Integrating plant nutrients and elicitors for production of secondary metabolites, sustainable crop production and human health: A review

Abstract

Plants are essential sources of bioactive substances that promote health. For economic reasons, farmers usually focus on obtaining higher yields rather than crop nutraceutical quality. The application of non-essential elements (NEEs) is a technique used to increase secondary metabolites (SMs) in plants. This technique includes variations of the essential elements ratios in a nutrient solution or the inclusion of elicitors, such as salicylic acid or methyl jasmonate. Elicitor use is controversial because plants grow differently in inert substrates, in vitro and soil. Soil contains essential elements (EEs) and NEEs that can enhance SM synthesis and increase nutraceutical plant quality. However, any technique that modifies plant metabolism can decrease yields. Thus, developing techniques to increase both agricultural product yield and quality is necessary. This review aims to demonstrate the necessity for a new recipe or "cocktail" of plant nutrients based on EEs and NEEs, and elicitors apply to achieve both a high yield and crops nutraceutical quality.