Cyanobacteria and microalgae biostimulants for enhanced plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance

Overview

This solution leverages cyanobacteria and microalgae as a promising source for developing new agricultural biostimulants. These microorganisms produce a variety of biologically active molecules, including amino acids, cytokinins, betaines, and gibberellins, which can positively influence plant growth, nutrient use efficiency, crop yield, and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. By reducing dependency on synthetic fertilizers, this approach supports sustainable agriculture while enabling higher production from the same cultivated area.

The offering is grounded in demonstrated results showing that seed priming with culture filtrates from selected strains increased chlorophyll content in leaves, enhancing photosynthetic activity and carbohydrate accumulation in shoots. Beyond chlorophyll stimulation, the biostimulant effects are attributed to improved nutrient use efficiency and protective activity that reduces chlorophyll degradation and delays plant senescence.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• A university-held collection of more than 100 native cyanobacteria and microalgae strains available for prospecting and characterization
• Production of culture filtrates containing bioactive molecules effective at low doses on plants
• Controlled cultivation conditions enabling biomass with consistent chemical and functional characteristics
• Seed priming protocols validated with C. muscicola and A. oryzae strains showing increased chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity, and carbohydrate content in shoots
• Extracts containing phytohormones (cytokinins, betaines, gibberellins) and amino acids that stimulate nitrogen metabolism efficiency and chlorophyll synthesis while inhibiting chlorophyllase activity
• Capability to develop tailored products for different plant species and growing conditions

Mechanism of action:

The bioactive molecules in cyanobacterial and microalgae extracts work through multiple pathways: amino acids stimulate nitrogen metabolism and chlorophyll synthesis, while phytohormones reduce chlorophyll degradation by inhibiting chlorophyllase activity. Together, these effects contribute to enhanced nutrient use efficiency and delayed plant senescence, particularly under abiotic stress conditions.

Technology readiness level

The technology has been validated through seed priming experiments demonstrating measurable increases in chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity, and carbohydrate accumulation in treated plants. While evidence is accumulating on the positive plant responses to these extracts, characterization of the specific elicitor molecules and their precise mechanisms of action remains an active area of research. The next phase involves systematic prospecting and characterization of the existing strain collection to identify the most effective bioactive molecules and develop reliable, tailored biostimulant products for specific crops and stress conditions. This positions the technology at an advanced research and early development stage, ready for collaborative refinement and field validation.