Spirulina platensis Biofertilization for Enhancing Growth, Photosynthetic Capacity and Yield of Lupinus luteus

Cyanobacteria can play an important role in sustainable agriculture by improving crop growth and production, as well as environmental quality. The current study was conducted to evaluate the role of Spirulina platensis extract in the improvement of growth, photosynthetic capacity and yield of Lupinus luteus. Different concentrations (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0%) of S. platensis methanolic extract were used for priming seeds and foliar spraying applications. Growth, photosynthetic pigment content and activity were recorded at 35 days of cultivation. The yield measurements and protein profile of seeds were performed at 60 days. For both treatments, the lower concentration (0.25%) of the extract was the most successful in improving all growth metrics and the phytohormonal level of L. luteus. Photosynthetic pigment and capacity, nutrient content and yield components of L. luteus were improved with the extract of 0.25% concentration. However, the growth was significantly inhibited at the higher concentration (1.0%), recording lower values of the measured characters than the control. A positive correlation was observed between the total chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, yield parameters and carbohydrate accumulation by the application of the S. platensis extracts. The protein profile of seeds revealed that spraying treatment triggered the appearance of a new band of 30.56 KDa. The promotion of growth could be attributed to the nutrients, bioactive molecules and phytohormones in the extract. The use of Spirulina-based stimulators is reliable with the concept of sustainable agriculture by enhancing photosynthetic pigment content and rate ensuring the correlation between the yield and those measured parameters of L. luteus.

[1]  Li Li,et al.  Plant carotenoids: recent advances and future perspectives , 2022, Molecular Horticulture.

[2]  Hania A. Guirguis,et al.  Biogenic copper nanoparticles from Avicennia marina leaves: Impact on seed germination, detoxification enzymes, chlorophyll content and uptake by wheat seedlings , 2021, PloS one.

[3]  L. Rodolfi,et al.  Plant Biostimulants from Cyanobacteria: An Emerging Strategy to Improve Yields and Sustainability in Agriculture , 2021, Plants.

[4]  A. Gonçalves.  The Use of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria in the Improvement of Agricultural Practices: A Review on Their Biofertilising, Biostimulating and Biopesticide Roles , 2021, Applied Sciences.

[5]  B. Strobel,et al.  Natural alkaloids from narrow-leaf and yellow lupins transfer to soil and soil solution in agricultural fields , 2020, Environmental Sciences Europe.

[6]  Gulshan Kumar,et al.  Bioengineering of Microalgae: Recent Advances, Perspectives, and Regulatory Challenges for Industrial Application , 2020, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.

[7]  B. Behera,et al.  Efficacy of microalgal extracts as biostimulants through seed treatment and foliar spray for tomato cultivation , 2020 .

[8]  A. Elsadany,et al.  Maximizing growth and productivity of onion (Allium cepa L.) by Spirulina platensis extract and nitrogen-fixing endophyte Pseudomonas stutzeri , 2020, Archives of Microbiology.

[9]  P. Storchi,et al.  Eco-Physiological Traits and Phenylpropanoid Profiling on Potted Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot Noir Subjected to Ascophyllum nodosum Treatments under Post-Veraison Low Water Availability , 2020, Applied Sciences.

[10]  A. Abo-Shady,et al.  Treatment of broad bean seeds with algal suspensions to study their effects on certain growth and yield parameters , 2020 .

[11]  Y. Zeroual,et al.  Screening of microalgae liquid extracts for their bio stimulant properties on plant growth, nutrient uptake and metabolite profile of Solanum lycopersicum L. , 2020, Scientific Reports.

[12]  A. Wolna-Maruwka,et al.  The Influence of Bio-Stimulants and Foliar Fertilizers on Yield, Plant Features, and the Level of Soil Biochemical Activity in White Lupine (Lupinus albus L.) Cultivation , 2020, Agronomy.

[13]  A. R. Lo Piero,et al.  Biostimulant Effect and Biochemical Response in Lettuce Seedlings Treated with A Scenedesmus quadricauda Extract , 2020, Plants.

[14]  K. Godlewska,et al.  Potential applications of cyanobacteria: Spirulina platensis filtrates and homogenates in agriculture , 2019, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[15]  D. Ronga,et al.  Microalgal Biostimulants and Biofertilisers in Crop Productions , 2019, Agronomy.

[16]  M. Rakibuzzaman,et al.  Foliar application of Spirulina and Oscillatoria on growth and yield of okra as bio-fertilizer , 2019, Journal of Bioscience and Agriculture Research.

[17]  N. Graham,et al.  Effects of green seaweed extract on Arabidopsis early development suggest roles for hormone signalling in plant responses to algal fertilisers , 2018, bioRxiv.

[18]  Pengcheng Fu,et al.  Algal Biofertilizers and Plant Growth Stimulants for Sustainable Agriculture , 2018, Industrial Biotechnology.

[19]  R. Prasanna,et al.  Microalgae as multi-functional options in modern agriculture: current trends, prospects and challenges. , 2018, Biotechnology advances.

[20]  Ying Li,et al.  Factors Influencing Leaf Chlorophyll Content in Natural Forests at the Biome Scale , 2018, Front. Ecol. Evol..

[21]  P. Wieczorek,et al.  The Biomass of Algae and Algal Extracts in Agricultural Production , 2018 .

[22]  F. Ascencio,et al.  Microalgae, a Potential Natural Functional Food Source – a Review , 2017 .

[23]  A. Piotrowicz-Cieślak,et al.  Proteins in Relation to Vigor and Viability of White Lupin (Lupinus albus L.) Seed Stored for 26 Years , 2017, Front. Plant Sci..

[24]  O. Agwa,et al.  Field Evidence of Chlorella vulgaris Potentials as a Biofertilizer for Hibiscus esculentus , 2017 .

[25]  R. Prasanna,et al.  Cyanobacterial inoculation modifies the rhizosphere microbiome of rice planted to a tropical alluvial soil , 2016 .

[26]  L. Rodolfi,et al.  Techno-economic analysis of microalgal biomass production in a 1-ha Green Wall Panel (GWP®) plant , 2016 .

[27]  P. Kalpana,et al.  Effect of Supplementation of Spirulina platensis to Enhance the Zinc Status in Plants of Amaranthus gangeticus, Phaseolus aureus and Tomato , 2016 .

[28]  B. Prithiviraj,et al.  Seaweed extracts as biostimulants in horticulture , 2015 .

[29]  P. Zander,et al.  The future of lupin as a protein crop in Europe , 2015, Front. Plant Sci..

[30]  D. Leskovar,et al.  Effects of A. nodosum seaweed extracts on spinach growth, physiology and nutrition value under drought stress , 2015 .

[31]  K. Chojnacka,et al.  Biofortification of maize with micronutrients by Spirulina , 2015 .

[32]  S. Singh,et al.  A review on possible elicitor molecules of cyanobacteria: their role in improving plant growth and providing tolerance against biotic or abiotic stress , 2014, Journal of applied microbiology.

[33]  M. Mikiciuk,et al.  ASSESSMENT OF YIELD AND PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES OF SMALL-SIZED TOMATO CV. 'BIANKA F1' UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BIOSTIMULATORS OF MARINE ALGAE ORIGIN , 2014 .

[34]  L. Wackett,et al.  Evaluating Pesticide Degradation in the Environment: Blind Spots and Emerging Opportunities , 2013, Science.

[35]  A. Critchley,et al.  A Commercial Extract of Brown Macroalga (Ascophyllum nodosum) Affects Yield and the Nutritional Quality of Spinach In Vitro , 2013 .

[36]  Michael A. Borowitzka,et al.  Techno-Economic Modeling for Biofuels from Microalgae , 2013 .

[37]  A. Critchley,et al.  Regulation of Phytohormone Biosynthesis and Accumulation in Arabidopsis Following Treatment with Commercial Extract from the Marine Macroalga Ascophyllum nodosum , 2012, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation.

[38]  R. Prasanna,et al.  Biofortification of wheat through inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and cyanobacteria , 2012 .

[39]  Edis Koru.  Earth Food Spirulina (Arthrospira): Production and Quality Standarts , 2012 .

[40]  Debasis Panda,et al.  Use of Sea Weed Extracts as Plant Growth Regulators for Sustainable Agriculture , 2012 .

[41]  I. Priyadarshani,et al.  Commercial and industrial applications of micro algae - A review , 2012 .

[42]  Ratna Prabha,et al.  Cyanobacteria-mediated phenylpropanoids and phytohormones in rice (Oryza sativa) enhance plant growth and stress tolerance , 2011, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.

[43]  R. G. Prasuna,et al.  Antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of blue green algae Anabaena sp. (Nostocaceae) , 2011 .

[44]  M. El-sheekh,et al.  Effect of two species of cyanobacteria as biofertilizers on some metabolic activities, growth, and yield of pea plant , 2010, Biology and Fertility of Soils.

[45]  M. Noferini,et al.  A novel type of seaweed extract as a natural alternative to the use of iron chelates in strawberry production , 2010 .

[46]  J. Dubey,et al.  Evaluating Potential of Spirulina as Innoculant for Pulses , 2010 .

[47]  F. Sessa,et al.  The major proteins of lupin seed : Characterisation and molecular properties for use as functional and nutraceutical ingredients , 2008 .

[48]  K. Noguchi,et al.  Effects of carbohydrate accumulation on photosynthesis differ between sink and source leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. , 2006, Plant & cell physiology.

[49]  M. Hussein,et al.  The Promotive Effect of Algal Biofertilizers on Growth, Protein Pattern and Some Metabolic Activities of Lupinus termis Plants Grown in Siliceous Soil , 2003 .

[50]  B. Bergman,et al.  Evidence for production of the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid by cyanobacteria , 2002, Planta.

[51]  S. Smeekens,et al.  Photosynthesis, sugars and the regulation of gene expression. , 2000, Journal of experimental botany.

[52]  M. Adam.  THE PROMOTIVE EFFECT OF THE CYANOBACTERIUM NOSTOC MUSCORUM ON THE GROWTH OF SOME CROP PLANTS , 1999 .

[53]  M. Drążkiewicz.  Chlorophyllase: occurrence, functions, mechanism of action, effects of external and internal factors (Review) , 1994 .

[54]  I. R. Cowan,et al.  Stomatal conductance correlates with photosynthetic capacity , 1979, Nature.

[55]  O. E. Smith,et al.  Identification of plant hormones from cotton ovules. , 1975, Plant physiology.

[56]  U. K. Laemmli,et al.  Cleavage of Structural Proteins during the Assembly of the Head of Bacteriophage T4 , 1970, Nature.