Abstract
Introduction Potatoes are one of the world’s most important agricultural crops, with potential for making a major contribution to global food security. This study shows how a biostimulant derived from a plant extract can improve potato crop yield and global food supply. Successful potato production currently requires significant levels of inputs including fertiliser, pesticides and irrigation, however non-microbial plant biostimulants or mixtures of biostimulants with synergistic actions, have the capacity to reduce inputs and improve the sustainability of intensive agriculture. Methods A complex biostimulant containing a number of flavonoids including protocatechuic acid, quercetin, chlorogenic acid, coumaroyl quinic acid and gentistic acid was tested against three potato varieties for its efficacy in improving plant growth characteristics and tuber production in controlled and field environments. Results In containers, complex biostimulant treatment enhanced photosynthetic ability, with elevated levels of chlorophyll, higher specific leaf areas and significantly larger leaf assimilation areas. Treatment also significantly increased tuber yield by an average of 33% in tuber weight across three potato varieties and shifted tuber production toward larger sized tubers. The biostimulant derived from flavonoids was also assessed in 6 commercial potato crops and consistently increased total yield (average 5.2%) and marketable yield, representing an increase in margins of UK£700 per hectare across the 6 crops. Similar increases in yield were seen when comparing chitted and unchitted seed potatoes and both types of seed responded positively to biostimulant application. Biostimulant treatment had no significant effects on tuber specific gravity, dry matter percentage and starch content, except at one location where these quality characteristics were higher in the control plants. Conclusion The flavonoid based complex biostimulant produced significant effects on potato yield and quality in both container experiments and in field trials indicating its potential for contributing to sustainable potato production.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
The complex biostimulant increased potato tuber yield by an average of 33% in tuber weight across three varieties.
- Taxon
- potato
Solanum tuberosumt0 - Organ / stage
- tubere2
- Treatment
- complex biostimulante1
- Outcome
- tuber yielde2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 33%e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e1“In containers, complex biostimulant treatment enhanced photosynthetic ability, with elevated levels of chlorophyll, higher specific leaf areas and significantly larger leaf assimilation areas”
e2“Treatment also significantly increased tuber yield by an average of 33% in tuber weight across three potato varieties”
Claim · model-written summary
The complex biostimulant shifted tuber production toward larger sized tubers.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Organ / stage
- tuberse3
- Treatment
- complex biostimulante1
- Outcome
- tuber productione3
- Direction
- toward larger sized tuberse3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e1“In containers, complex biostimulant treatment enhanced photosynthetic ability, with elevated levels of chlorophyll, higher specific leaf areas and significantly larger leaf assimilation areas”
e3“shifted tuber production toward larger sized tubers”
Claim · model-written summary
The complex biostimulant enhanced photosynthetic ability of potato plants grown in containers.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- complex biostimulante1
- Outcome
- photosynthetic abilitye1
- Direction
- enhancede1
- Setting
- In containerse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e1“In containers, complex biostimulant treatment enhanced photosynthetic ability, with elevated levels of chlorophyll, higher specific leaf areas and significantly larger leaf assimilation areas”
Claim · model-written summary
The complex biostimulant elevated chlorophyll levels in potato plants grown in containers.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- complex biostimulante1
- Outcome
- levels of chlorophylle1
- Direction
- elevatede1
- Setting
- In containerse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e1“In containers, complex biostimulant treatment enhanced photosynthetic ability, with elevated levels of chlorophyll, higher specific leaf areas and significantly larger leaf assimilation areas”
Claim · model-written summary
The complex biostimulant increased specific leaf area of potato plants grown in containers.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- complex biostimulante1
- Outcome
- specific leaf arease1
- Direction
- highere1
- Setting
- In containerse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e1“In containers, complex biostimulant treatment enhanced photosynthetic ability, with elevated levels of chlorophyll, higher specific leaf areas and significantly larger leaf assimilation areas”
Claim · model-written summary
The complex biostimulant significantly increased leaf assimilation area of potato plants grown in containers.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- complex biostimulante1
- Outcome
- leaf assimilation arease1
- Direction
- largere1
- Setting
- In containerse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e1“In containers, complex biostimulant treatment enhanced photosynthetic ability, with elevated levels of chlorophyll, higher specific leaf areas and significantly larger leaf assimilation areas”
Claim · model-written summary
The flavonoid biostimulant increased total yield of potato by an average of 5.2% across six commercial crops.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- biostimulant derived from flavonoidse5
- Outcome
- total yielde5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Value
- 5.2%e5
- Setting
- 6 commercial potato cropse5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e5“The biostimulant derived from flavonoids was also assessed in 6 commercial potato crops and consistently increased total yield (average 5.2%) and marketable yield, representing an increase in margins of UK£700 per hectare across the 6 crops”
Claim · model-written summary
The flavonoid biostimulant increased marketable yield of potato across six commercial crops.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- biostimulant derived from flavonoidse5
- Outcome
- marketable yielde5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Setting
- 6 commercial potato cropse5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e5“The biostimulant derived from flavonoids was also assessed in 6 commercial potato crops and consistently increased total yield (average 5.2%) and marketable yield, representing an increase in margins of UK£700 per hectare across the 6 crops”
Claim · model-written summary
The flavonoid biostimulant increased farm margins by UK£700 per hectare across six potato crops.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- biostimulant derived from flavonoidse5
- Outcome
- marginse5
- Direction
- increasee5
- Value
- UK£700 per hectaree5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e5“The biostimulant derived from flavonoids was also assessed in 6 commercial potato crops and consistently increased total yield (average 5.2%) and marketable yield, representing an increase in margins of UK£700 per hectare across the 6 crops”
Claim · model-written summary
The biostimulant increased yield of chitted and unchitted seed potatoes alike.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Material
- chitted and unchitted seed potatoese6
- Treatment
- biostimulant applicatione6
- Outcome
- yielde6
- Direction
- increasese6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e6“Similar increases in yield were seen when comparing chitted and unchitted seed potatoes and both types of seed responded positively to biostimulant application”
Claim · model-written summary
The biostimulant had no significant effect on tuber specific gravity, dry matter percentage and starch content.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- Biostimulant treatmente5
- Outcome
- tuber specific gravity, dry matter percentage and starch contente5
- Direction
- no significant effectse5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e5“Biostimulant treatment had no significant effects on tuber specific gravity, dry matter percentage and starch content, except at one location where these quality characteristics were higher in the control plants”
Claim · model-written summary
At one location, quality characteristics were higher in control plants than in biostimulant-treated plants.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- Biostimulant treatmente5
- Outcome
- quality characteristicse5
- Direction
- highere5
- Comparator
- control plantse5
- Setting
- one locatione5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“enhances potato growth and commercial yields”
e5“Biostimulant treatment had no significant effects on tuber specific gravity, dry matter percentage and starch content, except at one location where these quality characteristics were higher in the control plants”
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