Use of Yucca (Yucca schidigera) Extracts as Biostimulants to Promote Germination and Early Vigor and as Natural Fungicides

Abstract

Climate change is increasing drought and salinity in many cultivated areas, therefore threatening food production. There is a great demand for novel agricultural inputs able to maintain yield under the conditions imposed by the anthropogenic global warming. Biostimulants have been proposed as a useful tool to achieve this objective. We have investigated the biostimulant effect of different yucca (Yucca schidigera) extracts on plant growth at different stages of development under different abiotic stress conditions. The extracts were tested in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and in three different crops; tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var microtom), broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa var romana). We have found that the investigated extracts are able to promote germination and early vigor under drought/osmotic and salt stress induced either by sodium chloride or lithium chloride. This effect is particularly strong in Arabidopsis thaliana and in the Brassicaceae broccoli. We have also determined using antibiograms against the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that the evaluated extracts may be used also as a natural fungicide. The results in this report show that yucca extracts may be used to enhance early vigor in some crops and as a natural fungicide, providing a new and useful tool for farmers.

The Biostimulant, Potassium Humate Ameliorates Abiotic Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana by Increasing Starch Availability

“…humate during stress, and its effect at the molecular level. We have previously shown that the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is a good system to evaluate the effect of biostimulants and to investigate the molecular responses elicited by the biostimulant [35][36][37]. The objective of the present study is to gain insights into the molecular mechanism explaining the effect of potassium humate in plants.…”

“…However, despite the available information on the effect of humic substances on the interaction with osmoprotective solutes and the plant metabolome, there are few studies on the specific effect of potassium humate during stress, and its effect at the molecular level. We have previously shown that the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is a good system to evaluate the effect of biostimulants and to investigate the molecular responses elicited by the biostimulant [35][36][37]. The objective of the present study is to gain insights into the molecular mechanism explaining the effect of potassium humate in plants.…”