Biostimulants for Sustainable Crop Production

Biostimulants stimulate natural processes in crops to enhance nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency (NUE), resistance to abiotic stress and quality traits. They offer the opportunity to enhance fertilizer use and thus contribute to more sustainable crop production. This collection reviews key advances in understanding and using biostimulants.

Part 1 reviews ways of classifying biostimulants, types of bioactive compound and ways of evaluating biostimulants. Part 2 surveys the various types of biostimulant, from humic substances and seaweed extracts to protein hydrolysates, silicon, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Part 3 discusses advances in designing second-generation biostimulants and their practical application in such areas as enhancing nutrient use efficiency (NUE).

Youssef Rouphael is an Associate Professor at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. He is Editor-in-Chief of Agronomy MDPI and has been a guest editor on biostimulants in several International Journals (Scientia Horticulturae, Frontiers in Plant Science and Agronomy MDPI). He is a member of the scientific committee of Biostimulant.com. He is internationally-known for his research in horticultural science.

Patrick du Jardin is Professor of Plant Biology at Gembloux Agro-Biotech, University of Liège, Belgium and Director of the Botanic Garden of this institution. Professor du Jardin is internationally-renowned for his expertise in such areas as plant physiology and biotechnology, and for his role in the establishment of the concept of biostimulants. Professor du Jardin has advised organisations such as the EFSA, INRA and CIRAD.

Patrick Brown is Professor of Plant Nutrition at the University of California-Davis, USA. Amongst many other honours, Professor Brown is on the Board of the International Council for Plant Nutrition which organises the prestigious International Plant Nutrition Colloquia. He is internationally-renowned for his research on crop mineral nutrition and biostimulants.

Stefania De Pascale is Professor of Horticulture at the University of Naples Federico II. She is Chair of the ISHS Division Protected Cultivation and Soilless Culture and is on the editorial boards of a number of journals. Professor De Pascale is a leading authority on nutrient and water management of horticultural and ornamental crops.

Giuseppe Colla is Professor of Vegetable Production, Floriculture and Greenhouse Crop Management at the University of Tuscia, Italy. A member of the editorial boards of several leading journals in horticultural science, Professor Colla has an international reputation for his work on plant nutrition and plant biostimulants. He has coordinated many projects to improve horticultural production.