Effects of seaweed extract on the growth, yield and quality of cherry tomato under different growth conditions

Abstract

<p>An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of foliar application of seaweed extract (0.2 %) on the growth, yield and quality of cherry tomato under stress and non-stress conditions. The greenhouse experiment was set up in a randomized block design with four treatments in three replications. Treatments were as follows: V<sub>1</sub> - seedlings treated by seaweed extract and subjected to drought; V<sub>2</sub> - seedlings treated by seaweed extract and regularly watered; V<sub>3</sub> - non-treated seedlings subjected to drought; V<sub>4</sub> - non-treated seedlings regularly watered. Cherry tomato seedlings treated by seaweed extract had a lower content of proline and higher leaf water potential compared to non-treated seedlings under stress conditions, indicating that application of this fertilizer contributes to better adaptation of cherry tomato seedlings to stress. Treatment with seaweed extract also positively influenced the yield and quality of cherry tomato (total soluble solids, vitamin C, lycopene) under both standard and drought stress conditions as compared to untreated plants in same conditions. Positive effects of seaweed extract on growth and quality of cherry tomato are result of its specific composition, as well as ability of cherry tomato plants to utilize bioactive substances in seaweed extracts for its growth and development.</p>

Sustainable Agronomic Strategies for Enhancing the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Wild Tomato, Solanum Lycopersicum (l) Var Cerasiforme Mill

“…Phenolic compounds, an indication of plant innate defense system, were augmented on treatment with seaweed extracts. These results are in agreement with that of Murtic et al [88].…”

The power of seaweeds as plant biostimulants to boost crop production under abiotic stress

“…Application of seaweed extracts in promoting vegetative growth under drought and salinisation is important but also indicating the impact seaweed extracts have on subsequent harvested crop yield and product quality under such stress conditions is even more essential to encourage adoption by farmers. One of such example is the pre-treatment of cherry tomato seeds with an Ascophyllum nodosum -based biostimulant resulting in an enhancement of fruit quality (measured as total soluble solids, lycopene and flavonoids) and up to 65% increase in crop fruit yield, even in the presence of drought stress (Murtic et al , 2018). Similar positive results were observed in two studies of wheat grown under drought conditions.…”

“…For example, salinity stress decreased crop productivity of cherry tomatoes by˜50%. The use of theAscophyllum nodosum -based biostimulant increased productivity by 85% of the initial crop yield under non-stressed conditions, therefore the yield gap was not fully closed (Murtic et al , 2018). In few published cases, crops treated with seaweed extracts and grown under abiotic stress conditions showed no significant differences in crop yield (Di Stasio et al , 2018) or even inhibitory germination responses (Masondo et al , 2018).…”

“…Application of anAscophyllum -derived seaweed extracts in the presence of salinisation, stimulated expression of the microRNAs (miR) miR169g-5p, miR399, miR827 and miR2111b which results in altered expression of target genes, by this means inducing phosphate uptake and salinity resilience of Arabidopsis plants (Shukla et al , 2018). Growth stimulation due to the application of seaweed extracts may also be linked to higher photosynthetic rates and corresponding increased levels of chlorophyll pigments (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids) in such crops, relative to their nontreated and abiotic stressed counterparts (Abdel Latef et al , 2017;Murtic et al , 2018;Trivedi et al , 2018;Hussein et al , 2021). Mediating the activity of enzymes and genes involved in efficient nutrient assimilation (Fig.…”

Biostimulant Substances for Sustainable Agriculture: Origin, Operating Mechanisms and Effects on Cucurbits, Leafy Greens, and Nightshade Vegetables Species

“…Drought-stressed tomato plants also showed similar results, with foliar treatments of the Ascophyllum nodosum extract 'Bio-algeen S92' eliciting the production of antioxidants and phenolics and with treated plants showing a 21.6% higher leaf area and a 20.3% leaf chlorophyll content. Moreover, the plants treated with the product had a significant boost in fruit yield of 65.4% compared to the stressed controls, and also manifested the highest fruit lycopene and flavonoid contents [180].…”