Ethanol spray enhances heat stress tolerance and fruit quality in tomatoes

September 16, 2025

A simple and environmentally friendly cultivation strategy adaptable to climate change

Researchers at the RIKEN CSRS, in collaboration with the University of Tsukuba, have identified a novel cultivation strategy in which ethanol spray application during tomato growth significantly enhances tolerance to heat stress. In addition to improved stress resilience, the treatment also led to increased fruit sugar content and elevated vitamin C levels, indicating enhanced fruit quality. Given the increasing threat of extreme heat events to agricultural productivity, this approach utilizing ethanol, which is a low-cost and accessible compound, offers a promising solution for sustainable crop production under climate change conditions.

Previous studies by the research group revealed that tomato mutants deficient in the photoreceptor phytochrome A(phyA) exhibit enhanced heat stress tolerance. Building on this finding, the current study investigated whether ethanol spray could further augment stress resilience in phyA mutants under high-temperature conditions. Experimental results demonstrated that ethanol treatment not only promoted plant growth but also significantly improved fruit sugar content and vitamin C accumulation. These findings suggest that this cultivation method has the potential to enhance heat stress tolerance in tomatoes and other crops, and is expected to contribute significantly to sustainable food production.

 

Original article

Scientific Reports　doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-17929-8

R. A. H. Ahmed, I. M. Y. Abdellatif, N. Oka, M. Kobayashi, M. B. Fuhrmann-Aoyagi, D. Todaka, M. Seki, K. Miura,

"Application of 4-CPA or ethanol enhances plant growth and fruit quality of phyA mutant under heat stress".

Contact

Motoaki Seki
Team Director
Plant Genomic Network Research Team