DAY 1Tuesday, 2 December 2025

For those who did not collect their badge yesterday please come to the registration desk to register to the event.

In response to climate challenges and the need to reduce agricultural inputs, plant biostimulants are emerging as a promising solution to enhance plant growth and resilience. Among these, protein hydrolysates”derived from organic co-products stimulate a wide range of physiological processes. One such product, composed of 88% amino acids (82% of which are in free form), demonstrated a significant positive effect on the shoot growth of lettuce (Malécange et al., 2022). However, a reduction in root biomass following root washing raised questions about its mode of action.To investigate this, the experiment employed rhizoboxes a device particularly well-suited for the dynamic monitoring of root development. This system allows for both precise root sampling and detailed characterization of growth kinetics and root morphology under varying conditions. Coupled with a custom-built software developed specifically for this purpose, the setup enables automated and refined analysis of root and shoot traits. Compared to previously used commercial software, this tool offers enhanced performance, allowing for the quantification of key parameters such as root length, surface area, density, and shoot architecture.Using this integrated approach, the effects of the biostimulant were assessed under both optimal and water-stressed conditions. Continuous monitoring of root development, along with regular sampling, enabled comprehensive biochemical and molecular analyses of both leaves and roots. The findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of action of protein hydrolysates and reveal intricate interactions between the shoot and root systems. This contributes to a deeper understanding of the physiological processes triggered by the biostimulant.

Understanding how beneficial microbial inoculants influence native soil microbial communities is essential for developing effective and sustainable agricultural strategies. The temporal dynamics of the rhizosphere microbiome following inoculum application and its relation with crop production is still poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the impact of long-term application of a Streptomyces-based inoculant on rhizosphere microbial community in a tomato field trial and related it with plant growth promotion effect. Streptomyces spp. are recognized as regulators of microbial communities due to their metabolic diversity and ability to degrade complex organic matter. The inoculant was applied annually over three consecutive years. Rhizosphere soil samples were collected each year from treated and non-treated plots to analyze bacterial and fungal communities using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Also, tomato yield was assessed each year. Our results demonstrated a consistent increase in tomato yield in treated plots, with improvements of 15%, 23%, and 29% over three consecutive years. Metagenomic data indicated changes in microbial communities’ composition. To explore whether the variation in the results of tomato production was related with changes in the plant rhizosphere microbial community structure, modulated by the Streptomyces-based inoculant, we will present an integrative approach using diversity metrics, multivariate statistics, co-occurrence network and correlation analysis of the metagenomic data to infer key microbial taxa linked to crop yield traits. This study shed lights on the important relation between microbial inoculant application, soil microbiome modulation and crop performance over the years.

A new, multi-active biostimulant seed treatment (APH-1036; seaweed extract and an amino acid, carnitine) was evaluated for efficacy and mode of action on corn, wheat, and soybean in field and greenhouse studies to understand the contribution of each active ingredient to the effect of the biostimulant. In controlled environment (CE) studies, abiotic stress was applied after seeding and data was collected 6-7 days later. Field trials were placed in locations prone to abiotic stress or were artificially drought stressed. Seeds treated with APH-1036 showed significant increases in plant vigor, foliar and root mass. Statistical analysis also revealed synergy between the two active ingredients for growth and photosynthetic parameters. CE studies were conducted to assess changes in gene expression of germinated corn and soybean seeds treated with APH-1036 under drought stress. Control plants showed more wilting at the same time compared to treated plants. Treated plants had few differentially expressed (up and down regulated) genes prior to stress and an increase at the onset of stress, indicating priming. Gene clusters related to drought stress had higher expression in the control than in the treated plants. The combination of the two actives showed stronger effect on gene expression than either active alone, resulting in a change in the timing and pattern of gene expression.These results suggest that the novel biostimulant, with the combination of seaweed extract and an amino acid derivative works synergistically within the plant to reduce abiotic stress and activate genetic pathways that promote growth and metabolism under stress.

The circular bioeconomy promotes the valorization of waste through the integration of productive cycles (Pessôa et al., 2021). In this context, microalgae represent a promising biotechnological tool, enabling the reuse of nutrient-rich effluents for the production of biomass with agricultural applications. This study aimed to evaluate the growth of Chlorella fusca LEB 111 and Spirulina sp. LEB 18 cultivated in brewery effluent and assess the biostimulant potential of the resulting biomass on barley (Hordeum).

"Trichoderma, known for its biocontrol properties, can also promote plant growth through the release of phytohormones, small peptides, and bioactive metabolites in the rhizosphere (Fiorentino et al., 2018), providing many benefits for valuable crops such as basil, which plays a crucial role for both food and medicinal sectors.This study aimed to non-destructively measure the morpho-physiological traits of basil using a high-throughput phenotyping platform (digital biomass, 3D leaf area, plant height, NDVI, NPCI, PSRI), and monitor metabolic changes induced by Trichoderma atroviride AT10 application through comprehensive metabolomics analysis of leaves, compared to untreated plants.Trichoderma enhanced plant growth throughout the crop cycle, as shown by higher 3D leaf area, digital biomass, and plant height compared to untreated plants. NDVI did not show differences between treated and untreated plants; however, NPCI and PSRI indicated an improved health status in Trichoderma-treated plants, supported by higher chlorophyll content. Trichoderma boosted several metabolites contributing to the health and quality of basil plants. Elevated levels of carboxylic acids may have improved the plant's capacity to cope with stress, along with prenol lipids serving as key precursors of essential oils, improving flavour and antioxidant properties. Trichoderma also enhanced the levels of flavonoids and phenols, improving nutritional quality.Overall, Trichoderma strain AT10 application improved basil growth and health, enhancing both physiological traits and metabolic profiles of leaves, contributing to better nutritional quality and resilience, underscoring its potential as a valuable biostimulant for crop production."

High cadmium (Cd) levels in Peruvian cocoa present a major challenge for export, particularly to the European Union. Cadmium occurs naturally in Peruvian soils, and activities like mining and improper fertilizer use further contribute to soil contamination, leading to heavy metal uptake by crops. This study explores whether specific bacterial biostimulants can reduce cadmium absorption in cocoa trees. Various formulations, consisting of locally isolated Plant-Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains, were tested in situ on cocoa plantations of different ages (6 months, 4 years, and 11 years) in Capirona, Peru.

In this study, grapevine (Vitis vinifera) was used as a perennial model system to investigate its mode of action through a multiscale approach, combining ecophysiological analyses, high-throughput phenotyping, and transcriptomic profiling.The trials were carried out at the Plant Flow Solutions facilities, enabling the use of advanced phenotyping platforms, physiological analysis tools, and controlled environmental systems. This infrastructure allowed precise monitoring of plant responses under varying water regimes, different climates, and during key phenological stages. The biostimulant structural and functional modifications in leaf and stem tissues, supporting a dual adaptive response: improved water-use efficiency under irrigation and enhanced transpiration and photosynthesis under drought. These effects were driven by a reduction in water and osmotic potential, enabling anisohydric behavior under moderate stress while preserving stomatal function and photosynthetic capacity under severe conditions. Sustained carbon assimilation enabled rapid recovery upon rehydration and led to increased starch accumulation in shoot tissues, improving resilience.Molecular and biochemical analyses also revealed osmolyte accumulation and reprogramming of secondary metabolism prior to water stress, suggesting a robust primed protective response.This study showcases a biostimulant as an effective strategy to improve drought resilience in grapevine, and highlights the importance of integrated, multiscale approaches for understanding its mechanism of action and enabling its broader application in the field.

Assessing the efficacy of biostimulants under the FPR Regulation (EU 2019/1009): between regulatory requirements, field constraints and the importance of analytical timing.
The FPR Regulation (EU 2019/1009), which regulates biostimulants, imposes strict criteria for demonstrating efficacy linked to well-defined claims: improved nutrient use efficiency, increased tolerance to abiotic stress, and improved quality. While this regulatory approach aims to scientifically standardise proof of efficacy, it poses a major challenge in terms of experimentation under real conditions.
We present various situations aimed at documenting the effect of a product according to the desired claim. It can be difficult to identify suitable sites for each claim, to find conditions that allow the expression of an abiotic stress or a controlled deficiency in the field. This variability makes the application of FPR requirements complex in terms of real agronomic dynamics.
Another decisive parameter proved to be the timing of the analyses, particularly those measuring the effect on the availability or absorption of nutrients. Analyses carried out too early or too late can mask the benefits of the biostimulant, leading to an underestimation of the real effect.
We will discuss ways of improving the design of trial protocols, stressing the need for better coordination between regulations and agronomic realities.

Plant biostimulants are becoming more widely acknowledged as sustainable inputs that improve crop resilience to abiotic stress, nutrient-use efficiency, and yield. Their field-level performance, however, is quite context-dependent and calls for strict experimental and analytical frameworks. This review assesses both conventional and creative statistical designs for biostimulant trials, including randomised complete block and split-plot layouts, as well as multi-environment networks and augmented designs incorporating high-throughput phenotyping. While emphasising publication, language, and internal biases, meta-analyses of more than 1,000 field comparisons show an average yield increase of 17.9%. To measure these uncertainties and improve effect estimates, we suggest sensitivity analysis processes. Cross-site synthesis is deemed dependent on standardised metadata protocols, thorough multi-attribute indicators, and Before-After-Control-Impact strategies. Presented for clarifying complicated mode-of-action pathways and genotype-by-environment interactions are advanced techniques, such as network meta-analysis, combinatorial screening, omics-driven multivariate models, and big-data pipelines. At last, we stress decision-support tools and farmer-centric visual analytics that convert statistical results into practical insights. Researchers can offer repeatable proof to direct focused, affordable biostimulant deployment across several agro-ecological systems by combining strong design ideas with open data stewardship and contemporary analytics.

The inoculation of non-legumes with diazotrophic bacteria is a much-discussed approach to improve the nitrogen supply of plants (Soumare et al. 2020). Field trials to validate this technology often show limited or no impact (Camberato et al. 2023). In contrast, experiments under controlled conditions (climate chambers, greenhouses) indicate a positive effect of microbial biostimulants in terms of crop’s yield and quality (Silveira et al. 2016). One possible cause could be a natural spread of the bacteria, as control and treated field variants are usually very close one to another in standard exact tests. This assumption is based on repeated detections of diazotrophic endophytic bacteria in untreated control fields within a few weeks after application in field trials conducted in several European countries. To identify the potential dispersal pathways in crops, we developed a detection method with three specific molecular markers for Methylobacterium symbioticum, which is used as a biostimulant. Based on this test system, the following hypotheses on the natural spread of M. symbioticum in crop stands were tested: i. Spread via guttation drops ii. Propagation via sucking insects iii. Spread via raindrops As a further influencing factor on the result of field trials with microbial biostimulants, the plot application technique was examined. We were able to show that the application rate of microorganisms (CFU) in plot sprayers can fluctuate very strongly. A significant factor in this examination was the water used for the application. This suggests that the application technique plays a significant role in the success of colonization.