Abstract
Due to the increasing global population and the continued need to sustainably increase agricultural production, the agricultural sector requires innovative strategies to increase productivity and efficiency in the use of resources. Biostimulants have emerged as new, promising, and environmentally friendly products to promote the overall sustainability of production systems. Humic and fulvic acids, protein hydrolysates, seaweed extracts, chitosan and other biopolymers, inorganic compounds, beneficial fungi, and bacteria are widely accepted categories of biostimulants, with proven potential in improving plant growth, increasing crop production, and quality of the final product. Some of them also have the capacity to enhance nutrient uptake and improve stress tolerance of the crop. Sweet cherry is a highly appreciated fruit, with a significant economic value, linked to production yield and quality attributes influencing consumer acceptability. However, this fruit presents several undesirable characteristics, such as physiological disorders (e.g., fruit cracking) and a short shelf-life. Several approaches are used to enhance not only sweet cherry production, but also cherry quality, with the latest efforts being placed in biostimulants. The present review focuses on the most recent findings on the use of biostimulants in sweet cherry production.
Highlights
The growing pressure on crop productivity, including plants and fruits, caused by the increasing world population, is a demanding challenge, as reduction of the use of agrochemicals with negative impacts on humans and ecosystems is compulsory
Even though abiotic stresses can be prevented to some extent by providing plants their optimal growth conditions and using plant growth regulators (PGRs), the use of biostimulants is becoming a common practice in production systems [4,5]
Sweet cherry has a shelf-life comparably shorter than other fruits, being highly susceptible to quality losses under postharvest conditions [17,18]. Considering all these challenges that sweet cherry production presents, all strategies that can maximize yield, without compromising quality and sustainability must be addressed, and this review aims to provide a synopsis of the applicability of biostimulants to this specific fruit tree
Summary
The growing pressure on crop productivity, including plants and fruits, caused by the increasing world population, is a demanding challenge, as reduction of the use of agrochemicals with negative impacts on humans and ecosystems is compulsory. Being bio-based products, their impact on biodiversity, environment, human health, and economy is considerably less when compared to inorganic and organo-mineral fertilizers [8] Biostimulants exert their function by regulation of several physiological and molecular mechanisms, including stimulation of the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism, enhancing of antioxidant defenses and production of secondary metabolites, increasing photosynthetic activity and improving water relations, enhancing soil characteristics, both chemical and physical, activating hormone-like activities ( auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins), improving epiphytic and rhizosphere microbial populations and modulating root system apparatus, regarding biomass, branching, density, diameter, length, and volume of soil/substrate exploited [7]. Even though sweet cherry is a fruit that allows producers to obtain significant economic profits, it has several undesirable characteristics Agronomic features such as fruit set, flowering, and fertilization can be problematic, with climatic conditions having a major effect on them, either by delaying or causing irregular flowering, reducing bud opening, and hindering pollination [14,15], which can significantly influence the obtained yield. Considering all these challenges that sweet cherry production presents, all strategies that can maximize yield, without compromising quality and sustainability must be addressed, and this review aims to provide a synopsis of the applicability of biostimulants to this specific fruit tree
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