Biostimulants became a hotspot in the fight to alleviate the consequences of abiotic stresses in crops. Due to their complex nature, it is challenging to obtain stable and reproducible final products and more challenging to define their mechanism of action. As an alternative, small molecule-based biostimulants, such as polyamines have promoted plant growth and improved stress tolerance. However, profound research about their mechanisms of action is still missing. To go further, we tested the effect of putrescine (Put) and its precursor ornithine (Orn) and degradation product 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP) at two different concentrations (0.1 and 1 mM) as a seed priming on in vitro Arabidopsis seedlings grown under optimal growth conditions, osmotic or salt stress. None of the primings affected the growth of the seedlings in optimal conditions but altered the metabolism of the plants. Under stress conditions, almost all primed plants grew better and improved their greenness. Only Orn-primed plants showed different plant responses. Interestingly, the metabolic analysis revealed the implication of the N- acetylornithine and Orn and polyamine conjugation as the leading player regulating growth and development under control and stress conditions. We corroborated polyamines as very powerful small molecule-based biostimulants to alleviate the adverse abiotic stress effects.

Centre of Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute Palacký University Šlechtitelu 27 78371 Olomouc Czech Republic

Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research Department of Genetic Resources for Vegetables Medicinal and Special Plants Crop Research Institute Šlechtitelu 29 78371 Olomouc Czech Republic

Faculty of Sciences Palacký University Šlechtitelu 27 78371 Olomouc Czech Republic

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Comprehensive LC-MS/MS analysis of nitrogen-related plant metabolites

The loss-of-function of AtNATA2 enhances AtADC2-dependent putrescine biosynthesis and priming, improving growth and salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis

Evaluation of Halophyte Biopotential as an Unused Natural Resource: The Case of Lobularia maritima

Presence and future of plant phenotyping approaches in biostimulant research and development