Amino acid-based biostimulants and microbial biostimulants promote the growth, yield, and resilience of strawberries in soilless glasshouse cultivation

Our research hypothesis was that the application of the two commercial biostimulants will result in significant improvements in the growth parameters, yield, and resilience of both 'Malling Centenary' and 'Malling Ace' strawberry varieties. We expected to observe increased vegetative growth, higher fruit yield, and enhanced resistance to environmental stress factors in the plants treated with the biostimulants compared to the control group. The study conducted an extensive investigation into the growth and reproductive dynamics of strawberry plants through rigorous data collection protocols. Weekly observations of leaf and crown numbers for four randomly selected plants per replicate offered valuable insights into vegetative growth patterns. Concurrently, at the trial's conclusion, the measurement of crown diameters provided a conclusive evaluation of growth progression. Upon trial completion, plants were carefully uprooted to facilitate comprehensive assessments of biomass. This involved recording both fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots, alongside calculating fresh root/shoot and dry root/shoot ratios, crucial indicators of plant vitality. Furthermore, weekly evaluations of chlorophyll content in selected leaves using a Konica Minolta SPAD-502 shed light on the plants' physiological vigour. In terms of reproductive growth, the study meticulously monitored open flower counts on a weekly basis and systematically evaluated fruit yield throughout the harvesting season. This evaluation included classifying fruits based on morphology, size, and overall appearance, adhering to European Commission guidelines. Additionally, unmarketable fruits underwent detailed classification into subgroups such as small fruits, deformed fruits, and diseased fruits. Furthermore, ripe fruits were sampled to determine total soluble solids content, providing insights into fruit quality. Overall, these meticulous data collection efforts yielded a comprehensive understanding of the growth, physiological responses, and reproductive outcomes of the strawberry plants under scrutiny.

本研究旨在验证两种商业生物刺激剂的运用将对'Malling Centenary'和'Malling Ace'草莓品种的生长参数、产量及抗逆性产生显著提升。我们预期，与对照组相比，接受生物刺激剂处理的植株将展现出增强的植被生长、更高的果实产量以及对环境压力因素的增强抵抗力。研究通过严格的数据收集方案，对草莓植株的生长和繁殖动态进行了广泛深入的调查。对每个重复样本中随机选取的四株草莓的叶片和冠数进行每周观测，为植被生长模式提供了宝贵的见解。同时，在试验结束时，对冠部直径的测量为生长进程提供了定论性评估。试验结束后，植株被小心拔出，以便对生物量进行全面评估，这包括记录茎和根的新鲜和干燥重量，以及计算新鲜根/茎和干燥根/茎比率，这些比率是植物活力的关键指标。此外，通过使用柯尼卡美能达SPAD-502每周对选定叶片的叶绿素含量进行评估，揭示了植株的生理活力。在繁殖生长方面，研究细致地监测了每周的开花数量，并对整个收获季节的果实产量进行了系统评估。评估包括根据形态、大小和整体外观对果实进行分类，并遵循欧洲委员会指南。此外，不可上市的水果被详细地分类为小果、畸形果和病果等子组。此外，成熟水果被采样以确定总可溶性固形物含量，从而对果实质量提供洞见。总的来说，这些细致的数据收集工作为我们提供了对受检草莓植株生长、生理反应和繁殖结果的综合理解。