Editorial - Green Growth: Innovations in Plant Science for Biostimulant Applications

Giuseppe Mannino^1,2*Marino Bañón-Arnao³

• ¹University of Turin, Turin, Italy
• ²Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Turin, Italy
• ³Department of Plant Biology, Murcia, Spain

terms of the balance between plants, environment, and humans. 16This collection opens with a study by El Shamey et al., dedicated to the phytochemical complexity 17 of tomatoes. The article highlights how phytochemicals are not mere plant metabolites, but key 18 elements for nutritional quality and human health. Their regulation is the result of a delicate balance 19 between genetics, environment, and ripening, in which transcriptional factors, such as RIN, 20 orchestrate the accumulation of lycopene and other bioactive molecules. This perspective paves the 21 way for genetic biofortification strategies that, without compromising the naturalness of the fruit, aim 22 to amplify its functional value (Badiyal et al., 2024). The topic of phytochemical upgrading of food 23 is also found in the work of Gatti et al., which explores the effects of a biostimulant based on algae 24 and yeast extracts on the secondary metabolism of apricot trees. Here, the use of this biostimulant 25 demonstrates the possibility of improving the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds, enhancing not 26 only the nutritional profile but also the uniformity and synchronization of fruit ripening. 27The core section of the collection is driven by a common theme: how to balance plant productivity 28 with a reduction in environmental impact. In a global context where dependence on synthetic 29 fertilizers is increasingly unsustainable (Sabina et al., 2025), this topic open up concrete scenarios for 30 a transition to more circular agricultural systems, where nutritional management is based on enhanced 31 physiological mechanisms and not only on chemical inputs. For instance, the study by Xu et al. on 32Allium ramosum shows how the combined application of amino acid fertilizers and algae extracts can 33 profoundly alter the biochemical and aromatic profile of flowers, increasing their antioxidant capacity 34 and post-harvest quality. The effects observed by authors demonstrate the potential of growth 35 promoters to modulate plant physiology in a subtle and targeted manner. Similarly, Atero-Calvo et al. 36 explore the role of three amino acid-based biostimulants in lettuce, demonstrating how these products 37 can optimize nitrogen use efficiency and maintain productivity even under conditions of reduced 38 fertilization. In addition to immediate agronomic benefits, their findings suggest broader implications tools for decoupling crop performance from high nitrogen dependence (Ali et al., 2024). 41The plant's ability to protect themselves from biotic stress is another pillar of sustainability. The study 42 by Bahmani et al. on grapevines and Plasmopara viticola shows how the interaction between an 43 extract of Ascophyllum nodosum and the beneficial bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens can 44 synergistically activate the plant's defense mechanisms. The result is a significant reduction in downy 45 mildew, accompanied by a metabolic and genetic reorganization involving key enzymes in the 46 antioxidant response and signaling hormones such as jasmonic acid. Here, the logic of chemical 47 protection is overturned in favor of induced phytoprotection, which is closer to the rhythms and 48 strategies of nature itself (Mohanta et al., 2025). 49While the first studies focus on the molecular and physiological levels, other articles focus to 50 ecological and management processes, completing the multi-scale vision of sustainable agriculture. 51 However, knowledge of plant physiological processes is put to use in more rational and less energy-52 intensive agronomic management, where fine-tuning of metabolism replaces labor as a lever for 53 optimization (Elazzazy et al., 2025). For instance, Chen et al. analyze the thinning mechanism 54 induced by metamitron in 'Gala' apple trees. The substance, acting on photosynthesis and hormonal 55 balance, allows for efficient regulation of fruit set, reducing manual intervention. On the soil side, 56 Wang et al. make an original contribution by exploring the role of available sulfur in the soils of tea 57 plantations at different altitudes. Their analyses reveal an altitudinal sensitivity of the sulfur cycle and 58 its influence on plantation segregation, emphasizing that micronutrients must also be considered in 59 an integrated view of fertility. The study highlights another important physiological aspect, namely 60 that the sustainability of perennial crops cannot be separated from a detailed understanding of the 61 geochemistry of the landscape and its interactions with plant physiology. 62Finally, the work of He et al. brings the discussion back to the ecosystem scale, examining how 63 different grazing and resting practices influence the composition of plant life forms and the physical 64 properties of the soil in Tibetan alpine pastures. The results show that near-natural restoration 65 improves soil structure, water retention, and the predominance of hemicryptophytes, promoting the 66 ecological resilience of the system. This study, with its quantitative and systemic approach, ideally 67 closes the circle opened by the initial biochemical research: from the molecule that defends or 68 nourishes, to the landscape that supports plant life in all its complexity. 69As these papers are examined together, there is a sense of attending to a narrative that talks not only 70 about genes, enzymes, or soils, but about relationships. Relationships between cells and the 71 environment, between agriculture and landscape, between knowledge and responsibility. Each of 72 these works is a reminder that plants are not objects to be optimized, but living organisms that are in 73 constant dialogue with the world around them, and that ultimately this science is an attempt to learn 74 their language. From greenhouses to Tibetan slopes, a common key-message emerges: plant life has 75 an innate ability to regenerate, to adapt, to transform difficulties into new forms of balance. And a 76 silent, discreet but powerful resilience that should also guide our approach to research. Sustainability, 77 then, is not just a formula to be incorporated into production models, but is a way of looking at living 78 things with respect, of accepting that the most authentic productivity is that which arises from 79 harmony, not control. 80