Ceren Ayşe Bayram^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.10, pp. 3283-3295, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.073047 - 29 October 2025

Abstract In semi-arid regions where climatic limitations hinder open-field vegetable production, greenhouse-based lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation plays a vital role in ensuring off-season supply. In this study, the potential of sustainable input combinations was evaluated to enhance lettuce productivity, quality, and profitability under unheated greenhouse conditions in Southeastern Türkiye. Treatments included farmer practice and a mycorrhizal biofertilizer (ERS, a water-soluble arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus product) applied alone or in combination with organic-based biostimulants (IS and NM). Evaluated parameters were plant height, leaf pigmentation (a*, h°), SPAD values, vitamin C, nitrogen and phosphorus content, and gross margin. The More >

Oscar Sariñana-Aldaco¹, Carmen Alicia Ayala-Contreras¹, Susana González-Morales², Gregorio Cadenas-Pliego³, Marissa Pérez-Alvarez³, América Berenice Morales-Díaz⁴, Dámaris Leopoldina Ojeda-Barrios⁵, José Gerardo Uresti-Porras⁶, Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza^7,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.7, pp. 2131-2153, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.067577 - 31 July 2025

Abstract Selenium (Se) is a nutrient that is considered beneficial for plants, because its improvement in growth, yield and quality helps plants to mitigate stress. The objective of this research was to evaluate the application of sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃), nanoparticles (SeNPs) and microparticles (SeMPs) of Se in cucumber seedlings, via two experiments: one with seed priming and the other with foliar application of Se materials. The doses used were: 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 3.0 mg · L⁻¹, for each form of Se and for each form of application. Treatment 0 consisted of the application of… More >

Đorđe Vojnović¹, Robert Pokluda², Ivana Maksimović¹, Janko Červenski³, Sonja Ilin³, Boris Adamović¹, Jelena Popović-Đorđević^4,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.7, pp. 1997-2013, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.065535 - 31 July 2025

Abstract Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a widely cultivated vegetable valued for its taste, aroma, and nutritional content. Biostimulants (BTs) are substances that stimulate plant growth and development. This study explores the impact of BTs and nitrogen (N) fertilization on the yield and nutrient use efficiency of directly seeded onions, addressing the challenges of excessive N application and promoting sustainable practices. A two-year field experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replications. Treatments included a control (C), a seaweed extract-based BT (T1), humic and fulvic acids (T2), and Trichoderma spp. (T3). N rates applied were 64… More > Graphic Abstract

Zahra Alhawsa^*, Rewaa Jalal, Nouf Asiri

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.4, pp. 1319-1337, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.061918 - 30 April 2025

Abstract Salinity stress is a major constraint on agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluated the potential of Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) in mitigating salinity-induced stress and enhancing the growth and physiological performance of Portulaca oleracea L. under NaCl concentrations of 0, 50, 70, and 100 mM for 50 days. A two-way ANOVA assessed the effects of NaCl concentration, ANE treatment, and their interaction. The results showed that ANE significantly increased plant height at 50 mM NaCl (p = 0.0011) but had no effect at higher salinity levels (p > 0.05). Shoot dry weight was… More >

Su-Ee Lau^1,2,*, Lucas Wei Tze Lim³, Mohd Fadhli Hamdan⁴, Colin Chan⁵, Noor Baity Saidi⁶, Janna Ong-Abdullah⁶, Boon Chin Tan^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.1, pp. 1-31, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.059930 - 24 January 2025

Abstract Abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, salinity, and heavy metal contamination severely affect global agricultural productivity. Between 2005 and 2015, droughts caused losses of approximately USD 29 billion in developing countries, and from 2008 to 2018, droughts accounted for over 34% of crop and livestock yield losses, totaling about USD 37 billion. To support the growing human population, agricultural output must increase substantially, necessitating a 60%–100% rise in crop productivity to meet the escalating demand. To address environmental challenges, organic, inorganic, and microbial biostimulants are increasingly employed to enhance plant resilience through various morphological, physiological,… More >

Abderrahim Boutasknit^1,2,3,*, Wissal Benaffari^2,3, Mohamed Anli^2,3, Abdoussadeq Ouamnina^2,3, Amine Assouguem⁴, Rachid Lahlali^4,*, Abdelilah Meddich^2,3,5

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.12, pp. 3589-3616, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.057881 - 31 December 2024

Abstract Drought stress (DS) and overuse of chemical fertilizers cause considerable losses in the agro-physiological as well as biochemical performance of plants. In this context, considerable effort will be required to replace chemical fertilizers (NPK) with biostimulants as an important approach to enhance the productivity and sustainability of agriculture. Here, we evaluated the effect of separating and/or combining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with compost (C) in comparison to the use of NPK on the growth, physiological and biochemical of tomatoes under DS. The findings showed that DS significantly reduced the growth and physiological attributes of tomatoes.… More >

Qurat-Ul-Ain Raza^1,2, Abdur Rehim^1,*, Muhammad Amjad Bashir^1,3,*, Mingzheng Duan⁴, Yucong Geng³, Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei⁵

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.12, pp. 3531-3548, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.057356 - 31 December 2024

Abstract Chemical fertilizers have contributed to improving crop production and coping with food safety challenges, but their excessive application in agriculture has resulted in soil and environmental problems. The present study was performed to assess the potential of biostimulants as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. A pot experiment was conducted to examine the response of okra against different biostimulants, including glycine (G.L.), lysine (L.Y.), aspartic acid (A.A.), vitamin B complex (V.B.), and chemical fertilizers (control; C.K.). The results revealed that G.L. and V.B. significantly improved chlorophyll a (12.51%) and chlorophyll b (7.14%) contents in okra… More >

Fatima-Ezzahra Soussani^1,2,3, Youssef Ait Rahou^1,2,4, Chayma Ikan^1,2, Allal Douira³, Rachid Benkirane³, Essaid Ait Barka⁵, Rachid Lahlali^6,*, Abdelilah Meddich^1,2,7,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.9, pp. 2415-2438, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.055050 - 30 September 2024

Abstract This study assesses the effectiveness of using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (M) and compost applied alone or in combination (vs. conventional chemical fertilizer application (NPK)) on tomato resistance to vascular wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae. In this study, ten treatments were applied: (1) Control (2) M: Rhizophagus irregularis (3) C: Compost (4) MC: The combination of M and compost (5) NPK: conventional chemical fertilizer (6) V: plants infected with V. dahliae (7) MV: plants infected with a conidial suspension of V. dahliae and M, (8) CV: The combination of compost and V. dahliae, (9) MCV: The combination of M, compost and V. dahliae,… More >

Mingzhao Han¹, Susilawati Kasim^1,*, Zhongming Yang², Xi Deng², Noor Baity Saidi³, Md Kamal Uddin¹, Effyanti Mohd Shuib¹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.9, pp. 2149-2166, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.054009 - 30 September 2024

Abstract It is imperative to enhance crop yield to meet the demands of a burgeoning global population while simultaneously safeguarding the environment from adverse impacts, which is one of the dominant challenges confronting humanity in this phase of global climate change. To overcome this problem and reduce dependency on chemical fertilizer, scientists now view the implementation of biostimulant strategies as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to achieving sustainable agriculture. Plant extracts are rich in bioactive phytocompounds, which can enhance plant resistance to disease, pest, and abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, and extreme temperature), and promote… More >

Abida Aziz¹, Shafiqa Bano¹, Mubshar Hussain², Muhammad Farooq Azhar³, Ghulam Yasin³, Naila Hadayat⁴, Iqra Arooj⁵, Abeer Hashem⁶, Ajay Kumar⁷, Elsayed Fathi Abd_Allah⁸, Qamar uz Zaman^9,10,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.7, pp. 1647-1665, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.050974 - 30 July 2024

Abstract Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) exhibits a greater capacity for cadmium (Cd) absorption compared to other cereal crops, leading to elevated daily Cd intake, and posing a significant threat to public health. For the mitigation of Cd stress in sustainable and environmentally friendly way, a pot study was designed by using exogenous application of various biostimulants, i.e., Nigella sativa and Ocimum sanctum extracts: 0%, 10%, and 20% in combination with the chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) using 0 and 5 mg kg under various levels of Cd stress (i.e., 0, 5, 10, and 15 mg kg soil). Results revealed… More > Graphic Abstract