Biostimulation Effects of Plant Extracts and Nanofertilizers
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 319
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant biostimulation; plant nutrition; stress tolerance induction; seed priming using nanometric or bulk species of essential and beneficial nutrients; biopolymers; UV radiation; relationships between plant biostimulation, plant nutrition, tolerance to stress, and the nutritional quality and biofortification of vegetables and fruits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: plant physiology; nitric oxide; nitrogen metabolism; abiotic stress; nanotechnology
Interests: plant ecophysiology; inducing tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress in crops; greenhouse crop production; crop biostimulation with nanomaterials and other technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue is dedicated to advancing research in biostimulation through plant extracts and nanofertilizers, a dynamic field within plant science focused on sustainable agricultural practices and crop productivity and resilience. With increasing global demands for food security and environmentally friendly farming practices, there is a pressing need for new alternatives to enhance plant growth, stress tolerance, and nutrient use efficiency without further impacting soil and water.
Plant-based biostimulants, mainly extracts rich in bioactive compounds, have gained considerable interest due to their capability to stimulate plant metabolic processes. These extracts can enhance photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, promote root development, and activate various metabolic pathways associated with stress tolerance. They also contribute to environmental sustainability by diminishing reliance on conventional fertilizers and pesticides. Despite their benefits, understanding the specific mechanisms and bioactive compounds involved remains challenging, necessitating further research into their modes of action and potential crop-specific applications.
Nanofertilizers represent another breakthrough in sustainable agriculture, leveraging nanoscale technology to deliver nutrients precisely and efficiently to crops. Their unique properties, including a biostimulatory high surface area and better targeted and controlled release, allow for a reduction in nutrient losses while maximizing absorption. Nanofertilizers can significantly improve crop productivity and biofortification by supplying essential nutrients more effectively than conventional fertilizers. However, nanofertilizers should be further studied in different environments, soils, and crop species, in addition to considering their potential environmental and health impacts.
This Special Issue invites review articles, regular research articles, communications, and short notes addressing the biostimulatory effects of plant extracts and nanofertilizers. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the mechanisms of action of plant extracts in crop biostimulation, methods to improve the composition and formulation of plant extracts, and advances in nanofertilizer design and application. Laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies and trials assessing or demonstrating the effectiveness of environmental and economic impact are welcome.
We welcome contributions from interdisciplinary teams that integrate plant physiology, soil science, nanotechnology, and agricultural sustainability to further our understanding of these transformative biostimulants and their role in achieving a balanced approach to crop production.
Prof. Dr. Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza
Prof. Dr. Halley Caixeta De Oliveira
Prof. Dr. Antonio Juárez-Maldonado
Prof. Dr. José Antonio González-Fuentes
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
- plant biostimulants
- botanical extracts
- nanomaterials
- nanoparticles
- nutrient uptake
- nutrient use efficiency
- crop productivity
- stress resilience
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