Optimizing Apricot Yield and Quality with Biostimulant Interventions: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

Biostimulant products are recognized for their ability to improve the agronomic parameters of plants and the qualitative and nutraceutical parameters of fruits and confer greater resistance to plants under abiotic and biotic stress conditions. In our study, we tested three different biostimulants on cultivar “Lady Cot” apricot plants: animal-derived protein hydrolysate, plant-derived protein hydrolysate, and one based on algae to evaluate their effects on improving the agronomic parameters of plants and fruit quality. The product that stood out for providing positive effects was the protein hydrolysate-based product, which increased plant production by 53.80% and yield efficiency by 56.38%. At the same time, it also increased the fruit’s diameter growth by approximately 8.3%, showing positive effects on fruit weight as well. The animal-derived protein hydrolysate also reduced acidity by 13.8% and showed a significant increase compared to the control in terms of total polyphenols. Additional research is scheduled to validate these results and ascertain which categories of biostimulant products are most effective in enhancing the agronomic, qualitative, and sensory characteristics of other apricot cultivars.