A Biostimulant Based on Protein Hydrolysates Promotes the Growth of Young Olive Trees

Leen Almadi, Andrea Paoletti, Nicola Cinosi, Elissa Daher, Adolfo Rosati, Claudio Di Vaio and Franco Famiani
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Leen Almadi: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Andrea Paoletti: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Nicola Cinosi: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Elissa Daher: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Adolfo Rosati: CREA, Centro di Ricerca Olivicoltura, Frutticoltura e Agrumicoltura, 06049 Spoleto, Italy
Claudio Di Vaio: Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Franco Famiani: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: Experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the effects of a biostimulant of animal origin, with a hormone-like action, on the growth and physiology of young olive trees. The biostimulant, consisting of a complex of natural amino acids (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, etc.), was applied by fertigation to both potted (one-year-old) and field-grown (2 years after transplanting) young olive trees. The control consisted of trees treated with an amount of urea nitrogen equal to the total nitrogen supplied with the biostimulant. Potted trees treated with the biostimulant showed greater growth than the control soon after treatment and up to the end of the vegetative season. Generally, this was associated with higher leaf photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance. At the end of the experiment, all tree parts (roots, stem, shoots, and leaves) of the treated trees had greater biomass than the control. The trunks of field-grown trees treated with the biostimulant had greater growth with respect to the control. Overall, the results indicate the possibility of using the biostimulant based on complexes of natural amino acids to promote the growth of young olive trees.

Keywords: assimilate partitioning; biostimulants; Olea europaea L.; protein hydrolysates; olive tree growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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