Biostimulant on Heat-Stressed Lettuce: Improving Plant Resilience to High Temperatures
As global temperatures continue to rise, Biostimulant on Heat-Stressed Lettuce has become an important area of research for sustainable crop production. Heat stress is one of the main abiotic factors limiting lettuce yield and quality, particularly during periods of extreme weather. Therefore, growers are increasingly looking for natural solutions that help plants tolerate high temperatures while maintaining productivity.
How a Biostimulant on Heat-Stressed Lettuce Enhances Plant Performance
This study investigated the effects of foliar applications of a vegetal-derived protein hydrolysate (PH), applied alone or enriched with calcium (Ca-PH), on lettuce exposed to severe heat stress. Plants experienced temperatures of 43°C during the day and 30°C at night for three consecutive days, simulating an intense heatwave. Throughout the experiment, researchers monitored plant growth, physiological responses, biomass production, nutrient accumulation, and antioxidant activity.
Both biostimulant treatments significantly reduced the negative effects of heat stress compared with untreated plants. In particular, treated lettuce produced higher fresh and dry shoot biomass, demonstrating improved tolerance to elevated temperatures. Moreover, the applications enhanced the uptake of essential nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and manganese, which are important for healthy plant development.
Antioxidant Protection in Heat-Stressed Lettuce
An important benefit of using a Biostimulant on Heat-Stressed Lettuce was the improvement of the plant’s natural antioxidant defense system. Both treatments increased antioxidant activity, helping lettuce better cope with oxidative stress generated by high temperatures. In addition, the calcium-enriched protein hydrolysate promoted faster post-stress recovery by stimulating proline accumulation before heat exposure. This protective response enabled plants to restore their biomass more rapidly after the stress event.
A Sustainable Strategy for Climate-Resilient Lettuce Production
The results demonstrate that Biostimulant on Heat-Stressed Lettuce is an effective and sustainable strategy to reduce the impact of climate-related heat stress. By improving biomass production, nutrient uptake, antioxidant capacity, and recovery after heat exposure, protein hydrolysate-based biostimulants offer valuable support for lettuce cultivation under increasingly challenging environmental conditions. These findings highlight their potential to help growers maintain crop quality while adapting to climate change.
