Paper · 2025 · Plants

Enhancing Yield, Physiological, and Quality Traits of Strawberry Cultivated Under Organic Management by Applying Different Non-Microbial Biostimulants

Michele Ciriello; Antonio Pannico; Youssef Rouphael; et al.

6
claims
12
verbatim quotes
7
citations
2
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by

Abstract

Organic farming is an environmentally friendly management practice that excludes the use of synthetic inputs, but at the same time is associated with lower yields than conventional production. In an attempt to compensate for yield reduction, resulting from foregoing the use of synthetic fertilizers, we hypothesized that the use of biostimulant products could provide much-desired food security. In light of this, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to compare and evaluate the effects of the foliar application of three different non-microbial biostimulants (a seaweed extract, a plant protein hydrolysate, and a plant extract) on the yield, mineral profile, and physiological response of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) grown in an organic farming context. Regardless of the type of biostimulant, treated plants showed significant improvement in photosynthetic performance. Specifically, the application of plant-derived protein hydrolysate increased ACO2 by 34.5% compared with control. Despite this, only the application of plant-derived protein hydrolysate significantly increased fruit yield per unit area (+13.5%). The improved performance of plants treated with plant-derived protein hydrolysate was associated with an overall improvement in mineral profile (compared to control +49.4 and 33.0% in NO3− and Mg2+ concentration, respectively). In contrast, application of the seaweed biostimulant increased (+17.4%) fruit antioxidant activity (DPPH) compared with control plants. These results underscore how the diverse origins of non-microbial biostimulants are responsible for specific responses in crops that can be exploited by organic growers to increase productivity.

Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗

The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.

Claims 6

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Biostimulant-treated strawberry plants significantly improved photosynthetic performance.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
Treatment
biostimulante0
Outcome
photosynthetic performancee0
Direction
improvemente0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Regardless of the type of biostimulant, treated plants showed significant improvement in photosynthetic performance.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 769–885 · show in text ↑
e1

“strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 693–731 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Protein hydrolysate raised ACO2 by 34.5% relative to control.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
Treatment
plant-derived protein hydrolysatee0
Outcome
ACO2e0
Direction
increasede0
Value
34.5%e0
Comparator
controle0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“the application of plant-derived protein hydrolysate increased ACO2 by 34.5% compared with control”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 900–998 · show in text ↑
e1

“strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 693–731 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Protein hydrolysate significantly increased fruit yield per unit area by 13.5%.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
Treatment
plant-derived protein hydrolysatee0
Outcome
fruit yield per unit areae0
Direction
increasede0
Value
+13.5%e0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“only the application of plant-derived protein hydrolysate significantly increased fruit yield per unit area (+13.5%)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1014–1130 · show in text ↑
e1

“strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 693–731 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Protein hydrolysate increased NO3− concentration by 49.4% over control.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
Treatment
plant-derived protein hydrolysatee0
Outcome
NO3−e0
Direction
improvemente0
Value
+49.4e0
Comparator
controle0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“plants treated with plant-derived protein hydrolysate was associated with an overall improvement in mineral profile (compared to control +49.4 and 33.0% in NO3− and Mg2+ concentration, respectively)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1160–1358 · show in text ↑
e1

“strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 693–731 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Protein hydrolysate increased Mg2+ concentration by 33.0% over control.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
Treatment
plant-derived protein hydrolysatee0
Outcome
Mg2+ concentratione0
Direction
improvemente0
Value
33.0%e0
Comparator
controle0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“plants treated with plant-derived protein hydrolysate was associated with an overall improvement in mineral profile (compared to control +49.4 and 33.0% in NO3− and Mg2+ concentration, respectively)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1160–1358 · show in text ↑
e1

“strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 693–731 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Seaweed biostimulant increased fruit antioxidant activity by 17.4%.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
Treatment
seaweed biostimulante0
Outcome
fruit antioxidant activity (DPPH)e0
Direction
increasede0
Value
+17.4%e0
Comparator
control plantse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“application of the seaweed biostimulant increased (+17.4%) fruit antioxidant activity (DPPH) compared with control plants”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1373–1494 · show in text ↑
e1

“strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 693–731 · show in text ↑

other · quality: phytochemicals · Fragaria x ananassa (strawberry)Results differ

15 papers: 12 positive, 3 negative or no effect

11 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. no effect
  3. negative

11 papers more in this group

See all 15 papers →

other · physiology: photosynthesis · Fragaria x ananassa (strawberry)Positive and negative results

6 papers: 3 positive, 3 negative or no effect

2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction

  1. no effect
  2. no effect
  3. no effect

2 papers more in this group

See all 6 papers →

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.