Multi-omics analysis reveals the crucial role of ligustrum lucidum carbon dots in promoting vegetable sweetpotato growth and enhancing soil health

BACKGROUND: The development of sustainable agriculture requires the creation of efficient biostimulants that enhance crop yield and nutritional quality while minimizing environmental impact. Biomass-derived carbon dots, with their unique physicochemical properties and low toxicity, have emerged as promising candidates. RESULTS: This study synthesized ligustrum lucidum carbon dots (LL-CDs) and evaluated their biological effects on vegetable sweetpotato over short-term periods (7 and 14 days). Foliar application of LL-CDs significantly promoted plant growth, biomass accumulation, photosynthetic efficiency, nutrient uptake, and antioxidant capacity. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses indicated that LL-CDs treatment synergistically upregulated photosynthesis-related pathways, including light capture, electron transport, and carbon fixation, and increased the accumulation of bioactive compounds. Additionally, LL-CDs improved soil nutrient availability and positively influenced the rhizosphere microbial community structure. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that LL-CDs have the potential to be developed as agricultural nanomaterials, providing initial theoretical support and technical reference for the development of novel biostimulants.