Cyanobacterial biostimulants boost tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Growth and drought tolerance for climate-resilient cropping systems.
Hami A, Attar IE, Mghazli N, Marzouk O, Bouzroud S
Climate Adaptation
If you grow tomatoes through a hot, dry summer and watch them wilt no matter how carefully you water, a simple soil drench made from these microbial extracts could become a practical tool for keeping plants resilient without extra irrigation.
Scientists tested whether adding ancient microbes called cyanobacteria — the same group that first put oxygen in Earth's atmosphere — to tomato plants could help them survive drought. They made two versions: a dried powder and a water extract. The dried powder worked better, helping tomato roots grow stronger and triggering the plant's own built-in stress defenses, like producing more protective sugars and antioxidants.
Key Findings
Lyophilized (freeze-dried) cyanobacterial biomass outperformed aqueous extracts at improving tomato drought tolerance, with specific strains Desmonostoc sp. CH3C6 and C5 showing the best results.
Co-inoculation with multiple strains under drought stress significantly boosted protective compounds: proline reached 31.78 mg/g, anthocyanin 0.101 mg/mL, and catalase activity 0.002 U mg⁻¹ protein.
Single inoculation with Desmonostoc sp. CH3C6 increased total soluble sugars to 37.32 mg and total phenol content to 20.74 mg GAE/g, while also enhancing root growth and relative water content.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found that freeze-dried extracts from two strains of cyanobacteria (ancient photosynthetic microbes) significantly improved tomato growth and drought tolerance, with specific strains boosting the plant's own stress-fighting compounds like sugars, antioxidants, and protective proteins.
Abstract Preview
Since 2.4 Giga-annum, cyanobacteria have played a pivotal role in the oxygenation of Earth, supporting nitrogen availability through symbiosis with plants such as cycads, and enhancing growth, yiel...
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The tomato is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from western South America, and may have been domesticated there, in Mexico, or in Central America. Th...