Advances and future prospect of nitric oxide in agriculture

The biotic and biotic stresses are the main responsible reduction of yield and quality in agricultural crops. However, plants have defense mechanisms that can be activated by chemical signals that pass through the concentration of reactive oxygen species. Nitric oxide (NO) is a modulator of the antioxidant status of plants and regulates the concentration of radicals through the activation of scavenger systems. Based on this information, the application of NO can have a priming effect and induces in plants' defense mechanisms before the predicted stress occurs. The exogenous treatment with the NO can precisely activate the warning system of the crops and can help in saving yield under stressful conditions. The NO application can be applied for increasing the growth or development of crops. Therefore, the NO donors can be used for accelerating crop's cycle and in vegetable crops represent an increase in yield. The application during the critical stage of development can enhance pollination and fruit setting. The NO can also be used for regulating the ripening acting as a senescence antagonist. This ability of NO has been exploited in the postharvest application for delaying the senescence and extending the shelf life of products. Finally, the NO action on the regulation of ROS and antioxidant systems can be used for improving tolerance against abiotic stresses.