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Wheat is one of the most important cereals for human nutrition, but nitrogen (N) losses during its cultivation cause economic problems and environmental risks. In order to improve N use efficiency (NUE), biostimulants are increasingly used. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Glutacetine®, a biostimulant sprayed at 5 L ha−1 in combination with fertilizers (urea or urea ammonium nitrate (UAN)), on N-related traits, grain yield components, and the grain quality of winter bread wheat grown at three field sites in Normandy (France). Glutacetine® improved grain yield via a significant increase in the grain number per spike and per m2, which also enhanced the thousand grain weight, especially with urea. The total N in grains and the NUE tended to increase in response to Glutacetine®, irrespective of the site or the form of N fertilizer. Depending on the site, spraying Glutacetine® can also induce changes in the grain ionome (analyzed by X-ray fluorescence), with a reduction in P content observed (site 2 under urea nutrition) or an increase in Mn content (site 3 under UAN nutrition). These results provide a roadmap for utilizing Glutacetine® biostimulant to enhance wheat production and flour quality in a temperate climate.

Optimizing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) could mitigate the adverse effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizers by limiting their environmental risks and raising agronomic performance. We studied the effects of VNT4, a derived formulation of Glutacetine® biostimulant, mixed with urea-ammonium-nitrate solution (UAN) on the growth, N-related traits and agronomic performance of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was performed under six contrasting field conditions over two years in Normandy (France), including a site where 15N labelling was undertaken. Taking into account all the sites, we report that VNT4 significantly improved grain yield (+359 kg ha−1), total grain N and NUE. VNT4 application improved growth during tillering and stem elongation (+10.7%), and N and 15N uptake between tillering and maturity (+7.3% N and +16.9% 15N) leading to a higher N accumulation at maturity (+9.3% N). This N mainly originated from fertilizer (+19.4% 15N) and was assimilated after the flag leaf stage in particular (+47.6% 15N). These effects could be related to maintenance of physiological functions of flag leaves as suggested by the enhancement of their nutrient status (especially S, Zn and Mo). The adoption of VNT4 as a UAN additive is an efficient agronomic practice to enhance wheat productivity under an oceanic temperate climate.