Strigolactones: how far is their commercial use for agricultural purposes?

Abstract

Strigolactones are a class of natural and synthetic compounds that in the past decade have been exciting the scientific community not only for their intriguing biological properties but also for their potential applications in agriculture. These applications range from their use as hormones to modify and/or manage plant architecture, to their use as stimulants to induce seed germination of parasitic weeds and thus control their infestation by a reduced seed bank, to their use as 'biostimulants' of plant root colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, improving plant nutritional capabilities, to other still unknown effects on microbial soil communities. More recently, these compounds have also been attracting the interest of agrochemical companies. In spite of their biological attractiveness, practical applications are still greatly hampered by the low product yields obtainable by plant root exudates, by the costs of their synthesis, by the lack of knowledge of their off-target effects and by the not yet specified or properly identified legislation that could regulate the use of these compounds, depending on the agricultural purposes. The aim of this article is to discuss, in the light of current knowledge, the different scenarios that might play out in the near future with regard to the practical application of strigolactones. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

From synthetic control to natural products: a focus on N‐heterocycles

“…Strigolactones (SLs) are a new class of plant hormone involved in the inhibition of shoot branching, root development and a growing list of other developmental processes . SLs have a role as signalling molecules.…”

Gibberellic and kaurenoic hybrid strigolactone mimics for seed germination of parasitic weeds

“…In order to increase the applicability of these compounds, it is necessary to develop synthetic analogs and mimics that would provide a more feasible alternative for seed bank control . Strigolactones are plant hormones that have been identified as one of the main stimulators of the germination of seeds of parasitic weeds . Strigolactone analogs are modified strigolactone structures, obtained by synthesis, in which the common enone unit connected to the butenolide (D‐ring) via an enol ether is present.…”

“…Strigolactone analogs are modified strigolactone structures, obtained by synthesis, in which the common enone unit connected to the butenolide (D‐ring) via an enol ether is present. Although some examples, such as the strigolactone synthetic analogs GR24 , GR5 and Nijmegen‐1, are extremely active in a wide variety of parasitic weed species and are being applied in field trials, the investigation of their applicability in agriculture for suicidal germination is still in its infancy . Strigolactone mimics comprise another group of strigolactone‐derived compounds which contain the essential D‐ring connected to either the OH in (substituted) phenols or an OH of the carboxylic group in substituted benzoic acids, but lack the enone and enol ether unit.…”

“…10,11 Strigolactones are plant hormones that have been identified as one of the main stimulators of the germination of seeds of parasitic weeds. 12 -14 Strigolactone analogs are modified strigolactone structures, obtained by synthesis, in which the common enone unit connected to the butenolide (D-ring) via an enol ether is present. Although some examples, such as the strigolactone synthetic analogs GR24, GR5 and Nijmegen-1, are extremely active in a wide variety of parasitic weed species and are being applied in field trials, 5,15 -19 the investigation of their applicability in agriculture for suicidal germination is still in its infancy.…”

“…Although some examples, such as the strigolactone synthetic analogs GR24, GR5 and Nijmegen-1, are extremely active in a wide variety of parasitic weed species and are being applied in field trials, 5,15 -19 the investigation of their applicability in agriculture for suicidal germination is still in its infancy. 12 Strigolactone mimics comprise another group of strigolactone-derived compounds which contain the essential D-ring connected to either the OH in (substituted) phenols 20 or an OH of the carboxylic group in substituted benzoic acids, 17,19 but lack the enone and enol ether unit. These strigolactone mimics are particularly active in inducing germination of Orobanche and Phelipanche seeds.…”