Abstract
• This meta-analysis evaluates seaweed extracts (SWEs) effects on tomato growth, yield, fruit quality, and physiology compared to untreated controls. • SWEs at 2%–10% concentration significantly improve tomato growth and yield: plant height (+55%), root fresh weight (+58%), and fruit number per plant (+83%). • Fruit quality is enhanced at 2%–10% SWEs dosage, with lycopene (+88%), vitamin C (+83%), and soluble sugars (+111%) increasing compared to untreated controls. • SWEs application is associated with the increasing activities of key antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, PAL, PPO) by 38.8%–120.7%. Seaweed extracts (SWEs) are recognized as environmentally sustainable biostimulants which enhance crop productivity and stress resilience. Here, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of global literature (n = 40 publications) to quantify the integrated effects of SWEs on tomato growth, yield, fruit quality, and physiological traits. The research results show that compared with not applying SWEs, applying SWEs can significantly increase plant height (55.31%) and fresh root weight (57.65%). Within the dataset analyzed in this study, the best effect occurs within the concentration range of 2%–10%. Yield parameters also exhibited concentration-dependent responses: floral initiation and fruit number per plant peaked at 2%–10% (56.32% and 83.34%, respectively), whereas higher concentrations (10%–100%) maximized yield (55.9%) per plant and single-fruit fresh weight (104.04%). Notably, suboptimal concentrations (0%–0.5%) adversely affected yield. Fruit quality attributes, including size and nutritional composition, were most substantially increased from 81.92% to 125.57% under 2%–10% SWEs. The application of SWEs is related to the enhanced activity of key antioxidant enzymes, which play a regulatory role in physiological processes related to stress. In conclusion, SWEs synergistically enhance tomato production sustainability. Within the dataset analyzed in this study, the most significant positive effects are observed in the concentration range of 2% to 10%, which could achieve the balanced effects in promoting tomato growth, increasing yield, ensuring quality, and enhancing physiological adaptability.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Seaweed extracts increased tomato plant height by 55.31%.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- SWEse0
- Outcome
- plant heighte0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 55.31%e0
- Comparator
- not applying SWEse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“applying SWEs can significantly increase plant height (55.31%) and fresh root weight (57.65%)”
e1“compared with not applying SWEs”
Claim · model-written summary
Seaweed extracts increased tomato fresh root weight by 57.65%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- SWEse0
- Outcome
- fresh root weighte0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 57.65%e0
- Comparator
- not applying SWEse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“applying SWEs can significantly increase plant height (55.31%) and fresh root weight (57.65%)”
e1“compared with not applying SWEs”
Claim · model-written summary
At 2%–10%, seaweed extracts produced peak tomato floral initiation, 56.32%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 2%–10%e0
- Outcome
- floral initiatione0
- Direction
- peakede0
- Value
- 56.32%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“floral initiation and fruit number per plant peaked at 2%–10% (56.32% and 83.34%, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
At 2%–10%, seaweed extracts produced peak tomato fruit number per plant, 83.34%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 2%–10%e0
- Outcome
- fruit number per plante0
- Direction
- peakede0
- Value
- 83.34%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“floral initiation and fruit number per plant peaked at 2%–10% (56.32% and 83.34%, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
At 10%–100%, seaweed extracts maximized tomato yield per plant by 55.9%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“higher concentrations (10%–100%) maximized yield (55.9%) per plant and single-fruit fresh weight (104.04%)”
Claim · model-written summary
At 10%–100%, seaweed extracts maximized tomato single-fruit fresh weight by 104.04%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 10%–100%e0
- Outcome
- single-fruit fresh weighte0
- Direction
- maximizede0
- Value
- 104.04%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“higher concentrations (10%–100%) maximized yield (55.9%) per plant and single-fruit fresh weight (104.04%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Suboptimal 0%–0.5% seaweed extract concentrations adversely affected tomato yield.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 0%–0.5%e0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- adversely affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“suboptimal concentrations (0%–0.5%) adversely affected yield”
Claim · model-written summary
At 2%–10%, seaweed extracts increased tomato fruit size and nutritional composition by 81.92% to 125.57%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 2%–10%e0
- Outcome
- size and nutritional compositione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 81.92% to 125.57%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“Fruit quality attributes, including size and nutritional composition, were most substantially increased from 81.92% to 125.57% under 2%–10% SWEs”
Claim · model-written summary
Seaweed extracts increased tomato lycopene by +88% compared with untreated controls.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- SWEse1
- Outcome
- lycopenee0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- +88%e0
- Comparator
- untreated controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“lycopene (+88%), vitamin C (+83%), and soluble sugars (+111%) increasing compared to untreated controls”
e1“applying SWEs can significantly increase plant height (55.31%) and fresh root weight (57.65%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Seaweed extracts increased tomato vitamin C by +83% compared with untreated controls.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- SWEse1
- Outcome
- vitamin Ce0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- +83%e0
- Comparator
- untreated controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“lycopene (+88%), vitamin C (+83%), and soluble sugars (+111%) increasing compared to untreated controls”
e1“applying SWEs can significantly increase plant height (55.31%) and fresh root weight (57.65%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Seaweed extracts increased tomato soluble sugars by +111% compared with untreated controls.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- SWEse1
- Outcome
- soluble sugarse0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- +111%e0
- Comparator
- untreated controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“lycopene (+88%), vitamin C (+83%), and soluble sugars (+111%) increasing compared to untreated controls”
e1“applying SWEs can significantly increase plant height (55.31%) and fresh root weight (57.65%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Seaweed extract application was associated with 38.8%–120.7% greater antioxidant enzyme activities in tomato.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- SWEs applicatione0
- Outcome
- activities of key antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, PAL, PPO)e0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 38.8%–120.7%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“SWEs application is associated with the increasing activities of key antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, PAL, PPO) by 38.8%–120.7%”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that 2% to 10% seaweed extracts best balance tomato growth, yield, quality and physiological adaptability.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 2% to 10%e0
- Outcome
- balanced effects in promoting tomato growth, increasing yield, ensuring quality, and enhancing physiological adaptabilitye1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e0“most significant positive effects are observed in the concentration range of 2% to 10%”
e1“balanced effects in promoting tomato growth, increasing yield, ensuring quality, and enhancing physiological adaptability”
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