN II, PR1 and LOX D in leaves of tomato cv Tondino inoculated with Phytophthora infestans (CBS 120920), inoculating or not the roots of infected plants with P. chlamydosporia DSM 26985. In a second assay, plants of banana (Musa acuminata cv Grand Naine) were artificially infected with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical race 4 (TR4) and inoculated or not with DSM 26985. In a further experiment, banana plants were inoculated or not with P. chlamydosporia plus juveniles of the root knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita. A similar assay was also carried out in vitro with adults and juveniles of the lesion nematode Pratylenchus goodeyi. Differential expression of the defense genes examined was observed for all plant-stress associations, indicative of early, upward systemic signals induced by the endophyte. Changes in expression profiles included a 5-fold down-regulation of PIN II at 2 dai in leaves of tomato plants treated with P. infestans and/or P. chlamydosporia, and the up-regulation of PAL by the endophyte alone, at 2 and 7 dai. In the TR4 assay, PR1 was significantly up-regulated at 7 dai in banana leaves, but only in the P. chlamydosporia treated plants. At 10 dai, PIN II expression was significantly higher in leaves of plants inoculated only with TR4. The banana-RKN assay showed a PR1 expression significantly higher than controls at 4 and 7 dai in plants inoculated with P. chlamydosporia alone, and a down-regulation at 4 dai in leaves of plants also inoculated with RKN, with a PR1 differential up-regulation at 10 dai. Pratylenchus goodeyi down-regulated PIN at 21 dai, with or without the endophyte, as well as PAL but only in presence of P. chlamydosporia. When inoculated alone, the endophyte up-regulated PR1 and LOX. The gene expression patterns observed in leaves suggest specific and time-dependent relationships linking host plants and P. chlamydosporia in presence of biotic stress factors, functional to a systemic, although complex, activation of defense genes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops)
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14 pages, 1898 KiB  
Article
Tomato Bio-Protection Induced by Pseudomonas fluorescens N21.4 Involves ROS Scavenging Enzymes and PRs, without Compromising Plant Growth
by Ana García-Villaraco, Lamia Boukerma, Jose Antonio Lucas, Francisco Javier Gutierrez-Mañero and Beatriz Ramos-Solano
Plants 2021, 10(2), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020331 - 9 Feb 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2082
Abstract
Aims: to discover the interrelationship between growth, protection and photosynthesis induced by Pseudomonas fluorescens N21.4 in tomato (Lycopersicum sculentum) challenged with the leaf pathogen Xanthomonas campestris, and to define its priming fingerprint. Methods: Photosynthesis was determined by fluorescence; plant protection [...] Read more.
Aims: to discover the interrelationship between growth, protection and photosynthesis induced by Pseudomonas fluorescens N21.4 in tomato (Lycopersicum sculentum) challenged with the leaf pathogen Xanthomonas campestris, and to define its priming fingerprint. Methods: Photosynthesis was determined by fluorescence; plant protection was evaluated by relative disease incidence, enzyme activities by specific colorimetric assays and gene expression by qPCR. Changes in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) scavenging cycle enzymes and pathogenesis related protein activity and expression were determined as metabolic and genetic markers of induction of systemic resistance. Results: N21.4 significantly protected plants and increased dry weight. Growth increase is supported by significant increases in photochemical quenching together with significant decreases in energy dissipation (Non-Photochemical Quenching, NPQ). Protection was associated with changes in ROS scavenging cycle enzymes, which were significantly increased on N21.4 + pathogen challenged plants, supporting the priming effect. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) was a good indicator of biotic stress, showing similar levels in pathogen- and N21.4-treated plants. Similarly, the activity of defense-related enzymes, ß-1,3-glucanase and chitinase significantly increased in post-pathogen challenge state; changes in gene expression were not coupled to activity. Conclusions: protection does not compromise plant growth; N21.4 priming fingerprint is defined by enhanced photochemical quenching and decreased energy dissipation, enhanced chlorophylls, primed ROS scavenging cycle enzyme activity, and glucanase and chitinase activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofertilization, Biocontrol and Bioprotection of Crops)
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