Study of the efficacy of innovative biostimulants derived from microalgae to combat the adverse effects of climate change in tomato and wheat

Type Grupo operativo
Status Filled
Execution 2021 -2023
Assigned Budget 543.365,14 €
Scope Supraautonómico
Autonomous community Andalucía; Madrid, Comunidad de; Murcia, Región de
Main source of financing PEPAC 2014-2020
Project website https://microclimatt.es/

Description

MICROCLIMATT aims to test the efficacy of microalgae biostimulants, through demonstrative trials (phenotypic, physiological and transcriptomic), in the fight against the effects of climate change on wheat and tomato.

Objectives

Development of microalgae derivatives with biostimulant activity on plant crops.
Evaluation of the effects of microalgae derivatives on gene expression using transcriptomic techniques.
Verification of the effectiveness of derivatives to improve drought resistance in tomato and wheat crops.
Evaluation of effects on productivity and CO2 fixation by plant biomass, resulting from the treatment of crops with microalgae derivatives.
Greenhouse and field verification of the influence of two microalgae-derived biostimulants on the health of the soil that supports tomato and wheat crops.

Results

Industrial-scale development of biostimulants BIO-1 and BIO-2 from microalgae cultures.
Rapid and sustained overexpression of hundreds of genes related to the response to phytohormones, activating the adaptation of the plant to different abiotic stresses (temperature, drought, salinity, osmotic pressure). Clear superiority of the treated plants to recover from the effects of water stress.
Increase in grain productivity in wheat crops in plots treated with BIO-1, representing more than 0.5 ton/ha of extra CO2 fixed.
In greenhouse tomato crops, the extra CO2 fixation induced by the biostimulant reaches values of more than 1.2 ton/ha of extra fixed CO2.
In wheat crops, the positive impact of BIO-1 on the quality, functionality and sustainability of the soils they support is verified, favoring the mobility of important nutrients and increasing the structural biodiversity of the microbiota.
In tomato crops, no similar response behaviour to BIO-1 has been observed.

Contact information

gm@algaenergy.com

Coordinators