Biostimulants Derived from Moroccan Seaweeds: Seed Germination Metabolomics and Growth Promotion of Tomato Plant

Physiological, Ecological, and Biochemical Implications in Tomato Plants of Two Plant Biostimulants: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Seaweed Extract

“…It has also been shown that different SE treatments promote biotic and abiotic responses in tomato plants, including the activation of defense-related enzymes, such as SOD, POD, PPO, and PAL ( Kumar and Pandey, 2013 ; Hernandez-Herrera et al, 2014b ; Drobek et al, 2019 ) and phenolic compounds ( El Modafar et al, 2012 ) as well as the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars ( Goñi et al, 2018 ). According to Mzibra et al (2020) , the tomato plant cell wall may recognize the hydrolysis of SE polysaccharides that can behave as signaling molecules and induce phytochemical biosynthesis, including that of polyphenols. In this study, surprisingly, polyphenol content was high in the SE-treated plants when no nutrients were added, but low when nutrients were supplied via irrigation, and no accelerated flowering was detected with regard to what was observed with AMF addition.…”

“…The active SE components have been identified as macroelements and microelements, such as nutrients, amino acids, vitamins, sugars (e.g., carbohydrates and oligo- and polysaccharides), growth hormones [e.g., cytokinins, auxins, gibberellins, and abscisic acid (ABA)-like growth substances], or low-weight molecular components (e.g., polyamines and brassinosteroids), all of which have been found to affect cellular metabolism and enhance crop growth and yield ( Khan et al, 2009 ; Battacharyya et al, 2015 ; Shukla et al, 2019 ). Furthermore, SE components that are present in moderate or large quantities, such as polyphenols (e.g., phloroglucinol and eckol) or polysaccharides (e.g., alginate, fucoidan, laminarian, carrageenan, and their derived oligosaccharides), have also been found to promote plant growth ( Hong et al, 2007 ; Khan et al, 2009 ; Craigie, 2011 ; González et al, 2013 ; Battacharyya et al, 2015 ; Rengasamy et al, 2015a ; Rengasamy et al, 2015b ; Hernández-Herrera et al, 2016 ; Mzibra et al, 2020 ).…”

Effect of <em>Fucus extract</em> and biomass enriched with Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions on the growth of garden cress (<em>Lepidium sativum</em>) under laboratory conditions

“…Extracts derived from Fucus species have various biological activities such as antioxidative (Farvin and Jacobsen, 2013;Tierney et al, 2013;Heffernan et al, 2014;Bikovens et al, 2017), antifungal, e.g. against Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium oxysporum (Tyśkiewicz et al, 2019), stimulation of plant growth (Sharma et al, 2012;Latique et al, 2013;Bikovens et al, 2017;Latique et al, 2017;Mzibra et al, 2021). Polysaccharides and plant hormones are also known to stimulate plant growth and their natural defence responses (Zodape, 2001;Khan et al, 2009;Mzibra et al, 2021).…”

“…Latique et al (2017) found that extract produced from fresh Fucus spiralis enhanced seed germination and improved the growth of wheat seedlings under salt stress. Mzibra et al (2021) examined the extract obtained from Fucus spiralis, which accelerated the germination of tomato seeds, improved the biomass yield and biosynthesis of chlorophyll. In the work of Latique et al (2013) it was showed that Fucus spiralis extract (25%) obtained by boiling enhanced the vegetative growth of bean plant.…”

“…The application of G/(R+G+B) formula allows to state that the content of chlorophyll in garden cress was comparable in all experimental groups. Seaweeds and products derived therefrom, due to their natural high content of pigments and other biologically active compounds, in most cases increased the level of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the cultivated plants, for example polysaccharide enriched extracts from Fucus spiralis in the cultivation of tomato (Mzibra et al, 2021) or Fucus spiralis extract (obtained by boiling) on bean (Latique et al, 2013) or on wheat (Latique et al, 2017). The use of seaweed extracts in agriculture as biostimulants of plant growth requires finding an application for the obtained post extraction residue.…”