Global agricultural productivity is increasingly threatened by climate change, soil salinization, and freshwater scarcity. In response, edible halophytes such as Crambe maritima L. (sea kale) are emerging as resilient, promising alternative crops for biosaline agriculture. This review comprehensively evaluates the agronomic, phytochemical, and commercial potential of C. maritima and related Crambe species. We examine current propagation protocols and highlight the application of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) to leverage “saline eustress,” strategically enhancing secondary metabolite biosynthesis without penalizing harvestable biomass. Nutritionally, Crambe species exhibit a highly favorable profile, selectively accumulating essential macro- and micro-minerals alongside potent bioactive compounds, particularly characteristic glucosinolates, including sinigrin, together with diverse phenolic acids. These specific secondary metabolites confer antioxidant defense system and antimicrobial properties, positioning the genus as an unexploited resource for functional foods, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. However, successfully transitioning C. maritima from a wild coastal halophyte into a reliable horticultural crop necessitates overcoming critical domestication bottlenecks, including mechanical seed dormancy, polygenic salinity tolerance, and a scarcity of long-term field data. By addressing these multidisciplinary challenges through targeted breeding and advanced agronomy, C. maritima represents a highly promising candidate for dietary diversification and the advancement of climate-resilient agricultural systems.
The valorization of agro-industrial effluents (AIEs) as cultivation media for microalgae represents a promising strategy for integrating wastewater remediation with bioproduct generation. The increasing demand for sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural systems, combined with the need to reduce microalgal production costs, has intensified interest in circular biorefinery approaches capable of converting industrial residues into bioactive compounds. In this context,
Tetradesmus obliquus
demonstrates strong potential for the production of agricultural biostimulants and nutritionally valuable metabolites. In this study,
T. obliquus
biomass cultivated in Bold’s basal medium (BBM) and rice parboiling AIE underwent biochemical characterization and aqueous extraction. Germination and seed vigor assays evaluated the biostimulant effects of the extracts on four rice cultivars (
Oryza sativa
L.) under standard and cold-stress conditions, while the residual biomass underwent lipid profiling by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. AIE-derived biomass showed higher total carbohydrate content (197.12 mg g⁻
1
) than BBM biomass (121.33 mg g⁻
1
), whereas BBM biomass presented higher chlorophyll levels (5.37 mg g⁻
1
). Amino acid profiles also differed between cultivation systems; BBM extracts contained higher proportions of glutamic acid, valine, and glycine, whereas AIE extracts showed enrichment in alanine, proline, and histidine, indicating metabolic adaptation to effluent-based cultivation. Despite these compositional differences, both extracts promoted comparable biostimulant effects, particularly at treatments 3L·100 kg⁻
1
seed, achieving germination rates above 97% in IRGA 424 RI relative to the control. These findings demonstrate that
T. obliquus
cultivated in AIE preserves bioactive functionality and supports circular biorefinery strategies integrating wastewater remediation, agricultural biostimulant production, and lipid valorization for potential aquaculture applications.
Diego Serrasol do Amaral, D. T. Bueno, Paula Freitas Filoda et al.· Green Energy and Environment...· 0 citations
Brown algal extracts increase crop yield by stimulating growth and enhancing resistance to environmental stress, making them a sustainable and effective biostimulant for modern agriculture. Population growth, climate change, and intensive agrochemical use pose significant challenges to environmental sustainability and food security. Seaweeds, particularly brown algae, have attracted considerable attention as promising biostimulants for sustainable agricultural applications. Brown algae, the second most prevalent group of marine macroalgae, are rich in polysaccharides (alginates, fucoidans, and laminarins), vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols, which contribute to their biostimulant properties. Previous studies have provided important insights into the mechanisms of action of seaweed extracts and the physiological and biochemical changes they induce in crop plants. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of seaweed biostimulants remain incompletely understood, recent research efforts have substantially advanced our understanding of their functional roles. This review discusses conventional and advanced extraction techniques used to obtain bioactive compounds from seaweeds. In addition, it examines the composition of brown algae and their roles in promoting plant growth, development, and stress tolerance in various crop species. Furthermore, this review highlights the molecular mechanisms underlying growth promotion, biotic stress resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance in brown algae-treated plants, along with key findings from recent metabolomics studies. The use of brown algal extracts or their components influences crop plants by enhancing nutrient uptake, regulating phytohormone signalling, boosting antioxidant defence, facilitating osmotic adjustment, and stimulating stress-responsive genes and pathways. Collectively, these properties highlight the potential of brown algae-derived biostimulants to support sustainable agriculture by reducing the need for synthetic agrochemicals while increasing food security amid growing environmental challenges.
Wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivation is increasingly challenged by climate change, scarcity of natural resources and dependence on synthetic fertilizers. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) represent a promising, sustainable approach to increase crop resilience and enhance resource-use efficiency. However, most studies have primarily focused on PGPB isolated from specific geographical regions and predominantly from the rhizosphere, thereby limiting the exploration of microbial diversity that may harbor novel strains with distinct functional traits and enhanced biostimulant potential. Thus, this study explored wheat-native endophytic bacteria isolated across different agroecosystems in the Mediterranean and Atlantic region, integrating taxonomy, broad multi-trait assessment for functional profiling and seedling bioassays to explore PGPBs with potential for improvement of wheat resilience. A total of 181 isolates belonged to the families Pseudomonadaceae, Bacillaceae and Paenibacillaceae, from which 66 representatives were selected for downstream analysis. Most isolates exhibited relevant plant growth-promoting traits, including indole compounds production (95.5%), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity (100%), siderophore production (100%), and phosphate solubilization (62%). In addition, many isolates demonstrated tolerance to salinity and PEG-induced osmotic stress. Interestingly, substantial variability was observed among strains in the magnitude of these functional traits. Several isolates significantly enhanced wheat germination and early seedling growth, with Pseudomonas tritici (B254) increasing total biomass by 35.2%. In contrast, Bacillus pumilus (B393) and Pseudomonas sp. (B451) showed inhibitory and suppressive effects on germination and seedling development. These findings reveal a wide range of functional diversity among wheat endophytic bacteria and highlight promising native strains for the development of bioinoculants to improve wheat performance.
A.B. Bingobingo, S. Hilário, Nuno Mariz-Ponte et al.· Frontiers in Microbiology· 0 citations
Background Plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria have traditionally been known to have the ability to enhance crop productivity, abiotic stress-tolerance and disease resistance and providing an environmentally-friendly alternative to the currently used chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In this study, endophytic and rhizospheric bacteria were isolated from Myrica esculenta and plants residing in termite mounds, i.e., Carissa carandas and Pyrus pashia, and analyzed for PGP properties, resistance to abiotic stress and biocontrol capabilities. Methods Bacterial isolates were screened thoroughly for PGP activities, biocontrol inhibition, biofilm production, extracellular polymeric substance production and catalase activity. Selected isolates were further tested for stress tolerance (salinity, drought and pH extremes), seed germination and growth promotion. The most efficient isolate was subjected to molecular characterization using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results Seven isolates reliably displayed a wide range of PGP characteristics: efficient phosphate solubilization (up to 12.8 µg/mL), high indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels (up to 16.8 µg/mL), siderophore activity and strong ammonia release. Fungal pathogens, i.e., Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and Macrophomina phaseolina were substantially inhibited by Lelliottia aquatilis strain MC3 in biocontrol experiments. Stress -tolerance tests showed strong tolerance to salt (up to 5% NaCl, survival at 10% NaCl), drought (PEG 25%) and pH extremes (5–9). Chickpea growth assays confirmed its functional relevance, with inoculation of MC3 achieving the highest shoot length enhancement. Molecular identification revealed MC3 as L. aquatilis, a taxon rarely reported as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Conclusion These potential isolates are considerable candidates for biofertilizers and biocontrol developments in stress prone environments. L. aquatilis strain MC3 emerged as the most promising isolate due to its multifaceted PGP traits, strong biocontrol efficacy, abiotic stress-tolerance, and proven plant growth enhancement. To our knowledge, this is one of the first reports for identification of L. aquatilis as multifunctional PGPR from Himalayan ecosystems. This study introduces L. aquatilis strain MC3 as an emerging candidate for bioinoculant development.
S. Devi, Riya Chandel, D. Thakur et al.· Frontiers in Systems Biology· 0 citations