NOSH Platform: Agrochemical applications
Adressing abiotic stresses in plants
Climate change and low agricultural productivity
With the growing world population and accelerating climate change, low agricultural productivity is going to become an increasing important issue. While biotic stresses such as fungi are well contained, abiotic stresses that include drought, salinity, and heat, that are exacerbated by climate change, are key elements limiting agricultural productivity worldwide.
Plants respond to abiotic stress through priming, which improves defense responses however, there is a need for new, more effective priming agents to better to prepare plants for exposure to abiotic stress factors.
Application of the NOSH-Platform
Nitric oxide, Hydrogen Sulfide and Priming
The process of priming involves prior exposure to a biotic or abiotic stress factor making a plant more resistant to future exposure. Priming can also be achieved by applying natural or synthetic compounds which act as signaling transducers, ‘activating’ the plant’s defense system. Although the phenomenon has been known for many years, it has only recently been suggested that priming can enhance the tolerance of crops to environmental stresses in the field.
There is a need for new priming agents that work better to prepare plants for exposure to abiotic stress factors. There is also a need for new cost-effective means of promoting plant growth from the time of seeding throughout the maturity of a plant.
Nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide are potent plant signaling molecules. In a collaboration with Cyprus University, the NO and H2S donor, NBS-1120 was investigated as a potential priming agent. Preliminary results are shown below. Similar results were obtained for maize and other common crops. The applications are ready for field testing.
There is a need for new priming agents that work better to prepare plants for exposure to abiotic stress factors. There is also a need for new cost-effective means of promoting plant growth from the time of seeding throughout the maturity of a plant.
Nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide are potent plant signaling molecules. In a collaboration with Cyprus University, the NO and H2S donor, NBS-1120 was investigated as a potential priming agent. Preliminary results are shown below. Similar results were obtained for maize and other common crops. The applications are ready for field testing.
Arabidopsis Thaliana Seedlings Under Stress with NBS-1120
In vitro grown Arabidopsis Thaliana seedlings treated with NBS-1120 demonstrated increased greening, suggesting higher levels of photosynthetic pigments, and significantly increased leaf area.
Alfalfa Plants Under Stress with NBS-1120
Alfalfa plants pre-treated with either NO and H2S donors (right), NBS-1120 (left) vs control (center) and subjected to three cycles of drought. Plants treated with NBS-1120 demonstrated significantly lower physiological and cellular damage levels under drought conditions compared to the other groups.