Use of An Animal-Derived Biostimulant for Alleviating the Effects of Drought Stress on Sugar Beet

Abstract

This study focused on mitigating effects of an animal-derived biostimulant on sugar beet plantlets subjected to drought stress. The experiment was performed at the Seed Science and Technology Laboratory of the Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, in 2024. It was established by the randomized plot 2×5 factorial experimental design (ANOVA) with four replications. The sugar beet cultivar Mohican was sprayed by an animal-derived biostimulant (Andolamin®) containing 11% amino acids. Different levels of the biostimulant (control, 12.5, 25, 50, and 75 mL/L) were treated twice at 2-day intervals. Morphological and physiological measurements were made at 7 days after the first application on sugar beet plants grown under two irrigation regimes (water deficit (WD) 50% of field capacity and well-watered (WW) 80% of field capacity). The findings showed that drought had a hazardous impact on sugar beet’s number of leaves (NL), fresh (LFW) and leaf dry weight (LDW), relative water content (RWC), and leaf area (LA). Leaf surface temperature (LST), chlorophyll content (Chl), and electrolyte leakage (EL) were higher in plants under water deficit. Foliar biostimulant application mitigated the effect of drought stress on seedlings through improving LFW, LDW, Chl, EL, and LA. On the other hand, biostimulant treatment had no significant effects on NL, and RWC in seedlings exposed to drought stress. It was concluded that animal-derived biostimulant application may be used for alleviating the harmful effects of drought stress and may stimulate the growth of sugar beet seedlings.

Keywords

• Beta vulgaris L
• Drought stress
• Tolerance
• Biostimulant

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