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Biostimulants for Plant Mitigation of Abiotic Stresses in Plants
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Biostimulants for Plant Mitigation of Abiotic Stresses in Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 4021

Special Issue Editor

Dr. J. C. Luis Jorge

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, Area of Plant Physiology, Science Faculty, University of La Laguna, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Interests: biotic and abiotic stress; priming; biostimulants; crop production; transcriptomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biostimulants are substances and microorganisms that play a crucial role in enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. They function by improving a plant's physiological processes, boosting nutrient uptake, stimulating growth, and strengthening a plant’s ability to withstand environmental challenges. The effectiveness of biostimulants is influenced by various factors, such as soil type, climate, and crop species. Proper application methods and dosage are essential for maximizing their benefits. When applied appropriately, biostimulants can significantly contribute to sustainable agricultural practices by enhancing crop resilience and helping to address the challenges posed by abiotic stresses in modern agriculture.

This Special Issue seeks to highlight the latest research on the use of biostimulants to mitigate abiotic stresses in crops. It will focus on their effectiveness, underlying mechanisms, and practical applications, ultimately contributing to the resilience of agriculture in the face of climate change.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • History and development of biostimulants;
  • Cellular and biochemical effects of biostimulants;
  • Biostimulants and transcriptomics;
  • Stress tolerance and crop production under biostimulant application;

Dr. J. C. Luis Jorge
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.

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

  • biostimulants
  • abiotic stress
  • biotic stresses
  • crop production
  • crop resilience
  • molecular mechanisms
  • transcriptomics
  • climate change

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 1858 KB  
Article
Foliar Application of Biostimulants Alleviates Salinity Stress in Spinach
by Ömer Taş, Mehmet Ali Cengiz, Hakan Arslan and Deniz Ekinci
Plants 2026, 15(8), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15081204 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 429
Abstract
Environmental stress factors, especially salinity, are among the most important abiotic stresses that negatively affect plant production worldwide. High salt levels in irrigation water are a major abiotic stress factor that significantly reduces spinach physiological functioning and production, particularly in irrigated areas. Improving [...] Read more.
Environmental stress factors, especially salinity, are among the most important abiotic stresses that negatively affect plant production worldwide. High salt levels in irrigation water are a major abiotic stress factor that significantly reduces spinach physiological functioning and production, particularly in irrigated areas. Improving the salt tolerance of spinach is critical for sustainable production, and in this study, we tested the hypothesis that exogenous proline (5 µM), ascorbic acid (1 mM), and salicylic acid (1 mM) applications, applied separately, would reduce salinity stress. These applications were performed at regular 14-day intervals starting from the third true leaf stage. For this purpose, plants were exposed to irrigation water salinities of 0.38, 2.0, 4.0, 7.0, 10.0, and 15.0 dS m−1, and growth, photosynthetic performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, endogenous proline, and mineral contents were assessed. Increasing salinity to 15 dS m−1 decreased leaf area by 53.23% and stomatal conductance by 83.07%, and all these physiological changes were statistically significant. Under salinity conditions, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase activities increased by 1.13–2.52-fold, while ascorbate peroxidase activity decreased by 59.69%. Malondialdehyde levels increased 6-fold with salinity, indicating enhanced oxidative damage. Consequently, yield decreased by 31% under 15 dS m−1 salinity. Although all exogenous applications alleviated salinity stress, the most significant improvement was observed in proline application. Proline increased yield and chlorophyll content by 9% and 8.5%, respectively, and also increased antioxidant enzyme activities by 24.4–66.7%. Salicylic acid treatment increased the K+/Na+ ratio by 26.6%, and ascorbic acid treatment increased the Ca2+/Na+ ratio by 36.6%. Overall, low-dose proline application was found to improve photosynthetic pigment content and stomatal conductance, antioxidant defenses, and ion homeostasis in spinach against salinity stress, providing a stronger protective effect compared to ascorbic acid and salicylic acid. Furthermore, it can be concluded that proline application could be an effective way to manage salinity-induced limitations to physiological processes and yields, providing practical applications for sustainable production under saline irrigation conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biostimulants for Plant Mitigation of Abiotic Stresses in Plants)
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19 pages, 8893 KB  
Article
Exogenous Melatonin Confers Salt-Alkali Tolerance in Fraxinus mandshurica by Orchestrating Resource Allocation and Activating Phenylpropanoid-Mediated Defenses
by Junqi Yu, Ziye Xu, Fan Huang, Jingqi Yin, Wenqian Dai, Yinglun Sun, Chi Zhang and Tongbao Qu
Plants 2026, 15(3), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15030438 - 30 Jan 2026
Viewed by 553
Abstract
The physiological mechanism of melatonin in alleviating combined saline-alkali stress in Fraxinus mandshurica remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of exogenous melatonin in enhancing salt tolerance and elucidate the underlying mechanisms through integrated physiological and multi-omics analyses. Seedlings were subjected [...] Read more.
The physiological mechanism of melatonin in alleviating combined saline-alkali stress in Fraxinus mandshurica remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of exogenous melatonin in enhancing salt tolerance and elucidate the underlying mechanisms through integrated physiological and multi-omics analyses. Seedlings were subjected to 400 mmol L−1 saline-alkali stress and treated with foliar melatonin. We quantified key growth indicators (height, diameter, dry biomass) and measured the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD). Melatonin significantly alleviated growth inhibition, increasing biomass and height by 29% and 13%, respectively, while enhancing net photosynthetic rate and antioxidant capacity. To uncover the systemic regulation, conjoint analysis of transcriptome (RNA-seq) and metabolome data was performed. This integrated approach revealed that melatonin specifically activated common KEGG pathways pivotal for stress adaptation, including plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism, with coordinated upregulation of associated genes and metabolites. Collectively, our integrated data demonstrate that melatonin enhances Fraxinus tolerance by synergistically improving photosynthesis and antioxidant defense, underpinned by a reconfigured molecular network. This study provides a theoretical basis for using melatonin as an eco-friendly biostimulant to improve woody plant resilience in saline-alkali soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biostimulants for Plant Mitigation of Abiotic Stresses in Plants)
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13 pages, 670 KB  
Article
Effects of Chili Straw Biochar on Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Seed Germination and Seedling Growth on Electrolytic Manganese Residue
by Yang Luo, Yangzhou Xiang and Jun Ren
Plants 2025, 14(17), 2635; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172635 - 24 Aug 2025
Viewed by 990
Abstract
This study employed a pot experiment to compare the effects of varying application rates of chili straw biochar on seed germination and seedling growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivated in electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We [...] Read more.
This study employed a pot experiment to compare the effects of varying application rates of chili straw biochar on seed germination and seedling growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivated in electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We aimed to provide a theoretical basis for vegetation restoration and manganese pollution control at EMR disposal sites. Our results indicated that while chili straw biochar did not affect the seed germination rate, it significantly enhanced the germination energy. In addition, treatment with 5% biochar significantly increased the germination index. Biochar application increased alfalfa seedling height (6.13 cm in the control group vs. 6.63–7.20 cm in the treated groups). Concurrently, the aboveground fresh biomass significantly increased by 49–77% compared to the control. Additionally, biochar application elevated chlorophyll content and reduced malondialdehyde content in alfalfa leaves. Correlation analysis revealed that the primary mechanisms underlying biochar-mediated improvement in seed germination and seedling growth involved enhancing the organic matter, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus content in the EMR, while decreasing the available manganese content. Overall, the application of 5% biochar in EMR optimally improved alfalfa plant growth and development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biostimulants for Plant Mitigation of Abiotic Stresses in Plants)
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Review

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35 pages, 945 KB  
Review
Bacillus as Premier Biocontrol Agents: Mechanistic Insights, Strategic Application, and Future Regulatory Landscapes in Sustainable Agriculture
by Eduardo Hernández-Amador, David Tomás Montesdeoca-Flores and Juan Cristo Luis-Jorge
Plants 2026, 15(3), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15030516 - 6 Feb 2026
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1486
Abstract
Agricultural productivity currently faces challenges such as soil fertility issues, climatic instability, pests and diseases, and anthropization. This drives a shift towards sustainable agricultural practices, including biopreparations—products derived from living organisms or their metabolites that serve as biofertilizers, biopesticides, biostimulants, or biodegradation agents. [...] Read more.
Agricultural productivity currently faces challenges such as soil fertility issues, climatic instability, pests and diseases, and anthropization. This drives a shift towards sustainable agricultural practices, including biopreparations—products derived from living organisms or their metabolites that serve as biofertilizers, biopesticides, biostimulants, or biodegradation agents. Among these, the genus Bacillus is a primary candidate for sustainable agriculture; however, this review primarily covers rhizosphere-isolated organisms referred to as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Bacillus strains possess a suite of direct and indirect mechanisms to promote plant development and biocontrol, as well as to tolerate various abiotic stresses. This review aims to describe all the mechanisms attributed to strains of this genus and their impact on different crops to promote plant growth, hormonal regulation (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), and ethylene), tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, heavy metals, salinity and heat stress, as well as resistance to pests and diseases. Furthermore, this work analyzes quantitative data regarding yield improvements and the environmental variables that influence the consistency of Bacillus performance in the field. Finally, to provide a balanced perspective, the review incorporates future directions in research on biosafety and risk assessment frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biostimulants for Plant Mitigation of Abiotic Stresses in Plants)
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