2-Ketoglutaric acid, as a plant nutrient enhancer, has demonstrated significant application effects in agricultural production.
2-Ketoglutaric acid effectively promotes plant growth and development. As an intermediate metabolite in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, it is involved in the energy metabolism processes within plants, facilitating ATP production and providing essential energy for plants. By enhancing the energy metabolism of plant cells, 2-ketoglutaric acid further boosts the growth and development capabilities of plants. Additionally, it promotes root development and increases root vitality, thereby improving the efficiency of nutrient absorption from the soil, which is beneficial for enhancing crop growth rates and yields.
By promoting plant growth and development, 2-ketoglutaric acid can significantly increase crop yields. It also improves crop quality, such as enhancing the taste, color, and nutritional value of fruits. In certain crops, such as corn, sugarcane, and sorghum—C4 plants containing the gene for ketoglutarate dehydrogenase—2-ketoglutaric acid is involved in the carbon fixation process of photosynthesis, further improving the light energy utilization efficiency and yield of these crops.
2-Ketoglutaric acid exhibits strong antioxidant properties, effectively scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protecting plant cells from oxidative damage. This antioxidant capacity enhances the bioactivity and stress resistance of plants, enabling them to better adapt to various environmental conditions, such as drought, salinity, and high temperatures. By enhancing plant stress resistance, it helps maintain normal growth and development, improving survival rates and yield stability.
As a critical carbon framework and signaling molecule for nitrogen assimilation in plants, 2-ketoglutaric acid plays an important role in nutritional metabolism. It effectively promotes the uptake of key elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. By improving the growth and development of plant roots, it enhances the ability of plants to absorb nutrients from the soil, subsequently improving overall growth and yield stability.
In practical agricultural production, 2-ketoglutaric acid can be applied to crops through foliar spraying or root irrigation. For instance, appropriate application during rice cultivation can significantly enhance the plant's drought resistance and disease resistance while promoting root growth, increasing tiller numbers and grain spikes, ultimately improving rice yield and quality. Similar applications in other crops, such as wheat and corn, have also shown remarkable results.
As a plant nutrient enhancer, 2-ketoglutaric acid demonstrates significant effects in agricultural production by promoting plant growth and development, increasing crop yields and quality, enhancing stress resistance, and facilitating nutrient absorption. With ongoing research into its mechanisms of action and the increasing demands of agricultural production, 2-ketoglutaric acid is expected to play an even more important role in sustainable agricultural development in the future.
