Abstract
• Salinity stress of maize decreased dry root weight, photosynthesis and membrane integrity. • Stress-associated metabolites increased in salt stressed maize. • Foliar application of Ekclonia maxima -derived biostimulant mitigated salt stress impact. • Improved morphology and photosynthesis of biostimulant treated maize under salinity stress. • Metabolic reprogramming of metabolites associated with salt stress alleviation and adaptation. Salinity stress poses a significant threat to crop productivity, making it crucial to explore strategies that alleviate its adverse effects. This study investigated the impact of Afrikelp®, a commercial seaweed extract (SE) biostimulant, derived from Ecklonia maxima on maize ( Zea mays L.) plants subjected to salinity stress. Gas exchange analysis revealed that plants treated with SE Afrikelp® exhibited significantly higher photosynthetic rates under control conditions (45 % respectively) and 200 mM salt stress (95 % respectively) compared to untreated plants. Similarly, plants treated with SE Afrikelp® and 200 mM salt stress had significantly higher internal CO 2 concentrations and transpiration rates compared to untreated salt stressed plants. Morphological analysis demonstrated that SE Afrikelp® enhanced plant growth and reduced electrolyte leakage under both control and salinity stress conditions. Metabolomic profiling revealed significant alterations in primary metabolites, particularly amino acids, sugars, and organic acids. As such, the results reveal that SE Afrikelp® induced a metabolic reprogramming towards stress alleviation and enhanced defences. Overall, SE Afrikelp® demonstrated potential in mitigating the adverse effects of salinity stress on maize plants, warranting its efficacy for agricultural applications.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
SE Afrikelp treated maize had 45 % higher photosynthetic rates under control conditions than untreated plants.
- Treatment
- SE Afrikelpe1
- Outcome
- photosynthetic ratese1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- 45 %e1
- Qualifier
- under control conditionse1
- Comparator
- untreated plantse1
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize ( Zea mays L.) plants”
e1“plants treated with SE Afrikelp® exhibited significantly higher photosynthetic rates under control conditions (45 % respectively) and 200 mM salt stress (95 % respectively) compared to untreated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
SE Afrikelp treated maize had 95 % higher photosynthetic rates under 200 mM salt stress than untreated plants.
- Treatment
- SE Afrikelpe1
- Outcome
- photosynthetic ratese1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- 95 %e1
- Qualifier
- 200 mM salt stresse1
- Comparator
- untreated plantse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize ( Zea mays L.) plants”
e1“plants treated with SE Afrikelp® exhibited significantly higher photosynthetic rates under control conditions (45 % respectively) and 200 mM salt stress (95 % respectively) compared to untreated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
SE Afrikelp treated maize under 200 mM salt stress had significantly higher internal CO 2 concentrations and transpiration rates than untreated salt stressed plants.
- Treatment
- SE Afrikelpe2
- Outcome
- internal CO 2 concentrations and transpiration ratese2
- Direction
- highere2
- Qualifier
- 200 mM salt stresse2
- Comparator
- untreated salt stressed plantse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize ( Zea mays L.) plants”
e2“plants treated with SE Afrikelp® and 200 mM salt stress had significantly higher internal CO 2 concentrations and transpiration rates compared to untreated salt stressed plants”
Claim · model-written summary
SE Afrikelp enhanced plant growth of maize under both control and salinity stress conditions.
- Treatment
- SE Afrikelpe3
- Outcome
- plant growthe3
- Direction
- enhancede3
- Qualifier
- under both control and salinity stress conditionse3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize ( Zea mays L.) plants”
e3“SE Afrikelp® enhanced plant growth and reduced electrolyte leakage under both control and salinity stress conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
SE Afrikelp reduced electrolyte leakage of maize under both control and salinity stress conditions.
- Treatment
- SE Afrikelpe3
- Outcome
- electrolyte leakagee3
- Direction
- reducede3
- Qualifier
- under both control and salinity stress conditionse3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize ( Zea mays L.) plants”
e3“SE Afrikelp® enhanced plant growth and reduced electrolyte leakage under both control and salinity stress conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Metabolomic profiling of maize showed significant alterations in primary metabolites, particularly amino acids, sugars and organic acids.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize ( Zea mays L.) plants”
e5“Metabolomic profiling revealed significant alterations in primary metabolites, particularly amino acids, sugars, and organic acids”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors interpret SE Afrikelp as inducing a metabolic reprogramming towards stress alleviation and enhanced defences in maize.
- Treatment
- SE Afrikelpe4
- Outcome
- metabolic reprogramminge4
- Qualifier
- towards stress alleviation and enhanced defencese4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize ( Zea mays L.) plants”
e4“SE Afrikelp® induced a metabolic reprogramming towards stress alleviation and enhanced defences”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity stress decreased dry root weight, photosynthesis and membrane integrity of maize.
- Treatment
- Salinity stresse6
- Outcome
- dry root weight, photosynthesis and membrane integritye6
- Direction
- decreasede6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Salinity stress of maize decreased dry root weight, photosynthesis and membrane integrity”
Claim · model-written summary
Stress-associated metabolites increased in salt stressed maize.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Stress-associated metabolites increased in salt stressed maize”
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