Skip to content 
Objective
To assess the effectiveness of several biostimulant prototypes in mitigating drought stress on young corn plants, focusing on canopy development and the delay of visible stress symptoms.
Approach
Young corn plants were treated with different biostimulant prototypes five days before drought onset. After treatment, plants were subjected to a 15-day water stress period, followed by 10 days of rehydration to evaluate recovery. Using our 3D imaging phenotyping system, we monitored canopy development and key morphometric parameters such as leaf area and biomass over time.
Results
Drought stress caused a clear reduction of canopy area due to leaf rolling — a natural adaptation to limit water loss by transpiration.
Plants treated with some BS prototypes showed a slower decline in leaf area and biomass compared to untreated controls. The 3D imaging data demonstrated that certain formulations delayed the onset of visible stress symptoms, maintaining a more stable canopy structure throughout the drought period.
Core insight
Selected biostimulant prototypes delayed the onset of drought symptoms and preserved canopy structure — supporting plant resilience under limited water availability.
