Biostimulants for Resilient Agriculture: A Preliminary Assessment in Italy

Rita Leogrande, Daniel El Chami, Giulio Fumarola, Michele Di Carolo, Giuseppe Piegari, Mario Elefante, Donato Perrelli and Crescenza Dongiovanni
Additional contact information
Rita Leogrande: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via C. Ulpiani 5, I-70125 Bari, Italy
Daniel El Chami: TIMAC AGRO Italia S.p.A., S.P.13, Località Ca’ Nova, I-26010 Ripalta Arpina, Italy
Giulio Fumarola: Centre for Research, Experimentation and Training in Agriculture Basile Caramia (CRSFA), I-70010 Locorotondo, Italy
Michele Di Carolo: Centre for Research, Experimentation and Training in Agriculture Basile Caramia (CRSFA), I-70010 Locorotondo, Italy
Giuseppe Piegari: TIMAC AGRO Italia S.p.A., S.P.13, Località Ca’ Nova, I-26010 Ripalta Arpina, Italy
Mario Elefante: TIMAC AGRO Italia S.p.A., S.P.13, Località Ca’ Nova, I-26010 Ripalta Arpina, Italy
Donato Perrelli: Centre for Research, Experimentation and Training in Agriculture Basile Caramia (CRSFA), I-70010 Locorotondo, Italy
Crescenza Dongiovanni: Centre for Research, Experimentation and Training in Agriculture Basile Caramia (CRSFA), I-70010 Locorotondo, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: In agriculture, plant biostimulants have become necessary to meet the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN-SDGs) and advance the European Green Deal. In particular, seaweed-based biostimulants have received a greater acceptance for their several benefits in crop growth and yield. In this study, we evaluated the effects of foliar applications of a vegetable- and brown-algae-based extract ( Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol. on grapes ( Vitis vinifera L. cv. Montepulciano) and olives ( Olea europaea L. cv. Coratina) and its agronomic performance in two field experiments in the Apulia region, which is known for its modern agricultural sector. The results highlight that the crop responses differ in grape and olive orchards. The biostimulant application determined significant increases in bunch development (+9.5%) and bunch weight (+10%) compared to the untreated control. In the olive orchard, the yield was not significantly influenced by biostimulant application, whereas we observed quality improvement in the olive oil of the treated plants compared to the control. To better understand the mechanisms behind this difference, the research concludes by suggesting that further research pursues in-depth studies and high scientific and technical proficiency to determine and optimise the rates and timing of applications.

Keywords: biostimulants; vegetable extract; seaweed extract; agrosystems; resilience; Apulia (Italy) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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