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Plants
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Application and Mechanism of Plant Biostimulants, Biochar and Fertilizer Products
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Application and Mechanism of Plant Biostimulants, Biochar and Fertilizer Products

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1119

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hanlin Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Eco-Environmental Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China
Interests: resource utilization of agricultural waste; microbial fertilizers; soil remediation and improvement; soil microbial system; biochar; liquid fertilizer; carbon and nitrogen cycling
Dr. Naling Bai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Eco-Environmental Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China
Interests: functional microorganisms; microbial fertilizers; bio-stimulants; soil remediation and improvement; soil microbial system; rhizosphere

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant bio-stimulants, biochar, and fertilizer products represent innovative tools for crop productivity, soil ecological health, and stress resilience, thereby facilitating sustainable agriculture development. These products influence plant physiological processes, nutrient uptake, and microbial interactions, offering promising solutions to reduce chemical inputs while improving yield and environmental sustainability. Research into their mechanisms—such as hormone-like effects, microbial stimulation, and nutrient retention—has advanced our understanding of plant–soil interactions. However, challenges remain in optimizing application, understanding long-term impacts, illustrating plant–soil–microbe interaction mechanisms, and tailoring formulations for diverse crops and environments. With emerging technologies in omics, nanotechnology, and precision agriculture, new opportunities exist to further refine these products for global agricultural systems. This Special Issue will explore the application, efficacy, and mechanistic insights of plant bio-stimulants, biochar, and fertilizer products, highlighting their role in sustainable crop production and ecosystem health.

Prof. Dr. Hanlin Zhang
Dr. Naling Bai
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. 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

  • plant bio-stimulants
  • biochar
  • fertilizer products
  • sustainable agriculture
  • nutrient uptake
  • crop production
  • soil health
  • microbial interactions
  • stress resilience
  • precision agriculture
  • omics technologies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 483 KB  
Article
Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Orange Peel Biochar on Seed Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.)
by Barbora Tunklová, Jan Velebil, Jan Malaťák and Monika Aniszewska
Plants 2026, 15(9), 1292; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15091292 - 22 Apr 2026
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Abstract
This study investigated the effects of aqueous extracts of orange peel–derived biochar on seed germination and early seedling growth in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.). Biochar was produced by pyrolysis of orange peel at temperatures [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effects of aqueous extracts of orange peel–derived biochar on seed germination and early seedling growth in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.). Biochar was produced by pyrolysis of orange peel at temperatures ranging from 250 to 550 °C. Germination assays were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, and seedling growth parameters were evaluated after six days of cultivation. Untreated orange peel completely inhibited seed germination (0 %) in both species, while biochar produced at 250 °C significantly reduced germination (e.g., the germination index decreased from 54.21 % in the control to 47.2 % in T. durum). In contrast, biochar produced at 350 °C increased germination to >96 % in T. durum and 100 % in F. esculentum, accompanied by enhanced seedling vigor and biomass production. Chemical analyses revealed a pronounced decrease in total phenolic content (from 53.84 to 0.57 mg GAE g−1 DW) and flavonoids (from 90.05 to 1.34 mg QE g−1 DW) with increasing pyrolysis temperature, along with a reduction in antioxidant activity. Common buckwheat exhibited consistently higher tolerance to biochar extracts than durum wheat across all treatments. Overall, the results demonstrate that pyrolysis temperature is a key factor governing the transition from phytotoxic to biostimulatory effects, with optimal performance observed at approximately 350 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application and Mechanism of Plant Biostimulants, Biochar and Fertilizer Products)
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16 pages, 954 KB  
Article
Interannual Climatic Variability Modulates Biostimulant and Herbicide Effects on Yield and Seed Quality of White Lupin Under Rainfed Conditions
by Florin Velică, Ioan Puiu, Dănuț-Petru Simioniuc, Carmen-Simona Ghițău and Teodor Robu
Plants 2026, 15(5), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15050726 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 397
Abstract
White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is increasingly promoted as a sustainable protein crop; however, the consistency of agronomic input responses under rainfed continental conditions remains insufficiently documented. This study evaluated the interannual consistency of a foliar amino acid-based biostimulant (Aminotop N) and [...] Read more.
White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is increasingly promoted as a sustainable protein crop; however, the consistency of agronomic input responses under rainfed continental conditions remains insufficiently documented. This study evaluated the interannual consistency of a foliar amino acid-based biostimulant (Aminotop N) and herbicide-based weed control on morphological traits, grain yield, seed physical quality (thousand-seed weight and hectoliter mass), and seed nitrogen and crude protein concentration of white lupin (cv. Măriuca). A 2 × 2 factorial field experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design was conducted across two consecutive growing seasons (2024–2025). Two-way ANOVA revealed significant effects of year and significant year × treatment interactions for grain yield and seed physical traits (p ≤ 0.05), indicating season-dependent treatment responses. Statistically significant treatment differences were detected in 2024, whereas no differences were observed among treatments in 2025. Seed total nitrogen concentration and crude protein content remained statistically stable across treatments and years. Principal component analysis explained 98.2% of total variance, with the first component primarily separating years rather than treatments. These results demonstrate that treatment effects were not consistently expressed across seasons and highlight the necessity of multi-year validation when assessing agronomic input effectiveness in white lupin under rainfed conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application and Mechanism of Plant Biostimulants, Biochar and Fertilizer Products)
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