Evaluation of different biofertilizers and biostimulants on the vegeto-productive performance of strawberry under various growing conditions

In the current age, the widespread use of synthetic fertilizers in agricultural practices has significantly contributed to environmental pollution. The release of toxic chemicals from these artificial fertilizers not only degrades ecosystems, but also intensifies climate change, posing a serious threat by heightening global warming. There is a need to focus towards organic and environmentally friendly fertilizers for plant growth and development and to maintain agricultural sustainability. Consequently, it is essential to emphasize green initiative practices that help in revolutionizing the production approaches and promoting the innovation in sustainable agriculture. Moreover, scientific research needs to place greater emphasis on discovering new innovative methods for generating high-quality plant productions and for improving soil fertility. In this context, utilization of agricultural food waste in different growing conditions has proven to be an economically and eco-friendly strategy that encourages more sustainable practices, reducing the usage of chemical fertilizers. Considering these perspectives, the doctoral project focuses on exploring the utilization of agricultural waste-derived organic fertilizers, including biochar, wood distillate and biostimulants, to improve growth and development and quality attributes of strawberry plants. This study investigates the effectiveness of these treatments in different cultivation systems such as open field, soilless and in vitro, to provide sustainable solutions for strawberry improvements. This research is carried out pursuing three different research lines : i) evaluating the effects of biochar and wood distillate on propagation of strawberry plants grown under open- field conditions, ii) investigating the impact of biochar, wood distillate and other biostimulants on vegeto-productive and physio-chemical attributes of strawberry plants grown under soilless conditions, iii) assessing the influence of biochar, wood distillate and activated charcoal on seed germination and micropropagation of strawberry plant grown under in vitro conditions. The initial phase of the research was dedicated to the characterization of soil, biochar and wood distillate and their physiochemical properties as well. Different parameters were monitored at the propagation of the strawberry plants. The result demonstrated that the application of biochar and wood distillate positively influenced the plant propagation parameters of strawberry plants. The second area of the research mainly focuses on influence of biochar, wood distillate and other biostimulants on strawberry plants grown under soilless conditions. In these growing conditions, strawberry plants were grown in different growing substrates and in different growing systems, including pots, plastic bags, plastic box and column hydroponic growing system. In all these growing systems different types of biochar, wood distillate and biostimulants at different doses were applied to evaluate the effects on vegeto-productive and physiochemical attributes of strawberry plants. Results demonstrated that organic fertilizers' application positively affects quantitative and qualitative attributes of strawberry plants. The third area of the research primarily focuses on strawberry seed germination and micropropagation under different doses of biochar, activated charcoal, and wood distillate. The objective is to evaluate seed germination rates and overall plant growth attributes. The results showed that the application of these organic fertilizers positively influenced both seed germination and plant growth. In conclusion, the research conducted during this Ph.D. project highlights the significant potential of agricultural waste-derived organic fertilizers, including biochar, wood distillate, and biostimulants, in promoting sustainable strawberry production. The application of these fertilizers across various cultivation systems, i.e., open field, soilless, and in vitro, demonstrated their positive impact on vegeto-productive, physiochemical and quality attributes of strawberry plants. The findings emphasize the importance of environmentally friendly practices in enhancing agricultural sustainability and improving the overall productivity and quality of strawberry plants.