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<p>With climate change and population growth threatening food security, farmers urgently need sustainable tools to grow crops in harsher conditions. Our research aims to demonstrate the potential of a natural extract from <i>Nostoc commune</i>—a cyanobacterium isolated from arid biocrusts—as a biostimulant capable of enhancing crop growth and improving plant survival under drought and saline conditions, thereby offering an eco-friendly solution for agriculture in challenging environments. We conducted two complementary trials using tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> cv. MicroTom) and lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i> var. longifolia) as model species. The first trial systematically evaluated optimal hydrolysate concentrations for enhancing both seed germination and vegetative growth, comparing different application methods (foliar spraying versus seed soaking). Building on these results, the second trial specifically tested the biostimulant's efficacy in protecting plants against drought and salinity stress under controlled environmental conditions. Our findings demonstrate that <i>N. commune</i> hydrolysate significantly enhanced plant development and stress resilience in both crop species. In lettuce, treatment increased leaf number by 19.7% and yield by 27%, while tomato plants showed remarkable improvements in reproductivity (39% more flowers, 60% greater fruit number, and 48% increased fruit weight). The hydrolysate also exhibited strong stress-protective effects, reducing proline accumulation by 74% in drought-stressed tomatoes and 71% in salt-stressed lettuce, indicating significant mitigation of abiotic stress impacts. This study demonstrates the significant potential of <i>N. commune</i> hydrolysate as a sustainable biostimulant for enhancing crop resilience under climate stress. By improving growth, yield, and stress mitigation in both lettuce and tomato, cyanobacterial extracts can offer a promising, eco-friendly tool for climate-smart agriculture. Further research should aim to optimize field application, validate effectiveness across crops and climates, and integrate the extract into sustainable farming systems under climate stress.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Biocrust-derived Cyanobacterial Hydrolysate: A Sustainable Approach to Boosting Crop Growth and Stress Tolerance

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月20日

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  • Carlotta Pagli,
  • Haytham Hamedeh,
  • Valentina Ciccolini,
  • Cintia Gómez Serrano,
  • Gabriel Acién Fernández,
  • Sonia Chamizo,
  • Lorenza Rugnini,
  • Antonella Canini,
  • Yolanda Cantón

摘要

With climate change and population growth threatening food security, farmers urgently need sustainable tools to grow crops in harsher conditions. Our research aims to demonstrate the potential of a natural extract from Nostoc commune—a cyanobacterium isolated from arid biocrusts—as a biostimulant capable of enhancing crop growth and improving plant survival under drought and saline conditions, thereby offering an eco-friendly solution for agriculture in challenging environments. We conducted two complementary trials using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. MicroTom) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia) as model species. The first trial systematically evaluated optimal hydrolysate concentrations for enhancing both seed germination and vegetative growth, comparing different application methods (foliar spraying versus seed soaking). Building on these results, the second trial specifically tested the biostimulant's efficacy in protecting plants against drought and salinity stress under controlled environmental conditions. Our findings demonstrate that N. commune hydrolysate significantly enhanced plant development and stress resilience in both crop species. In lettuce, treatment increased leaf number by 19.7% and yield by 27%, while tomato plants showed remarkable improvements in reproductivity (39% more flowers, 60% greater fruit number, and 48% increased fruit weight). The hydrolysate also exhibited strong stress-protective effects, reducing proline accumulation by 74% in drought-stressed tomatoes and 71% in salt-stressed lettuce, indicating significant mitigation of abiotic stress impacts. This study demonstrates the significant potential of N. commune hydrolysate as a sustainable biostimulant for enhancing crop resilience under climate stress. By improving growth, yield, and stress mitigation in both lettuce and tomato, cyanobacterial extracts can offer a promising, eco-friendly tool for climate-smart agriculture. Further research should aim to optimize field application, validate effectiveness across crops and climates, and integrate the extract into sustainable farming systems under climate stress.

Graphical Abstract