Biostimulants as an Avenue of Abiotic Stress Tolerance Improvement in Crops

Plants are ceaselessly exposed to harsh environmental conditions, such as salinity, drought, and extreme temperatures. Global urbanization and our increasing global population is putting additional pressure on the agricultural system by limiting the availability of cultivable land. To meet the ever-escalating needs of the growing human population, producers are mainly relying on the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase productivity. This approach possesses both short- and long-term threats to the health of the entire ecosystem. Therefore, a sustainable strategy is required to reduce dependency on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

In this Research Topic, we wish to incorporate contributions from leading crop scientists focusing on the development of sustainable strategies for improving stress tolerance in crops. These sustainable strategies may include the development of seaweed, microbial, and plant-based agricultural inputs to improve plant growth, nutrient use efficiency, and yield under unfavorable conditions. Additionally, we also welcome manuscripts that help the scientific community in deciphering the mode of action for these biological-based agricultural inputs.

This Research Topic will cover the following areas, either as reviews, perspectives, original research articles, and short communications, including (but not limited to):
1. Seaweed, microbes, and plant-based biostimulants for improving stress tolerance in crops;
2. Development of novel biostimulants for sustainable agriculture;
3. Use of biostimulants in controlling post-harvest losses;
4. Understanding the mode of action of biostimulants in improving stress tolerance in crops.