Trehalose is attracting increasing interest in agriculture as a plant biostimulant and biological stabiliser.
A growing body of research has investigated externally applied trehalose under drought, salinity, heat, cold and other environmental stresses. Across these studies, trehalose has been associated with improved plant water status, photosynthetic performance, antioxidant defence, growth and, in some circumstances, crop yield.[1]
Its agricultural potential also extends beyond direct application to plants. Trehalose can help protect sensitive microorganisms during drying, storage and application, creating important opportunities in biofertilisers, microbial inoculants, seed coatings and other biological agricultural formulations.[2,3]
This is no longer simply an experimental application. Nagase supplies a dedicated agricultural-grade trehalose for agricultural and biostimulant applications, including seed coatings, microbial inoculants and plant-biostimulant formulations.[4]
Why is trehalose interesting in agriculture?
Trehalose is a naturally occurring non-reducing disaccharide made from two glucose molecules.
In nature, it is associated with the ability of many organisms to tolerate challenging environmental conditions. Trehalose interacts strongly with water and can help protect proteins, membranes and other cellular structures during dehydration and other forms of stress.
In plants, however, its role appears to extend beyond simply helping to retain water.
Research indicates that externally applied trehalose can influence several interconnected processes involved in plant stress tolerance, including:
- plant water status and osmotic regulation
- photosynthesis and chlorophyll protection
- antioxidant defence
- reactive oxygen species
- membrane stability
- accumulation of protective osmolytes
- ion balance
- stress-response signalling
- plant growth and productivity.[1]
These effects have led researchers to investigate trehalose as a potential plant biostimulant, particularly where crops are exposed to environmental — or abiotic — stresses such as drought, salinity and temperature extremes.
What does the overall research show?
The strongest overview to date was published in 2026.
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis specifically examining externally applied trehalose in plants subjected to abiotic stress. Starting with 659 records, they identified 52 eligible studies published between 2005 and 2024.[1]
The evidence covered:
- 20 studies involving water deficit
- 15 involving salinity
- 9 involving cold stress
- 5 involving heat stress
- additional studies involving chromium and cadmium stress.[1]
Trehalose was applied using three principal methods:
- foliar spray — 34 studies
- root, soil or nutrient-solution application — 15 studies
- seed priming — 3 studies.[1]
Across the evidence base, trehalose produced significant beneficial overall effects on many important measures of plant performance.
Researchers found improvements in photosynthetic pigments, photosystem efficiency, antioxidant activity, plant water status, gas exchange, shoot and root development, leaf area and grain yield. Trehalose also reduced indicators associated with oxidative and membrane damage, including hydrogen peroxide accumulation, lipid peroxidation and membrane permeability.[1]
The individual studies varied considerably in crop, environment, application method and concentration, so trehalose should not be expected to produce an identical response in every crop or growing system.
Nevertheless, the combined evidence provides strong support for a genuine role for externally applied trehalose in helping plants respond to abiotic environmental stress.[1]
Trehalose and drought stress
Drought and water deficit are the most extensively studied agricultural applications of trehalose.
Water shortage affects plants in several ways. Reduced cellular water availability can inhibit growth, restrict photosynthesis, damage membranes and increase oxidative stress.
Trehalose appears to influence several of these responses simultaneously.
A field study in maize investigated foliar application of 30 mM trehalose under water-deficit conditions. Drought reduced biomass production, photosynthetic performance and plant-water relations. Trehalose-treated plants showed improvements in biomass, selected photosynthetic measurements, water relations and components of antioxidant defence.[5]
The much larger 2026 meta-analysis subsequently found beneficial overall effects on plant water status under water deficit, alongside improvements in photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant activity and growth.[1]
The evidence therefore suggests that trehalose can help plants maintain physiological function when water availability becomes restricted.
This makes drought and water-deficit stress one of the strongest potential agricultural applications of trehalose.
Trehalose and salinity stress
Soil salinity creates another major challenge for crops.
Excess salt can disrupt water uptake, alter the balance of sodium and potassium within plant tissues, impair photosynthesis and increase oxidative damage.
Trehalose has repeatedly been investigated as a way of moderating these effects.
In tomato plants exposed to salt stress, researchers found that 10 mM trehalose helped alleviate growth inhibition, improve photosynthetic performance and maintain mineral-ion homeostasis.[6]
A related tomato study found effects on:
- antioxidant enzyme activity
- reactive oxygen species
- photosynthesis
- osmolyte accumulation
- potassium-to-sodium balance
- endogenous trehalose metabolism.[7]
Importantly, research also demonstrates that more trehalose is not automatically better. Different concentrations can produce different responses, emphasising the importance of crop, formulation, application method and growing conditions.
The wider meta-analysis nevertheless found significant beneficial overall responses to trehalose under salinity stress, including improvements in plant water status, photosynthetic performance, antioxidant defence, root and shoot growth and productivity.[1]
Alongside drought, salinity is therefore one of the best-supported areas for agricultural trehalose research.
Trehalose for heat and cold stress
Temperature extremes are another important area of investigation.
Both excessive heat and cold can damage cell membranes and proteins, impair photosynthesis and increase oxidative stress.
A major review published in The Crop Journal examined trehalose in plant temperature-stress responses and concluded that externally applied trehalose can mitigate a range of physiological, metabolic and molecular effects associated with both heat and cold.[8]
Proposed mechanisms include:
- protection of proteins and membranes
- protection of photosynthetic systems
- osmotic regulation
- stronger antioxidant responses
- interactions with plant hormones and other stress-signalling systems.[8]
The 2026 meta-analysis reached a similar overall conclusion, although substantially more research currently exists for drought and salinity than for temperature stress.[1]
Heat and cold therefore represent promising applications, with the evidence base continuing to develop.
Protecting photosynthesis
One of the most consistent themes running through the agricultural literature is protection of the plant's photosynthetic machinery.
Abiotic stresses can reduce chlorophyll, disrupt photosystem II, affect stomatal behaviour and ultimately restrict the plant's ability to convert light into growth.
Across the studies analysed in 2026, externally applied trehalose increased:
- total chlorophyll
- chlorophyll A
- chlorophyll B
- carotenoids
- photosystem II efficiency.[1]
Trehalose also produced beneficial overall effects on several measurements of gas exchange and plant water status.[1]
This matters because maintaining photosynthetic function under stress provides one route through which improved cellular protection can translate into better plant growth and productivity.
Antioxidant defence and cellular protection
Environmental stress commonly causes plants to produce excess reactive oxygen species, or ROS.
At high levels these molecules can damage lipids, proteins, membranes and other cellular structures.
Trehalose-treated plants frequently show stronger antioxidant responses.
The 2026 meta-analysis found increased activity of important antioxidant enzymes, including:
- superoxide dismutase
- catalase
- ascorbate peroxidase.[1]
At the same time, trehalose reduced hydrogen peroxide accumulation, lipid peroxidation and membrane permeability.[1]
These findings support an important distinction.
Trehalose does not appear to function in plants simply as another source of carbohydrate. Its effects involve the plant's wider physiological and biochemical response to stress.
Can trehalose improve plant growth and crop yield?
The purpose of agricultural stress management is ultimately to protect plant performance rather than simply improve laboratory measurements.
Here too, the evidence is encouraging.
Across the 52 studies included in the 2026 analysis, trehalose produced positive overall effects on:
- shoot length
- shoot fresh and dry weight
- root length
- root fresh weight
- plant height
- leaf area
- tiller number
- leaf number
- grain yield.[1]
The effect was not universal across every productivity measurement. For example, the analysis did not identify a significant improvement in 100-grain weight.[1]
Other crop-specific research has identified potentially useful effects.
A 2023 study involving tomato and aubergine investigated short-styled flowers, an agricultural problem in which the pistil remains too short relative to the stamens, potentially reducing successful pollination.
Trehalose application increased style length and reduced the occurrence of short-styled flowers under the conditions tested. The researchers concluded that trehalose showed potential as a plant biostimulant for this problem, although responses varied between cultivars and environments and practical application requires further optimisation.[9]
The evidence therefore supports potential productivity benefits, but these remain crop- and condition-dependent rather than a guaranteed percentage increase in yield.
Trehalose in biofertilisers and microbial inoculants
One of the most commercially interesting agricultural applications of trehalose does not involve applying it directly to the plant at all.
Modern agriculture increasingly uses beneficial microorganisms in products such as:
- biofertilisers
- nitrogen-fixing inoculants
- plant-growth-promoting bacteria
- biological seed treatments
- microbial soil products.
These organisms must remain viable during manufacture, drying, storage, transportation and eventual application.
That can be difficult.
Trehalose is particularly useful because of its ability to help protect cells, membranes and proteins during dehydration and storage.
Researchers developing a seed-coating system for common bean incorporated beneficial rhizobacteria into a silk-and-trehalose inner coating, surrounded by an outer water-retaining biopolymer layer. In field experiments in semi-arid Morocco, the system successfully delivered rhizobacteria, supported root nodulation and helped plants under water-stress conditions.[2]
More recently, researchers developed a dry biofertiliser containing the plant-growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense in a polymer-and-trehalose matrix.
The freeze-dried formulation maintained approximately 10⁸ viable cells per gram for more than 180 days and produced significantly better bacterial recovery from coated maize seeds than the conventional liquid inoculant.[3]
This is a fundamentally different agricultural use from foliar application.
Here trehalose functions primarily as a protective formulation ingredient, helping preserve the biological component before it ever reaches the plant.
For manufacturers of microbial inoculants, biofertilisers and biological seed treatments, this may be one of trehalose's most immediately valuable applications.
Trehalose in seed treatments and coatings
Seed treatment brings the direct and indirect functions of trehalose together.
Research has investigated trehalose both as a seed-priming treatment and as an ingredient within more sophisticated biological seed coatings.[1,2]
Only three seed-priming studies met the criteria for inclusion in the 2026 meta-analysis, so the evidence base is smaller than for foliar application.[1]
However, modern coating technologies create an additional opportunity: using trehalose to protect microorganisms or other biological materials incorporated into the seed treatment.
This is particularly relevant where beneficial bacteria need to survive:
- drying during manufacture
- storage before planting
- elevated temperatures
- low moisture
- subsequent rehydration after sowing.[2,3]
The combination of trehalose with polymers and other coating materials is consequently an interesting area of agricultural biotechnology.
Postharvest fruit and horticulture
Trehalose research does not end when the crop is harvested.
A growing body of work has investigated trehalose as a postharvest treatment for fruit.
In Golden Delicious apples, fruit dipped in 1.5 g/L trehalose showed reduced weight loss and respiration together with better maintenance of soluble solids and flesh firmness during storage.[10]
Other experimental research has investigated trehalose in crops including litchi, guava and grapes, examining effects such as browning, chilling injury, moisture loss, antioxidant metabolism and storage quality.
Postharvest horticulture is therefore an interesting additional application for trehalose, although it is currently less commercially developed than plant-stress research and microbial formulation.
How is trehalose applied to plants?
Research has used several approaches.
The 2026 review identified three principal methods:
Foliar application
The most extensively studied method, representing 34 of the 52 included studies.[1]
Root application
Trehalose can be supplied through roots, soil irrigation or nutrient solutions. Fifteen studies used root-based approaches.[1]
Seed priming
Seeds can be exposed to trehalose before planting. Three eligible studies used this approach.[1]
There is currently no single universal agricultural application rate.
Across the studies included in the meta-analysis, trehalose concentrations ranged from approximately 0.29 to 150 mM.[1]
Different crops can respond differently to the same treatment, and concentration is only one factor: timing, application route, environmental stress, cultivar and formulation can all influence the result.
Published concentrations should therefore be treated as research protocols rather than universal mixing instructions.
Practical commercial applications require crop- and formulation-specific development and testing.
How does trehalose work in plants?
There is unlikely to be one single mechanism.
Current evidence indicates that several effects operate together.
Osmotic regulation
Trehalose can contribute to the plant's response to changes in water availability and help support cellular water status under environmental stress.[1]
Protein and membrane protection
Its interaction with water allows trehalose to help stabilise proteins, lipid membranes and other cellular structures during dehydration and other physical stresses.
Antioxidant response
Trehalose can support antioxidant systems involved in controlling excessive reactive oxygen species.[1]
Photosynthetic protection
Research repeatedly identifies beneficial effects on chlorophyll, photosystem performance and gas exchange under stress.[1,6]
Ion balance
Under salinity, trehalose has been associated with improved potassium-to-sodium balance and maintenance of mineral-ion homeostasis.[6,7]
Plant signalling and metabolism
Trehalose application can also influence stress-response pathways, endogenous trehalose metabolism and interactions with plant signalling systems.[7]
Trehalose therefore appears capable of functioning both as a physical protectant and as part of the plant's wider biological response to environmental stress.
Trehalose is not the same as trehalose-6-phosphate
This distinction is important.
Trehalose-6-phosphate, usually abbreviated T6P, is an intermediate in the plant's own trehalose-production pathway.
It is also an important signalling molecule involved in sugar metabolism, carbon allocation, growth and crop productivity.
T6P has become a major field of agricultural research in its own right.
However:
Trehalose and trehalose-6-phosphate are different molecules.
Results obtained using T6P, T6P precursors or genetic modification of the trehalose pathway should not automatically be presented as results of externally applied trehalose.
For this reason, the 2026 meta-analysis specifically focused on externally applied free trehalose when assessing its agricultural effects.[1]
Keeping these research areas separate is essential when evaluating claims about agricultural trehalose.
Agricultural-grade trehalose
Agricultural use has progressed beyond academic research.
Nagase supplies agricultural-grade trehalose for applications including:
- microbial inoculants
- seed coatings
- biological formulations
- plant-biostimulant development.[4]
This creates two distinct commercial opportunities.
Direct agricultural use
Trehalose can be applied to plants, roots or seeds as part of research and product development aimed at helping crops respond to environmental stresses such as drought, salinity and temperature extremes.
Agricultural formulation use
Trehalose can also be incorporated into formulations to help protect microorganisms and other sensitive biological components during manufacture, drying and storage.
Nagase Viita is actively developing both approaches internationally. In 2026, a trehalose-based agricultural project was selected for a Japan International Cooperation Agency programme investigating trehalose in Pakistan as both a direct biostimulant material and an indirect stabilising agent for biological formulations.[11]
This distinction reflects two of the most promising directions emerging from the agricultural research.
A developing agricultural technology
The evidence surrounding trehalose in agriculture has developed considerably.
What was once a collection of individual laboratory studies now includes:
- extensive plant-stress research
- field experiments
- a 52-study meta-analysis
- biological seed-coating technologies
- microbial biofertiliser formulations
- dedicated agricultural-grade trehalose
- continuing commercial development of agricultural applications.[1–4,11]
The evidence is currently strongest for drought and salinity stress, while temperature stress, seed treatments and postharvest applications continue to develop.
At the same time, trehalose's ability to stabilise beneficial microorganisms creates a distinct and potentially substantial role in the rapidly developing field of biological agriculture.
Trehalose will not produce the same response in every crop, concentration or environment, and practical products require appropriate formulation, testing and regulatory consideration.
But the direction of the evidence is increasingly clear:
Trehalose is emerging as a versatile agricultural ingredient with potential both to help plants withstand environmental stress and to protect the biological products being developed to support modern crop production.
Trehalose for agricultural development
Nagase Viita manufactures dedicated agricultural-grade trehalose for agricultural applications.
Trehalose UK is developing its support for agriculture, plant science and biological-formulation applications and welcomes enquiries from growers, researchers, agricultural formulators, biotechnology businesses and manufacturers investigating the use of trehalose.
For technical requirements, product-grade enquiries, development quantities or commercial supply, contact:
You can also explore the wider range of uses on our Trehalose Applications page.
References & further reading
[1] Adrielle Cristine Domingos Adão, Antônio Rodrigues da Cunha Neto, Marina Wolowski, and Thiago Corrêa de Souza. 2026. “Exogenous Trehalose Mitigates Abiotic Stress in Plants by Improving Morphophysiology: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology 29: 547–565. DOI: 10.1007/s12892-026-00355-1. Systematic review and meta-analysis of 52 studies examining externally applied trehalose under abiotic stress.
Read the study
[2] Augustine T. Zvinavashe, Julie Laurent, Manal Mhada, et al. 2021. “Programmable Design of Seed Coating Function Induces Water-Stress Tolerance in Semi-Arid Regions.” Nature Food 2: 485–493. DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00315-8. Describes a two-layer seed coating incorporating rhizobacteria in a silk/trehalose inner layer.
Read the study
[3] Bruna Lendzion Alves, Lucas S. Ribeiro, Mariangela Hungria, and Caue Ribeiro. 2026. “Dry Biofertilizer Development Containing Azospirillum brasilense: A Protective PGCit-Based Strategy for Seed Inoculation.” ACS Agricultural Science & Technology 6, no. 2: 322–331. DOI: 10.1021/acsagscitech.5c00714. Research on a polymer–trehalose dry formulation for preserving a plant-growth-promoting bacterium.
Read the study
[4] NAGASE Europe. “Trehalose for Agriculture.” Current manufacturer information on agricultural-grade trehalose for plant biostimulants, seed coatings, microbial inoculants and biological formulations.
NAGASE agricultural information
[5] Qasim Ali and Muhammad Ashraf. 2011. “Induction of Drought Tolerance in Maize (Zea mays L.) due to Exogenous Application of Trehalose: Growth, Photosynthesis, Water Relations and Oxidative Defence Mechanism.” Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 197, no. 4: 258–271. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-037X.2010.00463.x. Field investigation of foliar trehalose under water-deficit conditions.
Read the study
[6] Yan Yang, Jianming Xie, Jing Li, et al. 2022. “Trehalose Alleviates Salt Tolerance by Improving Photosynthetic Performance and Maintaining Mineral Ion Homeostasis in Tomato Plants.” Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 974507. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.974507.
Read the study
[7] Yan Yang, Yandong Yao, Jing Li, et al. 2022. “Trehalose Alleviated Salt Stress in Tomato by Regulating ROS Metabolism, Photosynthesis, Osmolyte Synthesis, and Trehalose Metabolic Pathways.” Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 772948. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.772948.
Read the study
[8] Ali Raza et al. 2024. “Trehalose: A Sugar Molecule Involved in Temperature Stress Management in Plants.” The Crop Journal 12, no. 1: 1–16. DOI: 10.1016/j.cj.2023.09.010. Review of trehalose in plant responses to heat and cold stress.
Read the review
[9] Izumi C. Mori et al. 2023. “Application of Trehalose Mitigates Short-Styled Flowers in Solanaceous Crops.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 71, no. 14: 5476–5482. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08479. Research involving tomato and aubergine and the potential use of trehalose as a plant biostimulant.
Read the study
[10] Canying Li, Lei Sun, Jie Zhu, Yuan Cheng, Rui Huang, Yiting Fan, Mi Guo, and Yonghong Ge. 2022. “Trehalose Maintains the Quality of Malus domestica by Mediating Sucrose and Respiratory Metabolism.” Scientia Horticulturae295: 110857. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110857. Study of postharvest trehalose treatment in Golden Delicious apples.
Read the study
[11] Nagase Viita Co., Ltd. 2026. “Trehalose-Based Agricultural Support Project Selected for JICA Biz Program (FY2025).” Describes development of trehalose as both a direct agricultural biostimulant material and an indirect stabilising ingredient for biological formulations.
Read the Nagase announcement