Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought Stress
To adapt to climate change and water scarcity during dry, hot summers, more sustainable, or even deficit, irrigation is required in the ornamental sector, as it uses large amounts of water to sustain high-value crop production. Biostimulants, especially seaweed extracts, could offer a sustainable so...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Horticulturae |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/4/509 |
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| author | Paulien De Clercq Els Pauwels Seppe Top Kathy Steppe Marie-Christine Van Labeke |
| author_facet | Paulien De Clercq Els Pauwels Seppe Top Kathy Steppe Marie-Christine Van Labeke |
| author_sort | Paulien De Clercq |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To adapt to climate change and water scarcity during dry, hot summers, more sustainable, or even deficit, irrigation is required in the ornamental sector, as it uses large amounts of water to sustain high-value crop production. Biostimulants, especially seaweed extracts, could offer a sustainable solution against drought stress as they are known to increase plant tolerance to abiotic stress. The effect of four seaweed extracts based on <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, <i>Soliera chordalis</i>, <i>Ecklonia maxima</i>, and <i>Saccharina latissima</i> and one microbial biostimulant were tested on container-grown <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under drought stress conditions for two years. During the first trial year, in 2019, overall irrigation was reduced by 20%. In 2021, plants were subjected to repeated drying and wetting cycles. In general, less irrigation, and thus a lower substrate moisture content, reduced stomatal conductance, biomass production, and root development, but increased plant compactness. The biostimulants showed minor effects, but these were not observed in both experiments. Treatment with the <i>A. nodosum</i> extract resulted in longer branches and more biomass under deficit irrigation but tended to accelerate flowering when repeated drying and wetting cycles were applied. The <i>E. maxima</i> extract negatively affected the branching of <i>Hydrangea</i> under repeated drying and wetting cycles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:58:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bac34dfe937c45ac8ad8f50299980101 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:58:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-bac34dfe937c45ac8ad8f502999801012023-11-17T19:29:46ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242023-04-019450910.3390/horticulturae9040509Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought StressPaulien De Clercq0Els Pauwels1Seppe Top2Kathy Steppe3Marie-Christine Van Labeke4Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumOrnamental Plant Research (PCS, Proefcentrum voor Sierteelt), 9070 Destelbergen, BelgiumLaboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumLaboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumTo adapt to climate change and water scarcity during dry, hot summers, more sustainable, or even deficit, irrigation is required in the ornamental sector, as it uses large amounts of water to sustain high-value crop production. Biostimulants, especially seaweed extracts, could offer a sustainable solution against drought stress as they are known to increase plant tolerance to abiotic stress. The effect of four seaweed extracts based on <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, <i>Soliera chordalis</i>, <i>Ecklonia maxima</i>, and <i>Saccharina latissima</i> and one microbial biostimulant were tested on container-grown <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under drought stress conditions for two years. During the first trial year, in 2019, overall irrigation was reduced by 20%. In 2021, plants were subjected to repeated drying and wetting cycles. In general, less irrigation, and thus a lower substrate moisture content, reduced stomatal conductance, biomass production, and root development, but increased plant compactness. The biostimulants showed minor effects, but these were not observed in both experiments. Treatment with the <i>A. nodosum</i> extract resulted in longer branches and more biomass under deficit irrigation but tended to accelerate flowering when repeated drying and wetting cycles were applied. The <i>E. maxima</i> extract negatively affected the branching of <i>Hydrangea</i> under repeated drying and wetting cycles.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/4/509woody ornamentalsbiostimulantsseaweed extractsdrought stresspigmentsstress metabolites |
| spellingShingle | Paulien De Clercq Els Pauwels Seppe Top Kathy Steppe Marie-Christine Van Labeke Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought Stress Horticulturae woody ornamentals biostimulants seaweed extracts drought stress pigments stress metabolites |
| title | Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought Stress |
| title_full | Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought Stress |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought Stress |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought Stress |
| title_short | Effect of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants on Growth and Development of <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i> under Continuous or Periodic Drought Stress |
| title_sort | effect of seaweed based biostimulants on growth and development of i hydrangea paniculata i under continuous or periodic drought stress |
| topic | woody ornamentals biostimulants seaweed extracts drought stress pigments stress metabolites |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/4/509 |
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