Plant stimulant as a strategy to reduce the impacts of thermal stress on soybean crops

Resumen

Agriculture has been increasingly affected by climate change, which compromises soybean production, especially due to thermal stress, responsible for reducing plant growth and productivity. Given this, this study evaluated the efficiency of a plant stimulant, applied in different concentrations, in mitigating the effects of thermal stress during the reproductive phase of soybeans. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement (four doses of stimulant × two shading conditions) with subdivided plots. Physiological, biochemical, and yield parameters were analyzed. The results indicated that the stimulant reduced leaf temperature by up to 3.09 °C under high temperatures, promoting an increase in photosynthetic pigments and increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. This effect contributed to an increase in yield components, even under different shading conditions. The study demonstrates the potential of these sustainable tools to increase soybean resilience to abiotic stress and improve its productive performance.