Biostimulants are able to increase tolerance to water and salt stress and help enhance the absorption of nutrients from the soil, in addition to increasing the extension of roots, they are also effective in the synthesis of plant hormones (such auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins) and in the capacity to make insoluble phosphorus in the soil available to plants, minimizing the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phytotechnical and physiological responses of maize subjected to two water regimes and a biostimulant containing mycorrhizae and rhizobacteria of the genus Bacillus spp., through the characterization of the antioxidant response conditioned by this association. The experiment was set up in a 5x2 factorial scheme, with five treatments related to the doses of biostimulant [negative control; 0.250 kg ha-1; 0.500 kg ha-1; 0.750 kg ha-1 and 1 kg ha-1] and two water availability levels (60% and 100% of field capacity), with four replicates, totaling 40 pots. The following growth parameters were analyzed at 15 and 30 days after planting: plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, root length and root volume, as well as the following biochemical parameters: lipid peroxidation, total peroxidase and catalase of leaf and root. The biostimulant promoted an increase in the growth of the aerial part and root system of corn plants, in addition to an adjustment of antioxidant enzymes, indicating that, up to 30 days after planting (DAP), corn plants show better adaptability to the water regime with 60% of field capacity.
Abstract The soil used is sandy in texture, low in nutrients, and low in organic matter, and therefore has low cation exchange capacity. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of improving their physicochemical and biological properties by inoculating the roots with a solution of Methylobacterium and liquid compost in cauliflower cultivation, as well as integrating a treatment through an automated drip irrigation system. This biostimulant, biofertilizer, and biocontrol agent solution was used, which has applications in agriculture to improve soil health and crop productivity. The experiment was set up under a completely randomized block design with four treatments (T0, T1, T2, and T3), corresponding to doses of 0, 250, 333, and 400 mL per 200 L of water, respectively. The results indicated that treatment T3 significantly optimized the plant's physiological response to salt stress, increasing both its antioxidant capacity and chlorophyll α concentration. Likewise, physical characterization revealed significant differences in the morphological parameters of cauliflower, suggesting greater metabolic resistance and improved nutritional quality. Finally, ultrastructural analysis of the epidermis and stomata using microscopy showed that, while the control treatment (T0) had a collapsed surface, treatment T3 showed a functional and turgid ultrastructure. This demonstrates that the inoculation applied mitigates the phytotoxic impact of the substrate and optimizes the metabolic potential of the crop.
J. A. Legua Cárdenas, E. A. Macavilca Ticlayauri, M. T. Sánchez Calle et al.· Brazilian Journal of Biology· 0 citations
Abstract Greenhouse tomato cultivation faces challenges such as nutrient imbalance and declining soil health, requiring sustainable biostimulant strategies. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of humic acid (HA) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on tomato growth, yield, and nutritional quality. Tomato plants were subjected to four treatments: control, HA alone, AMF alone, and combined HA+AMF. Growth parameters, biochemical composition, and mineral content were analyzed. Results: The combined HA+AMF treatment significantly enhanced shoot length (+50.4%), root length (+32.1%), fruit yield (+415.2%), and lycopene content (+395.3%) compared to the control. Increases in proteins, sugars, flavonoids, and key minerals (K, P, Mg) were also observed. Molecular analysis confirmed upregulation of stress-related and nutrient transporter genes. The HA+AMF synergy markedly improves tomato productivity and fruit quality, offering an eco-efficient solution for sustainable agriculture in semi-arid conditions..
N. Tolepbayeva, B. Kedelbaev, A. Uspabayeva et al.· Brazilian Journal of Biology· 0 citations
In the face of climate change, drought stress represents a critical challenge to the sustainability of maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation. This study explored the potential of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) to enhance maize tolerance to drought. The experiment was conducted in a glass greenhouse of the Soil Fertilizer and Water Resources Central Research Institute, Ankara, employing a factorial design with five AMF treatments under three water stress levels (70%, 50%, and 30% of field capacity). Maize plants inoculated with AMF demonstrated notable improvements in growth parameters under drought conditions. At 70% field capacity, the AMF treatment with Rhizophagus intraradices (M3) significantly increased plant height (PH) by up to 104.2 cm and fresh weight (FW) by 35.7 g, compared to control values of 95.7 cm and 27.5 g, respectively. Similarly, at 50% field capacity, AMF treatments sustained higher stem diameter (SD) measurements, with a notable instance being Rhizophagus irregularis (M2) at 5.44 cm, against a control value of 4.74 cm. The resilience of AMF-treated plants was further underlined by the improved root dry weight (RDW) in the face of severe drought stress (30% field capacity), where Glomus iranicum (M5) treatments resulted in RDW of 1.20 g compared to 0.73 g in non-AMF-treated plants. These findings substantiate the hypothesis that mycorrhizal symbiosis can significantly mitigate the effects of drought stress on maize, suggesting a viable strategy to enhance crop resilience and productivity in water-limited environments.
Rohat Gültekin, Tuğba Yeter, Ceren Görgişen et al.· Yüzüncü Yil Üniversitesi Tar...· 0 citations
It is shown that endophytic fungi have the potential to enhance plants’ resilience and provide a promising controlled-environment approach to enhance crop productivity in metal- and salt-contaminated soils.
Sobia Khan, Salman Khan, Afshan Afshan et al.· PLoS ONE· 0 citations
Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's most important cereal crops, and improving its productivity while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers has become a major goal of sustainable agriculture. The potential role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biofertilizer evolved as appropriate substitute to neutralize adverse environmental impacts wielded by manmade agrochemical.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, individually and in combination, on the growth and yield of maize compared with conventional NPK fertilization.
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during the 2025 growing season at the Field Crops Research Station, College of Agriculture, University of Samarra, using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Six treatments were evaluated: Untreated control (T1), Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2), Bacillus subtilis (T3), combined inoculation (P. fluorescens + B. subtilis) (T4), combined inoculation with NPK fertilizer (T5), and NPK fertilizer (20:20:20) only (T6). Vegetative growth and yield-related traits were recorded and statistically analyzed.
Results: Inoculation of plants with PGPR bacteria resulted in a significant improvement in both vegetative growth and yield compared to the untreated control group. Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2) exhibited the highest vegetative growth rate, recording the highest plant height (148.00 cm), leaf area (365.00 cm²), leaf area index (2.63), and number of grains per spike (688 grains) compared control group recorded (92.33 cm), (10.67 plant⁻¹), (151.73 cm²), (0.70) respectively. Bacillus subtilis (T3), achieved the highest productivity, producing the largest number of spikes per plant (2.67 spikes) and the highest spike weight (283.50 g) compared control group recorded (2.00) and (161.60 g).
Conclusion: The use of PGPR, and especially Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis as potential biofertilisation agents is a promising sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisation that can enhance maize growth and production, while decreasing dependence on mineral fertilisers.
Waser saad Khalaf, Ahmed waleed Abdulrahman· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
The results demonstrate that the combined application of S. wightii extract and PGPR can effectively enhance tomato productivity while reducing fertiliser usage by 25 %, and offers a sustainable approach to improving crop performance and reducing chemical fertiliser dependence.
K. Oviya, J. Jaipriyanka, S. Mahalakshmi et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
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