MultispeQ for Tracing Biostimulants Effect on Growth Promoting and Water Stress Tolerance in Wheat

Due to the multi-target effect of biostimulants, an efficient, low-cost, and rapid approach for tracking their mode of action is required. In this paper, the effect of seed coating with thyme essential oil and the bacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans on plant growth as well as water stress tolerance was investigated using MultispeQ device in wheat seedling grown under controlled conditions. Both treatments enhanced photosynthesis efficiency and tolerance to water stress through reducing plant damage. Plants coated with P. phytofirmans tend to maintain photosynthesis rate, while plants coated with thyme oil tend to maintain water content and reduce energy-demanding processes. All results correlated with previous biochemical, isotopic, and molecular analysis results highlighting MultispeQ reliability.