Zeolite and Ascophyllum nodosum-Based Biostimulant Effects on Spinach Gas Exchange and Growth

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

You should add some methods in chapter ‘Abstract’ and the conclusions should be more clarify.

I didn't find a chapter ‘conclusion’. Conclusions should be clearly written.

The experiment with 12 pots is weak for journal Q1. I suggest use more data.

Good luck!

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

 

 

We would like to express our appreciation for the thoughtful questions and suggestions provided by the reviewer. They clearly help to improve this manuscript. The corrections are highlighted in green.

 

Point 1: You should add some methods in chapter ‘Abstract’ and the conclusions should be more clarify.

 

Response 1: Thank you for the useful comment. We added some methods in “Abstract” and the clear conclusions at the end of the Communication. Lines 15-18.

 

 

Point 2:  I didn't find a chapter ‘conclusion’. Conclusions should be clearly written.

 

Response 2: We added conclusions at the end of the Communication. Lines 226-236 (yellow shading).

 

 

Point 3:  The experiment with 12 pots is weak for journal Q1. I suggest use more data.

 

Response 3: Thank you for the helpful comment. However, we used a small pot number because it was a preliminary experiment and we submitted the paper as Communication and not as a Research article. We intend to go into detail in the future with a more significant number of treatments and replication.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript needs revision. See comments on file attached.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

 

 

We would like to express our appreciation for the thoughtful questions and suggestions provided by the reviewer. They clearly help to improve this manuscript. The corrections are highlighted in yellow.

 

 

Point 1: Abstract comments.

 

Response 1: The abstract has been improved according to your suggestions. In particular:

• “and”

We add “and” at line 14.

 

• Percent water uptake

In the zeolite plus A. nodosum biostimulant treatment we measured a higher soil water content respect to the control. In fact, at the end of the experiment the soil volumetric water content was of 30.34% in the treatment zeolite plus biostimulant whilst it was of 27.26% in the control. Consequently, there was + 10% of water in the soil. We rewrite the sentence reporting the percentage as you suggested. Lines 18-20

 

• How much

The photosynthesis increased by 6%. Moreover, the sentence form was improved. Lines 21 and 22.

 

• Detail of your treatments is missing

We added details of treatments. Lines 15-18.

 

• Show data of sustainability

Our statement “in terms of sustainability” regards the conceptual approach that we follow. In fact, one of the main requests of modern agriculture is to find production systems that allow obtaining good quality food without depleting environmental resources. This demand can be met through the use of biofertilizers. Natural amendments, and therefore also seaweed extracts or zeolites, can be a valid aid in pursuing the sustainability of cropping systems. In particular, the use of zeolite as amendment can provide interesting preliminary insights from the point of view of policies linked to climate change and the circular economy. In fact, this approach can guarantee beneficial effects on agricultural activities, as well as the possibility to use zeolite formed from fly ash thus reducing the amounts of this waste product to disposal in landfills.

 

 

Point 2: Introduction: “element”

 

Response 1: We changed “element” to “component. Line 33

 

 

Point 3: Material and Methods and Results

• write in full

 

Response 3: We corrected following your suggestion (Table 2 and Figure 2)

 

• Why some data are given in table 2 and some in figure 2, uniformity is important in scientific paper

Thank you for the useful comment. We decided to split our results into one table and one figure to better organize the manuscript format.

 

• Reference WUE

We add a reference [27] at line 113.

 

• Report their result, we don’t know which crop and their treatments

We reported some details of the reference cited.

 

• Show your data on sustainable approach

Thank you for the useful comment. We added two sentences according to your suggestion. Lines 208-2012.

 

• Conclusion based on results are missing

Thank you for the useful comment. We added Conclusions based on our results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Manuscript, entitled "Zeolite and Ascophyllum nodosum-based biostimulant effects on spinach gas exchange and growth" was reported as Communication.
The conducted experiment is interesting for science and agricultural practice. However, the text needs to be corrected and improved. I included detailed comments in the original text.
The main considerations are:

Abstract:
Which plant parameter was significantly improved by zeolite plus A. nodosum biostimulant compared to the control?

Keywords:
Add: Spinacia oleracea L.

Introduction:
Write a few sentences about the production of spinach.

line 34, save as [7-10]

Materials and Methods:

Include tables and figures after their first mention in the text

How many plants were in the pot?

Results:
Check the results in Table 2 for the Leaf measurement
area

References:

Save all journals as shortcuts
Correct item 31 as required by the journal

After making corrections, the manuscript can be published as Communication

 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 3 Comments

 

 

 

We would like to express our appreciation for the thoughtful questions and suggestions provided by the reviewer. They clearly help to improve this manuscript. The corrections are highlighted in cyan.

 

 

Point 1: Which plant parameter was significantly improved by zeolite plus A. nodosum biostimulant compared to the control?

 

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. As we wrote in the abstract and in the discussion, plant growth wasn’t changed in the zeolite plus A. nodosum biostimulant treatment. We observed that this treatment had a positive role in allowing good plant water uptake since at the end of the experiment, we measured a lower soil water content than in zeolite 1% treatment. In other words, as reported in the conclusion, the combined use of zeolite and A. nodosum-based biostimulant can mitigate the negative effect due to only zeolite adding. 

 

Point 2: Keywords Add: Spinacia oleracea L.

 

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. We added this keyword. Line 26.

 

 

Point 3: line 34, save as [7-10]

 

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. We save as you request. Now line 37.

 

Point 4: Introduction: Write a few sentences about the production of spinach.

 

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. We added two sentences about the production of spinach. Lines 64-68.

Point 5: Materials and Methods: Include tables and figures after their first mention in the text

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. As possible due to the manuscript format, we include tables and figures after their first mention in the test.

Point 6: How many plants were in the pot?

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. They were two plants per pot. We added this information in the text at line 91.

Point 7: Results: Check the results in Table 2 for the Leaf measurement area

 

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. There were typos in the table 2, we corrected them.

Point 8: References: Save all journals as shortcuts.

 

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. We saved all journals as shortcuts.

Point 9: Correct item 31 as required by the journal.

 

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. We correct item 34 (formerly item 31). Line 325.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors made some significant changes. Good luck in further investigation