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Advances in Biostimulant Use on Horticultural Crops—Second Edition
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Advances in Biostimulant Use on Horticultural Crops—Second Edition

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1189

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mason MacDonald

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Food and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Bible Hill, Halifax, NS B2N5E3, Canada
Interests: seed preconditioning; environmental stress; ecophysiology; plant physiology; biostimulants; horticulture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Raphael Ofoe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Food and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Bible Hill, Halifax, NS B2N5E3, Canada
Interests: biostimulants; horticulture; molecular plant physiology; plant pathology and Abiotic stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biostimulants are an invaluable tool for horticulture, applied to plants with the goal of enhancing certain desirable characteristics regardless of their nutrient content. Specific formulations of biostimulants have the capacity to modify physiological processes that benefit growth, development, and/or stress tolerance. Since the definition focuses on function versus form, many compounds can be classified as biostimulants. Researchers have identified biostimulatory properties, including humic substances, composts, natural extracts, peptides, antioxidants, and many other types of compounds. As society faces global threats such as climate change and food insecurity, the role of biostimulants in horticulture is arguably more important now than ever before. The goal of this Special Issue is to consolidate some of the most recent research in horticultural biostimulants. We welcome original research or review papers that discuss the discovery of new biostimulants, the physiological mechanisms of established biostimulants, and the effects of biostimulants on previously untested crops.

Dr. Mason MacDonald
Dr. Raphael Ofoe
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

  • biostimulants
  • fruit production
  • hormones
  • horticulture
  • plant growth regulators
  • vegetable production

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 2156 KB  
Article
Impact of Silicon-Based Biostimulant on Improving Growth and Morpho-Physiological Traits of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in a Glasshouse Production System
by Zoia Arshad Awan, Michael T. Gaffney and Lael Walsh
Plants 2026, 15(6), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15060859 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 835
Abstract
Silicon-based biostimulants are gaining increasing interest for their ability to enhance plant performance and stress tolerance. In protected cultivation, where environmental conditions are already carefully managed, it remains unclear whether adding biostimulants provides meaningful benefits and how they should be used. This study [...] Read more.
Silicon-based biostimulants are gaining increasing interest for their ability to enhance plant performance and stress tolerance. In protected cultivation, where environmental conditions are already carefully managed, it remains unclear whether adding biostimulants provides meaningful benefits and how they should be used. This study examines whether silicon (Si) biostimulants can enhance the growth and morpho-physiological traits of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in glasshouse production and which application rates are most effective. Two Si-based products with similar silicon content and different formulations were applied as soil drenches at four rates (10 mL, 100 mL, 1 L, and 2 L per hectare). Plant growth, biomass, photosynthetic performance, and physiological traits including membrane stability and electrolyte leakage were measured. Overall, silicon treatments improved most traits compared with untreated plants. Basil receiving Si showed longer shoots and roots, greater fresh and dry weight, and healthier leaves with better photosynthetic activity, as reflected by higher SPAD values and chlorophyll content. The response often depended on the dose: lower rates (10 mL and 100 mL h−1) of the silicic acid tetraethyl ester (21% Si) led to clear improvements in 7 of 12 measured traits, while higher rates (especially 2 L ha−1) reduced leaf size and morphology. However, root length: shoot length ratios were low across all treatments with the second biostimulant product: SiO2 with chelated iron (T5–T9). Certain results are paradoxical, suggesting a trade-off in growth and defense. In some instances, low doses promote growth but potentially worsen some physiological indicators, while high doses inhibit growth but improve stress resistance indicators. The conclusion indicates that silicon-based biostimulants are valuable to include in single-harvest basil production systems, when applied at a suitable rate. Choosing the correct formulation and dose requires testing and optimization to the crop and growing system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biostimulant Use on Horticultural Crops—Second Edition)
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