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Biostimulants and their role in improving plant growth under drought and salinity

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Abstract

Biostimulants are products that reduce fertiliser requirements while also stimulating plant growth and protecting crops from abiotic stress by increasing tolerance. Biostimulants such as algal or other plant extracts, protein hydrolysates, humic and fulvic acids, and other enhanced combinations have been shown to promote further growth and stress adaptability. These outcomes consist of higher yield, enhanced nutrient absorption and utilization, increased photosynthetic activity, and tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stressors. While most biostimulants have a variety of effects on plant growth, this chapter concentrates on bioprotective effects against abiotic stress. Biostimulants have the potential to make agriculture more sustainable and resilient, as well as provide an alternative to synthetic protectants, which have proven increasingly unpopular with consumers. In this regard, this chapter seeks to discuss the specific function of biostimulants that have defensive effects against abiotic stress, but also highlights the urgent need to investigate the underlying processes that cause these benefits.

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Acknowledgements

The author K. Rakkammal thanks the RUSA 2.0 scheme in the form of Ph.D. fellowship [Grant No. F. 24-51/2014-U, Policy (TN Multi-Gen), Department of Education, Government of India]. DST-FIST (Grant No. SR/FST/LSI-639/2015(C)), UGC-SAP (Grant No. F.5-1/2018/DRS-II(SAP-II)) and DST-PURSE (Grant No. SR/PURSE Phase 2/38 (G)) for providing instrumentation facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Science Campus, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630003, India

    Kasinathan Rakkammal & Manikandan Ramesh

  2. Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Cochin, Kerala, 683104, India

    Theivanayagam Maharajan & Stanislaus Antony Ceasar

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  1. Kasinathan Rakkammal
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  2. Theivanayagam Maharajan
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  3. Stanislaus Antony Ceasar
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  4. Manikandan Ramesh
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MR and KR conceived and designed the review. KR and TMR  wrote the manuscript. MR and SAC made a critical revision of the review. KR and TMR performed the literature search. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Manikandan Ramesh.

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Communicated by I. Karsai.

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Rakkammal, K., Maharajan, T., Ceasar, S.A. et al. Biostimulants and their role in improving plant growth under drought and salinity. CEREAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 51, 61–74 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42976-022-00299-6

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