Biostimulatory Effects of Limnospira indica PCC 8005 on the Modulation of Rhizosphere and Endosphere Microbiota and its Impact on Plant Growth | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Biostimulatory Effects of Limnospira indica PCC 8005 on the Modulation of Rhizosphere and Endosphere Microbiota and its Impact on Plant Growth Cécile Renaud, Alice Delacuvellerie, Pauline Largeteau, Cyril Mascolo, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6207298/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The increasing demand for sustainable agriculture has highlighted the need for innovative strategies to enhance crop productivity while reducing environmental impact. This study evaluates the potential of Limnospira indica-based biostimulants to promote plant growth in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and modulate rhizosphere and endospheric microbiota. Two culture derived fraction of L. indica –culture media (CM) and biomass extracts (BM)– were prepared from nitrate-sufficient (N+) and nitrate-deficient (N-) cultures and applied through amendment or foliar treatments. Phenotypic analyses revealed that biostimulant extracts produced from L. indica CM N- significantly enhanced flower and fruit production, as well as microbial diversity compared to water controls and N+ treatments. 16S sequencing analyses demonstrated that biostimulant extracts enriched plant growth-promoting genera known for their roles in nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production, stress resilience and bioremediation. While numerous metabolites impacting plants are known, polysaccharides excreted under nitrate-deficient conditions were suggested as key drivers of microbial dynamics, promoting biofilm formation and enhancing plant-microbe interactions. Temporal analyses highlighted shifts in microbial communities further correlated with phenotypic improvements. These findings underscore the potential of nitrate-deficient L. indica-based biostimulant extracts to sustainably optimise plant growth by targeting specific microbiota interactions. This study provides a foundation for advancing biostimulant formulations and promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Biological sciences/Biotechnology/Genomics/Genome evolution Biological sciences/Microbiology/Applied microbiology Biological sciences/Plant sciences Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files RenaudBiostimSuppData.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 20 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 18 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 08 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 28 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 18 Mar, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 16 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 11 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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