Evaluation of the Biostimulant Activity of Zaxinone Mimics (MiZax) in Crop Plants

Abstract

Global food security is a critical concern that needs practical solutions to feed the expanding human population. A promising approach is the employment of biostimulants to increase crop production. Biostimulants include compounds that boost plant growth. Recently, mimics of zaxinone (MiZax) were shown to have a promising growth-promoting effect in rice (Oryza sativa). In this study, we investigated the effect of MiZax on the growth and yield of three dicot horticultural plants, namely, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), capsicum (Capsicum annuum), and squash (Cucurbita pepo) in different growth environments, as well as on the growth and development of the monocot date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), an important crop in the Middle East. The application of MiZax significantly enhanced plant height, flower, and branch numbers, fruit size, and total fruit yield in independent field trials from 2020 to 2021. Importantly, the amount of applied MiZax was far less than that used with the commercial compound humic acid, a widely used biostimulant in horticulture. Our results indicate that MiZax have significant application potential to improve the performance and productivity of horticultural crops.

Zaxinone Mimics (MiZax) Efficiently Promote Growth and Production of Potato and Strawberry Plants under Desert Climate Conditions

“…1B). Moreover, we did not observe differences in all recorded parameters between acetone (mock) and water (control) treatment, which indicates that observed growth-regulating effects were not caused by the solvent, in line with our previous report [Wang et al, 2022].…”

“…In the previous report, we showed growth-improving activities of MiZax on horticultural plants at both 5 and10 µM with an enhancement of Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) chlorophyll metrics [Wang et al, 2022]. Based on these results, we used the same concentration to assess the effect of MiZax on potato, an important food crop worldwide, in a eld trial under desert climate conditions.…”

“…We rst supplied MiZax at a 10 µM concertation to assess its impact on the growth of strawberry (cv Festival). Interestingly, we observed that MiZax3 signi cantly increased the number of runners, which corresponds to increased branching, while MiZax5 improved the owering ratio, plant biomass, and leaf areas under greenhouse conditions (Supplementary Figure S4), indicating the two compounds may differ in their biological activities [Wang et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2022]. To get deeper insights into their effects on strawberry in a real farming environment, we conducted a pilot eld trail by applying 5 and 10 µM of MiZax to strawberry plants (cv Sweet Charlie) grown in semi-sand soil (Figure S5A).…”

“…In addition, treatment of tomato, date palm, green pepper, and squash plants with zaxinone and MiZax enhanced plant growth and performance, i.e. yield quantity and quality in case of pepper, under greenhouse and open-eld conditions, suggesting their utility as biostimulants and PGR [Wang et al, 2022]. Interestingly, MiZax3 and MiZax5 also increased salt tolerance of green pepper grown under increased salinity [Wang et al, 2022].…”

“…yield quantity and quality in case of pepper, under greenhouse and open-eld conditions, suggesting their utility as biostimulants and PGR [Wang et al, 2022]. Interestingly, MiZax3 and MiZax5 also increased salt tolerance of green pepper grown under increased salinity [Wang et al, 2022].…”