The Overview
Palazzo Brera, statute of Napoleon, cast in 1809 by Antonio Canova
With a new film about Napoleon recently released, and Milan a city with many references to the man, another army is marching to Milan – that of the Biostimulants World Congress.
On the eve of the 6th edition of this world-leading event, New AG International asked member of the Scientific Committee to give a brief flavour of what’s coming up in their conference track.
To begin, we go to the co-chair of the Scientific Committee, Prof. Patrick du Jardin, Professor of Plant Biology at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Belgium, who is chairing the session on ‘Biological mechanisms of biostimulation function for the designing of new products’. Prof. Patrick du Jardin writes:
Biostimulant function is considered at different levels: new sources,new mechanisms, new insight into the bioactive components of complex products.
A keynote lecture by Pr. Uwe Conrath (Plant Physiology Department from Aachen University) will give an introduction to the concept of plant priming for enhanced tolerance to stress, which is a fundamental concept for the designing ofnew products.
The session also introduces the many ways plant-associated microbes can be of interest for designing biostimulants: postbiotics, bacteria from the phyllosphere, etc.
Micro-algae are remote from brown and red algae from a taxonomic point of view and are the source of new bioactive molecules for the design of biostimulant products. Less information is available on their molecular action on plants. A paper will present significant advances on this topic.
Another topic to be covered is how to unravel the action of protein hydrolysates. Talks will dig into the amino acids and peptides conferring activity of protein hydrolysates. In one talk, single amino acids were applied and the plant response to each of them thoroughly characterized. In another paper, discrete peptides corresponding to hydrolysed collagen were heterologously produced in different plant cell compartments to study their effects. These are good examples of how classical biostimulants can be revisited with the aim of understanding the molecular determinants of their action and the optimization of their effects on plants.
A newcomer to the Scientific Committee is Marta Vasconcelos, Deputy Director of the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) at Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), Assistant Professor at UCP. She is chairing the session on ‘Plant biostimulants in the circular economy and sustainable agriculture’.
Marta Vasconcelos writes:
Biostimulants are essential in the circular economy while promoting more sustainable agricultural practices. This session will collectively show us how innovative biostimulant initiatives can support circular agriculture and sustainability, uncovering the potential of biostimulant sources from crop waste. The session starts with an opening lecture by Pr. Johan Six (Chair of the Sustainable Agroecosystems Group at ETH-Zurich), who will share his insights on resilient food systems under global change in Sub-Saharan Africa.
We will also receive first-hand information on advanced technological solutions that are more efficient at increasing the availability
of sustainable food sources while increasing growers' return on investment.
Calcium, a crucial plant nutrient, promotes robust plant health and enhances tuber quality. In this session, we will also learn how harpin protein treatment improves calcium use efficiency in potatoes, with potential for sustainable agriculture.
The European Union aims to enhance the sustainability of food production. In horticulture, reducing plastic and fertilizer use is crucial. In his session, we will hear about the developments of the "BBPlug" project, that repurposes fresh-cut vegetable waste into biostimulant-enriched materialfor compostable starter pots.
Another topic presented here will be a bioactivity screening platform, using standardized assays developed by a consortium of research labs to explore bioactive chemicals in plants. In particular, we will learn how a Belgian endive extract showed biostimulant properties, stimulating growth and yield in various plants, containing diverse compounds.
With the fast increase of the insect production sector and to optimize its circularity, many co-products are being generated globally. In this session, the co-product potential on plant and soil was investigated. The talks will exemplify utilizing a mix of insect frass and cuticles as a biostimulant to improve crop nutrient use efficiency.
Finally, we know crops are subject to environmental conditions that change over time and according to their geographic location. In this final talk, we will discuss the importance of a holistic view of biostimulant application, considering root fluxes, the microbiology associated with the plant, the response of fruit trees to stress, fruit growth, post-harvest periods, and reserves. We will give examples of field experiences in temperate and tropical fruit trees in different countries of the American continent.
Another newcomer to the committee is Petronia Carillo, Full Professor of Agronomy in the Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies of University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy. Her session is: ‘Resource use efficiency and crop resilience in the face of climate change’.
Petronia Carillo writes:
Biostimulant products can help farmers adapting their agricultural systems to the growing climate changes, increasing the resilience, flexibility and sustainability of food production.
A keynote lecture by Pr. Albino Maggio (Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II) will explain how the new insights into salt stress sensing, signalling and adaptation may open new strategies for biostimulants to support agricultural productionunder salinity.
The session presents many new studies dealing with biostimulants containing microorganisms not allowed by Regulation (EU) 2019/1009). In one talk, a novel strain of Burkholderia promoted plant tolerance to drought stress by suppressing stress-induced ethylene accumulation in creeping bentgrass. In another talk, a plant-derived organic compounds and Bacillus atrophaeus were able to increase P uptake and use efficiency, growth and health in tomato plants.
Biostimulants research is moving towards more commercially relevant open-field research. In one talk, foliar and soil application of hydrolysed protein based biostimulants to vineyards (cv. Sauvignon blanc) under drought increased plant water status. Whereas foliar treatment with Ascophyllum nodosum extracts improved macro- and micronutrients accumulation in multi-year Cabernet-Sauvignon wine grape.
Biologically active small molecules (<500 Da) of natural or synthetic origin can be supplied exogenously at very low concentrations and relieve or protect plants from abiotic stresses. In one talk, MTU [1-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-(1,2,3-thiadiazol-5yl) urea] will be demonstrated able to delay senescence process in wheat by enhancing the association of the antenna protein LHCa with Photosystem I, photosynthetic efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency.
Finally, a new generation of NPKs water soluble fertilizers combined with vegetal peptides allowed to increase tomato yield while reducing by 10-15 percent the dose of fertilizers applied.
And finally, Professor Jean-Christophe Avice from Université de Caen Normandie. He is chairing the session on ‘The efficacy of biostimulants, experimental design, crop phenotyping and combination with precision agriculture’.
Jean-Christophe Avice writes:
This session presents a large panel of approaches and innovative tools for the accurate assessment of biostimulants and for studying correlations between efficacy tests performed in lab, greenhouse, and field conditions.
An introductive keynote lecture by Pr. Davide Cammarano (Department of Agroecology - Climate and Water, Aarhus University) will explain how the new insights into precision agriculture will help to improve the applications and efficacy of biostimulants.
One talk will demonstrate a comprehensive testing program and decision tree for biostimulant assessment under labs, greenhouses and field conditions using seedlings microphenotyping, drone phenotyping of crops, mobile rainout shelters, etc. Relevant imaging-assisted methods will be also presented for measuring the impacts of seed-coated biostimulants on germination rate, seedling growth rates and root development.
The mode of action of Paramylon (1,3-beta-glucans produced by Euglena gracilis, a unicellular microalgae) will be reviewed on multiple vegetative growth parameters and fruit yield of various plants.
Two other talks will present the assessment of biostimulant products (microalgae extracts, PGPR, Trichoderma, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) on a large range of traits related to fruit quality (acidity; contents in sugars, amino acids and lycopene; harvest earliness, etc.) in tomato plants subjected to nutritive or drought stress conditions.
A whole-plant redox imaging approach that uses a chloroplast-targeted redox-sensitive green fluorescence protein 2 (roGFP2) will be described as a promising tool for studying biostimulant compounds involved in mitigation of oxidative stress generated by environmental constraints. ●
To read an extended interview with the Scientific Committee full of insight and interesting perspectives, see our newly launched New AG International Yearbook, which will be distributed as a printed magazine at the Biostimulants World Congress in Milan,28 November-1 December.
Biostimulants research is moving towards more commercially relevant open-field research.
Allianz Mico Convention Centre
Luke Hutson, New AG InternationalChief Analyst
