Effectiveness of bio-effectors on maize, wheat and tomato performance and phosphorus acquisition from greenhouse to field scales in Europe and Israel: a meta-analysis

Biostimulants (Bio-effectors, BEs) comprise plant growth-promoting microorganisms and active natural substances that promote plant nutrient-acquisition, stress resilience, growth, crop quality and yield. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of BEs, particularly under field conditions, appears highly var...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Frontiers in plant science Vol. 15; p. 1333249
Main Authors:	Nkebiwe, Peteh Mehdi, Stevens Lekfeldt, Jonas D, Symanczik, Sarah, Thonar, Cécile, Mäder, Paul, Bar-Tal, Asher, Halpern, Moshe, Biró, Borbala, Bradáčová, Klára, Caniullan, Pedro C, Choudhary, Krishna K, Cozzolino, Vincenza, Di Stasio, Emilio, Dobczinski, Stefan, Geistlinger, Joerg, Lüthi, Angelika, Gómez-Muñoz, Beatriz, Kandeler, Ellen, Kolberg, Flora, Kotroczó, Zsolt, Kulhanek, Martin, Mercl, Filip, Tamir, Guy, Moradtalab, Narges, Piccolo, Alessandro, Maggio, Albino, Nassal, Dinah, Szalai, Magdolna Zita, Juhos, Katalin, Fora, Ciprian G, Florea, Andreea, Poşta, Gheorghe, Lauer, Karl Fritz, Toth, Brigitta, Tlustoš, Pavel, Mpanga, Isaac K, Weber, Nino, Weinmann, Markus, Yermiyahu, Uri, Magid, Jakob, Müller, Torsten, Neumann, Günter, Ludewig, Uwe, de Neergaard, Andreas
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 02-04-2024
Subjects:	biofertilizers biostimulants maize meta-analysis PGPMs phosphorus Plant Science PGPMs biostimulants meta-analysis biofertilizers wheat tomato maize phosphorus
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Biostimulants (Bio-effectors, BEs) comprise plant growth-promoting microorganisms and active natural substances that promote plant nutrient-acquisition, stress resilience, growth, crop quality and yield. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of BEs, particularly under field conditions, appears highly variable and poorly quantified. Using random model meta-analyses tools, we summarize the effects of 107 BE treatments on the performance of major crops, mainly conducted within the EU-funded project BIOFECTOR with a focus on phosphorus (P) nutrition, over five years. Our analyses comprised 94 controlled pot and 47 field experiments under different geoclimatic conditions, with variable stress levels across European countries and Israel. The results show an average growth/yield increase by 9.3% (n=945), with substantial differences between crops (tomato > maize > wheat) and growth conditions (controlled nursery + field (Seed germination and nursery under controlled conditions and young plants transplanted to the field) > controlled > field). Average crop growth responses were independent of BE type, P fertilizer type, soil pH and plant-available soil P (water-P, Olsen-P or Calcium acetate lactate-P). BE effectiveness profited from manure and other organic fertilizers, increasing soil pH and presence of abiotic stresses (cold, drought/heat or salinity). Systematic meta-studies based on published literature commonly face the inherent problem of publication bias where the most suspected form is the selective publication of statistically significant results. In this meta-analysis, however, the results obtained from all experiments within the project are included. Therefore, it is free of publication bias. In contrast to reviews of published literature, our unique study design is based on a common standardized protocol which applies to all experiments conducted within the project to reduce sources of variability. Based on data of crop growth, yield and P acquisition, we conclude that application of BEs can save fertilizer resources in the future, but the efficiency of BE application depends on cropping systems and environments.
Bibliography:	content type line 23 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 Reviewed by: Becky Nancy Aloo, University of Eldoret, Kenya Edited by: Lorenzo Barbanti, University of Bologna, Italy Present address: Peteh Mehdi Nkebiwe, Institute for Crop Nutrition and Environmental Research, Yara GmbH & Co. KG, Dülmen, Germany; Narges Moradtalab, Institute for Crop Nutrition and Environmental Research, Yara GmbH & Co. KG, Dülmen, Germany; Cécile Thonar, Agroecology Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Plant Genetics and Rhizosphere Processes Laboratory, TERRA Teaching and Research Center, University of Liège, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Gembloux, Belgium; Krishna K. Choudhary, Department of Botany, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India; Beatriz Gómez-Muñoz, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain Deceased ORCID: Peteh Mehdi Nkebiwe, orcid.org/0000-0002-0344-0509; Jonas D. Stevens Lekfeldt, orcid.org/0000-0002-0690-0208; Cécile Thonar, orcid.org/0000-0002-1806-688X; Borbala Biró, orcid.org/0000-0001-6735-9147; Joerg Geistlinger, orcid.org/0000-0001-5136-2819; Beatriz Gómez-Muñoz, orcid.org/0000-0001-6611-5845; Ellen Kandeler, orcid.org/0000-0002-2854-0012; Zsolt Kotroczó, orcid.org/0000-0002-5637-2802; Martin Kulhanek, orcid.org/0000-0003-2755-7215; Filip Mercl, orcid.org/0000-0002-3171-4415; Pavel Tlustoš, orcid.org/0000-0003-1274-0658; Jakob Magid, orcid.org/0000-0001-5867-0910; Torsten Müller, orcid.org/0000-0002-0175-9436; Uwe Ludewig, orcid.org/0000-0001-5456-1055; Andreas de Neergaard, orcid.org/0000-0001-9108-1122 These authors share first authorship Laichao Luo, Anhui Agricultural University, China
ISSN:	1664-462X 1664-462X
DOI:	10.3389/fpls.2024.1333249