A biostimulant prepared from red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii induces flowering and improves the growth of Pisum sativum grown under optimum and nitrogen-limited conditions

Summary

This study evaluated LBS6, a biostimulant derived from the red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii, as a sustainable approach to improve pea (Pisum sativum) growth under nitrogen-limited conditions. A 1 ml/L root drench treatment significantly enhanced plant growth and induced flowering under both optimal and deficient nitrogen regimes, whilst improving nitrogen assimilation, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic efficiency through modulation of electron and proton transport processes. The biostimulant also reduced nitrogen starvation-induced oxidative stress and differentially regulated genes involved in nitrogen uptake, transport, and remobilisation, suggesting a multi-pathway mechanism for improving nitrogen-use efficiency.

UK applicability

The findings may be relevant to UK horticultural systems seeking to reduce synthetic nitrogen fertiliser dependency, particularly for legume crops like peas. However, UK-specific field validation would be needed to account for local soil conditions, climate variability, and the practical implementation of seaweed-based biostimulants in commercial production systems.

Key measures

Plant growth metrics, flowering time, tissue nitrogen and ammonia content, chlorophyll content, linear electron flux, proton conductivity, thylakoid proton flux, lipid peroxidation, gene expression of nitrogen uptake and transport genes

Outcomes reported

The study measured plant growth parameters, flowering induction, tissue nitrogen content, chlorophyll levels, photosynthetic efficiency, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and gene expression related to nitrogen uptake and assimilation in pea plants treated with a Kappaphycus alvarezii-based biostimulant under optimum, deficient, and excessive nitrogen conditions.

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