Abstract
Biostimulants have been found effective in enhancing plant resistance toward stressful conditions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of selected biostimulants to overcome the negative effects of nutrient limitation on the growth performances and on the fruit quality of soilless cultivated strawberry plants. The condition of nutrient limitation was imposed by supplying the plants with only a single fertilization at transplantation and by excluding any further nutrient supply for the entire duration of the experiment (three months, from May to July). Strawberry plants were treated seven times during the period from preflowering up to berry maturation with different classes of biostimulants (humic acids, alfalfa hydrolysate, macroseaweed extract and microalga hydrolysate, amino acids alone or in combination with zinc, B-group vitamins, chitosan, and a commercial product containing silicon) at commercial dosages. The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants, whereas the total leaf area increased by 15%–30%. Nutrient concentrations in leaves and roots showed variations for microelements (e.g., Fe, B, Zn, and Si) in response to biostimulant applications, whereas no significant differences were observed for macronutrient contents among treatments. Final berry yield was found around 20% higher in chitosan- and silicon-treated plants. Chitosan treatment significantly increased pulp firmness (by 20%), while a high nutritional value (e.g., phenolic compounds concentration) was observed in alfalfa- and seaweed-treated fruits (+18%–20% as compared to control). The overall outcomes of the present experiment show that selected biostimulants can be considered as a valid agronomic tool able to contrast the negative consequence of growing crops under insufficient nutritional conditions.
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa hydrolysate promoted root biomass accumulation (four to seven folds) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberry
_single2.jpg?width=60)
Fragaria ×ananassae0 - Organ / stage
- rootse1
- Treatment
- alfalfa hydrolysatee1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- four to seven foldse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_single2.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Vitamins promoted root biomass accumulation (four to seven folds) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- rootse1
- Treatment
- vitaminse1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- four to seven foldse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Chitosan promoted root biomass accumulation (four to seven folds) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- rootse1
- Treatment
- chitosane1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- four to seven foldse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon promoted root biomass accumulation (four to seven folds) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- rootse1
- Treatment
- silicone1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- four to seven foldse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa hydrolysate promoted fruit biomass accumulation (+20%) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse1
- Treatment
- alfalfa hydrolysatee1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- +20%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Vitamins promoted fruit biomass accumulation (+20%) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse1
- Treatment
- vitaminse1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- +20%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Chitosan promoted fruit biomass accumulation (+20%) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse1
- Treatment
- chitosane1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- +20%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon promoted fruit biomass accumulation (+20%) in strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse1
- Treatment
- silicone1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulatione1
- Direction
- promotee1
- Value
- +20%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e1“The use of alfalfa hydrolysate, vitamins, chitosan, and silicon was able to promote biomass accumulation in roots (four to seven folds) and fruits (+20%) of treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Total leaf area of strawberry plants increased by 15%–30% under the biostimulant treatments.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Outcome
- total leaf areae4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 15%–30%e4
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e4“whereas the total leaf area increased by 15%–30%”
Claim · model-written summary
Nutrient concentrations of microelements in leaves and roots varied in response to biostimulant applications.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- leaves and rootse2
- Treatment
- biostimulant applicationse2
- Outcome
- Nutrient concentrationse2
- Qualifier
- microelements (e.g., Fe, B, Zn, and Si)e2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e2“Nutrient concentrations in leaves and roots showed variations for microelements (e.g., Fe, B, Zn, and Si) in response to biostimulant applications”
Claim · model-written summary
No significant differences in macronutrient contents among the biostimulant treatments of strawberry plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- treatmentse3
- Outcome
- macronutrient contentse3
- Direction
- no significant differencese3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e3“whereas no significant differences were observed for macronutrient contents among treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Chitosan-treated strawberry plants had final berry yield around 20% higher.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- chitosane5
- Outcome
- Final berry yielde5
- Direction
- highere5
- Value
- 20%e5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e5“Final berry yield was found around 20% higher in chitosan- and silicon-treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon-treated strawberry plants had final berry yield around 20% higher.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- silicone5
- Outcome
- Final berry yielde5
- Direction
- highere5
- Value
- 20%e5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e5“Final berry yield was found around 20% higher in chitosan- and silicon-treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Chitosan treatment significantly increased strawberry pulp firmness by 20%.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- pulpe6
- Treatment
- Chitosan treatmente6
- Outcome
- pulp firmnesse6
- Direction
- increasede6
- Value
- 20%e6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e6“Chitosan treatment significantly increased pulp firmness (by 20%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa-treated strawberry fruits showed a high phenolic compound concentration (+18%–20%) compared with control.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse7
- Treatment
- alfalfae7
- Outcome
- phenolic compounds concentratione7
- Direction
- highe7
- Value
- +18%–20%e7
- Comparator
- controle7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e7“a high nutritional value (e.g., phenolic compounds concentration) was observed in alfalfa- and seaweed-treated fruits (+18%–20% as compared to control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Seaweed-treated strawberry fruits showed a high phenolic compound concentration (+18%–20%) compared with control.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse7
- Treatment
- seaweede7
- Outcome
- phenolic compounds concentratione7
- Direction
- highe7
- Value
- +18%–20%e7
- Comparator
- controle7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soilless cultivated strawberry plants”
e7“a high nutritional value (e.g., phenolic compounds concentration) was observed in alfalfa- and seaweed-treated fruits (+18%–20% as compared to control)”
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