Using Plant Cell-Culture-Derived Biostimulants as an Alternative for Improving Seed Tolerance to Abiotic Stress

Adverse edaphoclimatic conditions derived from climate change and anthropogenic pressure are challenging modern agriculture. Thus, it is necessary to develop strategies that increase crop yield without causing significant harm to the environment. Biostimulants have been proved to alleviate the effects of abiotic stress on plants growing under unfavourable conditions, especially those classified as higher plant-derived biostimulants (hPDBs), as they can modulate plants' physiological processes and ensure zero environmental impact. However, the production of these biostimulants is often heterogeneous, as their composition depends on the harvest season and the variety of the source used. In this work, we evaluate the potential of an orange carrot cell-culture-derived biostimulant (OCB), a novel type of hPDB based on plant cell cultures, as they constitute stable production systems of bioactive compounds. The OCB was applied as a priming agent in Brassica seeds subjected to salinity stress, with the goal of producing more competitive and tolerant seedlings to the effect of climate change and improving their vigor and quality. Finally, we describe its positive effect on the germination parameters and oxidative stress markers.

References. Martínez-Lorente SE, Martí-Guillén JM, Pedreño MA, Almagro L, Sabater-Jara AB. Higher Plant-Derived Biostimulants: Mechanisms of Action and Their Role in Mitigating Plant Abiotic Stress. Antioxidants. 2024; 13(3):318. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13030318

Acknowledgements. Funding was received from the Agroalnext Programme, supported by MCIN, with funding from European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I1), and Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia, Fundación Séneca and Fundación Séneca, Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología (22016/PI/22), “Ayudas a proyectos para el desarrollo de investigación científica y técnica por grupos competitivos” from “Programa Regional de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica (Plan de Actuación 2022)”. S.E.M-L. received a grantfrom Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades of Spain (FPU21/01593), and J.M.M-G. received a grant ffrom Universidad de Murcia (109144/2022).