Christophe El-Nakhel

University of Naples Federico II | UNINA · Department of Agriculture

Among the most valuable horticultural produce, tomato is cultivated for both fresh consumption and processing purposes. Therefore, good agricultural practices secure better production and income for farmers such as the adoption of biostimulant application throughout the growing cycle. The presence of different biostimulants in the market urge its t...

BACKGROUND Protein hydrolysates (PHs) can enhance plant nitrogen nutrition and improve the quality of vegetables, depending on their bioactive compounds. A tomato greenhouse experiment was conducted under both optimal (14 mM) and suboptimal (2 mM) nitrogen (N‐NO3) conditions. Tomatoes were treated with a new Malvaceae‐derived PH (MDPH) and its mole...

The application of protein hydrolysates (PH) biostimulants is considered a promising approach to promote crop growth and resilience against abiotic stresses. Nevertheless, PHs bioactivity depends on both the raw material used for their preparation and the molecular fraction applied. The present research aimed at investigating the molecular mechanis...

Plant biostimulants are widely applied in agriculture for their ability to improve plant fitness. In the present work, the impact of Graminaceae-derived protein hydrolysate (P) and its lighter molecular fraction F3 (< 1 kDa) on lettuce plants, subjected to either no salt or high salt conditions, was investigated through the combination of metabolom...

BACKGROUND Microgreens constitute dietary sources of bioactive compounds imparting numerous health benefits and enhancing sensory experience. They can be successfully cultivated in soilless systems where biostimulants can be easily integrated as seed‐priming and post‐germination agents improving the sustainability of a crop's final production. Comp...

Interest in the sustainability of intensive agroecological systems has triggered a growing appeal to the world of biostimulants. However, the interaction of biostimulants with microgreens has not yet been investigated in detail. In our experiment, three different priming treatments (hydropriming, hereafter referred to as Water; commercial protein h...

Long-term space missions will require a self-sustaining food production system to meet the crew’s nutritional and health needs. For this purpose, plant-based food production systems with elevated resource efficiency are required, based on advanced agricultural technologies that produce phytonutrient-rich crops. In addition to the resource requireme...

In addition to be used as a plant protection agent, copper (Cu) is also an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development. The bioavailability of Cu in agricultural systems can be limited due to its specific physical–chemical characteristics, leading to imbalances in plant production. To address this issue, an experimental trial was condu...

Soil secondary salinity due to irrigation is a condition that frequently occurs in Mediterranean areas, and negatively affects crop growth and yield. Biostimulants are proven to alleviate the detrimental effect of salinity on plant growth and production. Four increasing saline concentration levels of water irrigation reaching 6.0 dS m-1 (Electrical...

Introduction Long-duration missions in outer Space will require technologies to regenerate environmental resources such as air and water and to produce food while recycling consumables and waste. Plants are considered the most promising biological regenerators to accomplish these functions, due to their complementary relationship with humans. Plant...

EFFETTI DELL’OMBREGGIAMENTO SULLA RESA, MORFOLOGIA E FISIOLOGIA DI QUATTRO TIPOLOGIE DI LATTUGA COLTIVATE IN AMBIENTE MEDITERRANO

The success of Space missions and the efficacy of colonizing extraterrestrial environments depends on ensuring adequate nutrition for astronauts and autonomy from terrestrial resources. A balanced diet incorporating premium quality fresh foods, such as microgreens, is essential to the mental and physical well-being of mission crews. To improve the...

The World Health Organization has identified iodine deficiency as one of the nutritional problems that affect more than a third of the world’s population. About 60% of the world’s population suffers from ‘hidden hunger’ with subtle and nonspecific health effects, regardless of social and economic status. The agronomic biofortification of leafy vege...

The modulation of plant secondary metabolism by the manipulation of nutrient solution (NS) electrical conductivity and biostimulant application has the potential to increase crop growth and the content of bioactive compounds, thus ameliorating the qualitative attributes of vegetables. A Graminaceae-derived protein hydroly-sate (pH) and its molecula...

Nowadays, biostimulant application is a sustainable practice with which to reduce inputs while maintaining crop yield and quality. Furthermore, the successive harvesting technique is also adopted to increase overall yield and reduce production costs in leafy vegetables. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was performed to compare four different bios...

Biostimulants are sustainable inputs that can be used to reduce chemical fertilizers dependency while reinforcing nutrient uptake, yield and quality of crops, and modulate plant metabolic processes. Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are prominent biostimulants that guarantee a reduction in yield loss under sub-optimal nitrogen (N) conditions. On these bas...

The nutrient and nutraceutical quality of greenhouse wild rocket is strongly influenced by the light environment and nitrogen fertilization. We investigated the effects of two cover materials, a diffuse light film (Film1) and a traditional clear film (Film2), and three nitrogen regimes, no N supply (N0) and sub-optimal (N1) and optimal (N2) doses,...

Salinity in water and soil is a critical issue for food production. Using biostimulants provides an effective strategy to protect crops from salinity-derived yield losses. The research supports the effectiveness of protein hydrolysate (PH) biostimulants based on their source material. A greenhouse experiment was performed on lettuce plants under co...

The availability of irrigation water of good quality is decreasing due to soil salinization and the deterioration of aquifers. Moreover, ongoing climate change severely affects crop production and necessitates the intensification of cropping systems in order to ensure food security at a global scale. For this purpose, the aim of the present study w...

Basil (Ocimum sp.) is one of the world's most famous culinary fresh herbs, characterized by rapid growth that makes it particularly suitable for hydroponic cultivation. This study aimed to evaluate the adaptability of six types of basil to a closed-loop hydroponic system (floating raft system) and their post-harvest performance. Twenty-three days a...

Bitter Melon Novel Bioformulation "Thar Jaivik 41 EC": Characterization and Bio-Efficacy Assessment as a Biopesticide on Horticulture Crops. Abstract: Citrullus colocynthis L. is a wild watermelon, commonly named bitter melon or bitter apple, that naturally grows in arid regions of India among other hot arid areas of the world. Its non-edible fruit...

Protein hydrolysate biostimulants are environmentally friendly options for the reduction of nitrogen input, but their plant growth-promoting mechanisms are still not completely unveiled. Here, to put the "signaling peptide theory" to the test, a greenhouse experiment was undertaken using low (1 mM) and optimal (8 mM) NO3-treated butterhead lettuce...

Over the years, the use of biostimulants has become increasingly widespread due to their proven efficiency in improving plant productivity and quality of fruits and mitigating the effects related to environmental stress. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of three biostimulants on oil yield, production of drupes per plant, and...

Microgreens represent a new generation of food products, commonly used to garnish and embellish culinary dishes, and recently associated with an increasing interest in their nutraceutical and phytochemical profiles. Four Apiaceae species: Pimpinella anisum L. (anise), Anthriscus cerefolium L. (chervil), Carum carvi L. (caraway), and Anethum graveol...

Irrigated agricultural lands are prone to salinity problems which may imperil horticultural crops by reducing growth, yield and even qualitative traits. Eco-friendly approaches such as biostimulant application and in particular protein hydrolysates from vegetal origin are implemented to mitigate salinity stress effects on crops. For this reason, a...

Supplementary lighting of specific wavelengths can be used for inducing morphological and physiological responses in different crops, ultimately improving yield and quality. Based on this approach, new greenhouse covering materials are being developed in order to improve the use of sunlight in horticulture. These new-generation greenhouse coverings...

A promising strategy for sustainably increasing the quality and yield of horticultural products is the use of natural plant biostimulants. In this work, through a greenhouse experiment, we evaluated the effect of a legume-derived biostimulant at three dose treatments (0.0 control, 2.5 mL L􀀀1, and 5.0 mL L􀀀1) on the yield performance, nutrients trai...

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a multi-functional crop cultivated for fiber, seeds, or phytochemical extraction. Once a major industrial crop in several agro-environments, its cultivation strongly declined in developed countries since World War II. Exploiting hemp vegetative tissue as innovative food has remained largely unexplored. The current work...

Plant factories and high-tech greenhouses offer the opportunity to modulate plant growth, morphology and qualitative content through the management of artificial light (intensity, photoperiod and spectrum). In this study, three Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting systems, with blue (B, 460 nm), red (R, 650 nm) and mixed red + green-yellow + blue (R...

The use of biostimulants in modern agriculture has rapidly expanded in recent years, owing to their beneficial effects on crop yield and product quality, which have come under the scope of intensive research. Accordingly, in the present study we appraised the efficacy of two plant-derived biostimulants, the legume-derived protein hydrolysates Train...

Plants, including vegetables are a well-known source of health-promoting phytochemicals (plant secondary metabolites) that take part in several physiological processes and play a major role in plant defense and adaptation, in particular plant–environment interactions [...]

Hydroponics is a viable alternative to open field cultivation for year-round vegetable production in urban areas. However, the total dependence on external chemical inputs (fertilizers) makes these systems often less environmentally sustainable. In this perspective, the use of biostim-ulants could represent a valuable and eco-friendly tool to limit...

https://www.biostimulant.com/blog-29-biostimulants-research-global-trends-in-2021

The quantity and quality of wall rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia L.) production are strongly influenced by the cultivation system, in particular the protected environment conditions and nitrogen fertilization. In the present research, we tested two greenhouse cover films (Film1: diffuse light; Film2: clear), to verify the effects on yield and nitrate...

The negative impacts of extreme heat and drought on olive plants have driven the quest for mitigation approaches based on the use of biostimulants, which have proved to be effective in contrasting environmental stresses. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of six biostimulants in mitigating high temperature and water stress in yo...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most consumed vegetables worldwide due to its low caloric intake and high fiber, minerals, and phenolic compounds, making it a high-quality functional food. However, fruit quality attributes can be affected by pre-harvest factors, especially environmental stresses. This research aimed to evaluate the i...

Barley is the primary matrix for malting process of beer production. Farmers count on increasing cultivation inputs, especially nitrogen fertilization, in order to reach a higher yield. Nevertheless, an overuse of nitrogen, besides causing environmental damages, can determine a deterioration of quality traits of malting barley, in particular an inc...

Nitrate is the principal source of nitrogen for most higher plants. Particularly leafy vegetables require large quantities of nitrate fertilizer to attain maximal yields. The crop yield and quality as well as nitrate accumulation in leafy vegetables depends upon many preharvest factors such as genetic materials, agronomical and environmental factor...

Various products are used to mitigate the negative effects of abiotic stress in olive trees. The aim of the research was to examine an anti-transpirant product (Vapor Gard®, V) and a kaolinbased product (Manisol, K) effect on the growth of two-year-old olive tree seedlings under high temperature. The study was conducted in a greenhouse on trees of...

Microgreens are the new sophisticated commodity in horticulture that boost the human diet with bioactive metabolites and garnish it with colors and tastes. Microgreens thrive well when cultivated in soilless systems, of which closed-loop soilless systems combined with biostimulant application can provide a sustainable, innovative method of growing...

Plant biostimulant mineral composition nursery Solanaceae seedlings quality SPAD index A B S T R A C T The urgent need to increase sustainable crop production has pushed the agricultural sector towards methods based on natural products such as biostimulants. The nursery industry holds strategic importance for modern horticulture because only "high...

Microgreens appeared in the human diet as a decoration of culinary dishes, due to their shape, tenderness and vivid colours. They are currently attracting researchers' attention for their nutraceutical properties. In fact, they were found to be packed with vitamin C, carotenoids and minerals. The genetic aspect is one the most important preharvest...

Secondary metabolites (e.g., flavonoids, anthocyanins, polyphenols) are an innate defense against stress, as all plants can synthesize them. In some species, stress response is enhanced by previous mild or short-term stresses, during which the plant channels its energy towards the synthesis of secondary molecules, to the detriment of growth or othe...

Secondary metabolites (e.g., flavonoids, anthocyanins, polyphenols) are an innate defense against stress, as all plants can synthesize them. In some species, stress response is enhanced by previous mild or short-term stresses, during which the plant channels its energy towards the synthesis of secondary molecules, to the detriment of growth or othe...

Promising strategies that could aid a shift from N-intensive agriculture to an eco-friendlier approach include the integrated use of plant-based biostimulants. To date, results about the accumulation of nitrate in green leafy vegetables due to biostimulant application are conflicting. Therefore, the current study aimed at assessing the effect of a...

Climate change is a pressing matter of anthropogenic nature to which agriculture contributes by abusing production inputs such as inorganic fertilizers and fertigation water, thus degrading land and water sources. Moreover, as the increase in the demand of food in 2050 is estimated to be 25 to 70% more than what is currently produced today, a susta...

Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) offer largely unexplored opportunities for providing nutritious plant food, while making agro-ecosystems more diverse and resilient to climate change. The aim of this work was to explore the potential of two typical Mediterranean underutilized species, purslane and borage, as novel vegetable product (microg...

Hydroponics growing systems often contain excessive nutrients (especially nitrates), which could lead to a quality loss in ready-to-eat leafy vegetables and posing a health risk to consumers, if managed inadequately. A floating raft system was adopted to assay the production and quality performance of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv ‘Maravilla De Ver...

: Light and nitrogen strongly affect the growth, yield, and quality of food crops, with greater importance in green leafy vegetables for their tendency to accumulate nitrate in leaves. The purpose of this research was to explore the effect of two greenhouse films (Film A and B) on yield, and quality of spinach grown under different nitrogen regimes...

: Increasing attention is being given to the development of innovative formulations to substitute the use of synthetic chemicals to improve agricultural production and resource use efficiency.Alternatives can include biological products containing beneficial microorganisms and bioactive metabolites able to inhibit plant pathogens, induce systemic r...

Microgreens are receiving increasing popularity as functional and healthy foods due to their nutritional value and high content of bioactive compounds. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of nutrient deprivation through the regulation of nutrient solution (NS) feeding days on the plant growth and chemical composition of spinach...

Recovery of nutrients from source-separated urine can truncate our dependency on synthetic fertilizers, contributing to more sustainable food production. Urine-derived fertilizers have been successfully applied in soilless cultures. However, little is known about the adaptation of the plant to the nutrient environment. This study investigated the i...

Plant biostimulants are “green” solutions to improve crop production. Trichoderma spp. and phosphites, ordinarily used as biocontrol agents, can trigger phytostimulation, also promoting endogenous mechanisms involved in plant growth and development. The present study aimed at assessing the efficacy of a phosphite-based formulation (Phosphit-One) an...

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leafy vegetable cultivated widely for its fast and year-round production and its beneficial phytochemical content, which may be boosted further by plant biostimulants that are considered eco-sustainable means for enhancing horticultural crop production. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate the yield...

While imparting gastronomic novelty and sensory delight, microgreens also constitute rudimentary leafy greens packed with nutrients and phytochemicals. As such, they comprise an upcoming class of functional foods. However, apart from bioactive secondary metabolites, microgreens also accumulate antinutritive agents such as nitrate, especially under...

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a winter-spring leafy vegetable, but the high demand for fresh products available year-round requires off-season production. However, the warm climate of the Mediterranean areas can impair the summer production of lettuce, thus requiring the adoption of genotypes tolerant to high irradiance as well as useful agronomic...

The management of mineral elements in agriculture is important for their nutritional role for plants and dietary value for humans, sparking interest in strategies that can increase mineral use efficiency and accumulation in plant food. In this work, we evaluated the effects of the isosmotic variations of the concentration on three macrocations (K,...

The growing interest in healthy foods has driven the agricultural sector towards eco-friendly implementation to manage biotic and abiotic factors in protected environments. In this perspective, anti-insect nets are an effective tool for controlling harmful insect populations concomitantly with reducing chemicals’ interference. However, the low poro...

Abstract: Microgreens constitute novel gastronomic ingredients that combine visual, kinesthetic and bioactive qualities. The definition of the optimal developmental stage for harvesting micro-greens remains fluid. Their superior phytochemical content against mature leaves underpins the current hypothesis of significant changes in compositional prof...

Parsley is an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region and treasured for its phytochemical profile and bioactive properties. Developmental stage at harvest is a factor that modulates the nutritional quality of vegetables, including young greens. Accordingly, an experiment under strictly controlled conditions was carried out to compare the m...

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an economically important leafy vegetable especially in Mediterranean countries. In Italian gastronomy, the large elliptical leaves of the Genovese type are mostly used for the well-known pesto sauce, and almost all (>90%) professional production is for the food industry. The growing demand for fresh leaves with...

Reinforcing and optimizing sustainable food production is an urgent contemporary issue. The depletion of natural mineral resources is a key problem that is addressed by recycling mined potassium and phosphorus, and nitrogen, whose production depends on very high energy input. A closed-loop approach of fertilizer use asserts the necessity for effici...

The Annurca apple is a typical fruit from Southern Italy that is notable for its high firmness and characteristic flavor, and presents positive effects on human health. The aim of the present study was to improve the agronomic characteristics of Annurca trees and the quality of their fruits by the use of plant biostimulants. We performed the study...

Highlights - The effects of three plant-based biostimulants on yield and quality of processing tomato was explored. - Application of protein hydrolysates and seaweed extract improve marketable yield. - The biostimulants had different effect on nutritional and functional quality of tomato. - Hydrophilic antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content...

Human iodine (I) shortage disorders are documented as an imperative world-wide health issue for a great number of people. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends I consumption through ingestion of seafood and biofortified food such as vegetables. The current work was carried out to appraise the effects of different I concentrations (0, 50, 2...

In the Italian culinary tradition, young and tender leaves of Genovese basil (Ocimum ba-silicum L.) are used to prepare pesto sauce, a tasty condiment that attracts the interest of the food processing industry. Like other leafy or aromatic vegetables, basil is harvested more than once during the crop cycle to maximize yield. However, the mechanical...

Brassica microgreens are a fresh microscale vegetable crop of high antioxidant value and naturally dense in nutrients without the intervention of biofortification or genetic engineering. A climate chamber experiment on peat-based substrate was set up to test microgreens growth and accumulation of secondary metabolites in response to nutrient supple...