Biostimulants as Innovative Tools to Boost Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Performance under Drought, Salinity, and Heavy Metal(Oid)s’ Stresses: A Concise Review

Abstract

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is constantly subjected to abiotic stresses. Hence, the application of biostimulants, such as the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and organic amendments hold tremendous potential to significantly improve the growth and yield of date palm. The strengthening of biostimulants’ main common modes of action is exerted through five main functions: biostimulation (essentially), biofertilization, bioprotection, biological control, and the role of bio-effector. Moreover, synergistic and complementary effects manifest through biochemical and nutritional benefits, in addition to molecular modulation. In this regard, the present concise review focuses on highlighting the beneficial impact of AMF and PGPR, as well as the organic amendments, in boosting the health status and productivity of date palm plants subjected to abiotic stresses. Furthermore, mechanisms reinforcing date palm plants’ resilience to abiotic stresses, powered by biostimulants, are particularly emphasized. Based on this review, we could conclude that the overall findings corroborate the beneficial effects of AMF–PGPR and/or compost and manure application in terms of boosting date palm’s growth traits, development, yielding, as well as soil properties under extreme environmental factors, such as those of drought, salinity, and excessive heavy metal(oid)s. Thus, biostimulants can confer resilience to date palm plants against abiotic stresses.

Characterization of Salt-Tolerant Cultivars of Date Palm Based on Morphological and Biochemical Responses Under Salinity Stress

“…Cultivars such as Haleemi, Basrawali, Dhakki, Saghoi, Tarwali, Hamanwali, and Gajjar were salt tolerant in terms of leaf width. The present research is matched with the earlier research work [33].…”

Harnessing rhizospheric core microbiomes from arid regions for enhancing date palm resilience to climate change effects

“…Furthermore, date palm nutrient utilization under salinity constraints can be improved when associated with mycorrhiza. This symbiotic relationship may enhance their yield by improving absorption of soil nutrients through fungal hyphae extension in the rhizosphere area, thereby increasing surface uptake (Akensous et al, 2022b). Accordingly, Meddich et al (2018) noticed a consistent increase of Ca, P, K, Mg, and Mn when date palm seedlings, inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), were subjected to different stresses.…”

“…Among these, desert indigenous microorganisms are increasingly recognized as a long-term environmental and ecological potential solution to sustain agriculture in the oasis ecosystem (Almutawa, 2022). Their application benefits have been documented to: (i) promote date palm growth and survival rate of seedlings in the nursery (Shabbir et al, 2011); (ii) improve nutrient uptake by maintaining metabolic processes (Van Oosten et al, 2017;Alsharif et al, 2020); (iii) improve resistance to harmful pathogens (Mefteh et al, 2018); and (iv) induce better tolerance to complex abiotic stresses, drought, and salinity at a priority level (Benhiba et al, 2015;Akensous et al, 2022b). Consequently, focusing on beneficial microorganisms from arid and desertic lands would represent potential and innovating biotechnological tools to restore and promote agricultural activity in desertic areas in general and of date palm in oases in particular (Symanczik et al, 2014;Ferjani et al, 2015).…”

The potential of biostimulants on soil microbial community: a review

“…However, the high rate of Zn and Fe assimilation improved the formulation of the gene sequencing for enzymes included in the antioxidative defense system. Also, the assimilation of water and water use efficiency (WUE) may be associated with the activity of AMF and Si (Akensous et al, 2022). Most importantly, the assimilation of Fe and Zn can be affected by Si inoculation and can stimulate the upregulation of genes coding for IRT1 and IRT2, regarded as the Fe transporters classified to the Zrt/ IRT-like protein (ZIP) family (Israel et al, 2022), which comprises Zn transporters.…”