Biostimulants For Crops From Seed Germination To Plant Development 2

Biostimulants for crops from seed germination to plant development focuses on the effects and roles of natural biostimulants in every aspect of plant growth development to reduce the use of harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Biostimulants are a group of substances of natural origin that offer a potential to reduce the dependency on harmful chemical fertilizers causing environmental degradation. While there is extensive literature on biostimulants, there remains a gap in understanding how natural biostimulants work and their practical application. This book fills that gap, presenting the ways in which biostimulants enhance seed vigor and plant productivity by looking into their mode of action, an area still being researched for deeper understanding. Exploring the roles of seed germination, pollen tube formation, pollen-pistil interaction, flower and fruit setting, to plant pigments, rhizospheric and soil microorganisms, the book also sheds light on the challenges and realistic opportunities for the use of natural biostimulants. Approaches biostimulant research with the goal of transforming scientific research into practical application Includes real-world examples from laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments Presents the biochemical, physiological and molecular mode of action of biostimulants

Introduces readers to the chemical biology of plant biostimulants This book brings together different aspects of biostimulants, providing an overview of the variety of materials exploited as biostimulants, their biological activity, and agricultural applications. As different groups of biostimulants display different bioactivity and specificity, advances in biostimulant research is illustrated by different examples of biostimulants, such as humic substance, seaweed extracts, and substances with hormone-like activities. The book also reports on methods used to screen for new biostimulant compounds by exploring natural sources. Combining the expertise of internationally-renowned scientists and entrepreneurs in the area of biostimulants and biofertilisers, The Chemical Biology of Plant Biostimulants offers in-depth chapters that look at: agricultural functions and action mechanisms of plant biostimulants (PBs); plant biostimulants from seaweed; seaweed carbohydrates; and the possible role for electron shuttling capacity in elicitation of PB activity of humic substances on plant growth enhancement. The subject of auxins is covered next, followed closely by a chapter on plant biostimulants in vermicomposts. Other topics include: exploring natural resources for biostimulants; the impact of biostimulants on whole plant and cellular levels; the impact of PBs on molecular level; and the use of use of plant metabolites to mitigate stress effects in crops. Provides an insightful introduction to the subject of biostimulants Discusses biostimulant modes of actions Covers microbial biostimulatory activities and biostimulant application strategies Offers unique and varied perspectives on the subject by a team of international contributors Features summaries of publications on biostimulants and biostimulant activity The Chemical Biology of Plant Biostimulants will appeal to a wide range of readers, including scientists and agricultural practitioners looking for more knowledge about the development and application of biostimulants.

Biostimulants stimulate natural processes in crops to enhance nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency (NUE), resistance to abiotic stress and quality traits. This collection reviews key advances in understanding and using biostimulants.

This edited book is a comprehensive compilation highlighting sources of biostimulants, their production, influence on plant growth and development, and regulatory status of plant biostimulants for better understanding and opening new vistas for future research. Biostimulants, the biological formulations are known to meliorate the plants growth and vigour, improve nutritional efficiency along with maintaining their well-being mainly via providing protection against a wide range of infections. Both horticultural as well as agricultural crops involve the utilization of the biostimulants. Fulvic and humic acids, nitrogen-containing compounds, protein hydrolysates, favourable bacteria and fungi, and extracts of seaweed are the chief active components of these. The major driving force for these materials is the organic farming industry and demand for sustainable crop production. This book will be of great interest to researchers, teachers, climate change scientists, capacity builders, and policy makers. Moreover, this book does the work of a supplementary reading for students in various fields such as agriculture, soil science, ecology, environmental science and forestry at undergraduate as well as graduate level. This will be a gainful read for national and international agricultural scientists and the policy makers. • Elaborates on biostimulants induced influence of plant growth and development • Covers all aspects of biostimulants sources and its role in plant life in detail • Discusses evidence based approach in biostimulants sources and its useful applications in plants

Over the past decade, interest in plant biostimulants has been on the rise, compelled by the growing interest of researchers, extension specialists, private industries, and farmers in integrating these products in the array of environmentally friendly tools to secure improved crop performance, nutrient efficiency, product quality, and yield stability. Plant biostimulants include diverse organic and inorganic substances, natural compounds, and/or beneficial microorganisms such as humic acids, protein hydrolysates, seaweed and plant extracts, silicon, endophytic fungi like mycorrhizal fungi, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria belonging to the genera Azospirillum, Azotobacter, and Rhizobium. Other substances (e.g., chitosan and other biopolymers and inorganic compounds) can have biostimulant properties, but their classification within the group of biostimulants is still under consideration. Plant biostimulants are usually applied to high-value crops, mainly greenhouse crops, fruit trees and vines, open-field crops, flowers, and ornamentals to sustainably increase yield and product quality. The global biostimulant market is currently estimated at about $2.0 billion and is expected to reach $3.0 billion by 2021 at an annual growth rate of 13%. A growing interest in plant biostimulants from industries and scientists was demonstrated by the high number of published peer-reviewed articles, conferences, workshops, and symposia in the past ten years. This book compiles several original research articles, technology reports, methods, opinions, perspectives, and invited reviews and mini reviews dissecting the biostimulatory action of these natural compounds and substances and beneficial microorganisms on crops grown under optimal and suboptimal growing conditions (e.g., salinity, drought, nutrient deficiency and toxicity, heavy metal contaminations, waterlogging, and adverse soil pH conditions). Also included are contributions dealing with the effect as well as the molecular and physiological mechanisms of plant biostimulants on nutrient efficiency, product quality, and modulation of the microbial population both quantitatively and qualitatively. In addition, identification and understanding of the optimal method, time, rate of application and phenological stage for improving plant performance and resilience to stress as well as the best combinations of plant species/cultivar × environment × management practices are also reported. We strongly believe that high standard reflected in this compilation on the principles and practices of plant biostimulants will foster knowledge transfer among scientific communities, industries, and agronomists, and will enable a better understanding of the mode of action and application procedures of biostimulants in different cropping systems.

This edited book is focusing on the novel and innovative procedures in tissue culture for large scale production of plantation and horticulture crops. It is bringing out a comprehensive collection of information on commercial scale tissue culture with the objective of producing high quality, disease-free and uniform planting material. Developing low cost commercial tissue culture can be one of the best possible way to attain the goal of sustainable agriculture. Tissue culture provides a means for rapid clonal propagation of desired cultivars, and a mechanism for somatic hybridization and in vitro selection of novel genotypes. Application of plant tissue culture technology in horticulture and plantation crops provides an efficient method to improve the quality and nutrition of the crops. This book includes a description of highly efficient, low cost in vitro regeneration protocols of important plantation and horticulture crops with a detailed guideline to establish a commercial plant tissue culture facility including certification, packaging and transportation of plantlets. The book discusses somatic embryogenesis, virus elimination, genetic transformation, protoplast fusion, haploid production, coculture of endophytic fungi, effects of light and ionizing radiation as well as the application of bioreactors. This book is useful for a wide range of readers such as, academicians, students, research scientists, horticulturists, agriculturists, industrial entrepreneurs, and agro-industry employees.

Biostimulants (a diverse class of compounds including substances or microorganisms) are helpful in sustainable plants growth and development. They accelerate plant growth, yield, and chemical composition even under unfavorable conditions. The main biostimulants are nitrogen-containing compounds, humic materials, some specific compounds released by microbes, plants, and animals, various seaweed extracts, bio-based nanomaterials, phosphite, silicon, and so on. Additionally, new generation products and bioproducts are being developed for sustainable plant growth and protection. Some research works in the area of biotechnology and nanobiotechnology have shown improved sustainable plant growth and production. The protective roles of biostimulants are varied depends on the compound and plant species. Exposure of biostimulants have shown accelerated plants growth and developmental processes for instance, manage stomatal conductance and rate of transpiration, and increase rate of photosynthesis etc. They also increased crop plants immune systems against the adverse situation. Thus, use of innovations of new generation biostimulants also enhance plant production systems, through a significant reduction of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. Moreover, bioinoculants commercial products obtained from seaweed extract, humic acids, amino acids, fulvic acids, and some microbial inoculants have shown their potential role in adventitious root induction in plants. Microbial inoculants or microbial-based biostimulants, as a promising and eco-friendly technology, can be widely used to address environmental concerns and fulfill the need for developing sustainable or modern agriculture practices. They have great potential to elicit plant tolerance to various climate change-related stresses and thus enhance plant growth and overall performance-related features. However, for successful implementation biostimulants-based agriculture in the field under changing climate conditions, an understanding of plant functions and biostimulants interaction or action mechanisms coping with various abiotic as well as biotic stresses at the physicochemical, metabolic, and molecular levels is required. Mycorrhizae are beneficial fungi that form symbiotic associations with plants and aid in plant development, disease resistance, and soil health is well established. Similarly, phyllospheric microbiome are known to possess different plant growth promotion attributes like nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, biocontrol activity, and increase plant resistance towards abiotic stresses. The plant growth promotion traits possessed by these phyllospheric microbiota can be judiciously harbored for phyllospheric and rhizospheric engineering. The engineered phyllospheric and rhizospheric microbiome can increase the plant growth and productivity, thereby, can act as a driving force for increasing the agricultural production in a sustainable manner. Taken together, this book aims to contribute to the recent understanding associated with the various role and application of biostimulants on different plant for their sustainable growth and management. Discusses our current understanding of, and advances in, biostimulants, along with their application in plants growth performance and overall management Explores new techniques, new generation products, and bioproducts Highlights the role of seaweed extract, humic acids, protein hydrolysates, amino acids, melatonin, paramylon, fulvic acids, microbial inoculants (phyllospheric and rhizospheric), and more