Induced tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses of broccoli and Arabidopsis after treatment with elicitor molecules (Sci. Rep.)

Plant hormones such as jasmonates (JAs) and salicylic acid (SA) are known for their role in regulating plant growth under both abiotic and biotic stresses. These hormones, which are synthesized within the plant, can modulate cellular processes in targeted cells locally and can be moved to other parts of the plant. Aside from plant hormones, certain foreign molecules also enhance the synthesis of metabolites that can protect crops from diseases, stress and damage. These compounds, called elicitor molecules, have not been widely applied in agriculture due to poor knowledge of their responses to stress, mode and dosage of application and efficacy under various environmental conditions. Here, Venegas-Molina et al. evaluated the mechanism of action of 14 elicitor molecules against a range of biotic and abiotic stresses in broccoli and Arabidopsis. They also studied the relationship between the elicitor molecules and some plant hormones through evaluating the drought recovery rate and relative water content in SA-mediated drought induced plants. The authors observed that elicitor molecules play an important role in stimulating defense responses to diverse kinds of plant stresses in a dose-dependent manner. This study suggests an environmentally friendly, cheap and long lasting option for the control of abiotic and biotic stresses in plants. (Summary by Modesta Abugu @modestannedi). Scientific Reports 10.1038/s41598-020-67074-7