Vanadium stimulates growth and flower production in tomato without affecting seed germination

Abstract

Vanadium (V) is easily absorbed by plants and has been proposed as a novel beneficial element and inorganic biostimulant, since at low doses it can enhance plant metabolism. However, its effects on the biology of cultivated species have not been fully explored. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of V on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) during seed germination and initial seedling growth. We tested 0, 5, 10, and 15 µM V in seeds during the germination process and in 37-day-old plants over four weeks. The application of V did not alter seed germination percentage. Plant height increased with the application of 5 µM V at 21 days after treatment application (DAT), while root volume increased with the application of 10 µM V at 28 DAT. Stem diameter, number of leaves, and number of flower buds showed the highest values with 10 µM V, while 5 µM V produced higher means in number of leaves as well as fresh and dry biomass weight of flowers. However, the fresh and dry biomass of leaves, stems, and roots decreased significantly with the application of 15 µM V. The total concentrations of amino acids and sugars in leaves, stems, and roots decreased in the treatments with V. We conclude that V is a beneficial element with high potential to be used in the biostimulation of horticultural crops such as tomato.