Enhancing of quality, yield and aromatic profile of sweet cherries: comparison between organic and conventional biostimulant systems

Abstract Background Due to the increasing demand for organic food by consumers, agricultural systems had to change towards a more sustainable and environmental approach. One of the practices aligned with this purpose is the application of efficient biostimulants as a tool to improve food production with the smallest possible ecological footprint. For this reason, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness and comparison of an organic system composed of a Lombrico® SET biostimulant formulated from seaweed extracts, amino acids and carbohydrates from plant-based sources on two different varieties of cherries, Nimba and Red Pacific, against a conventional system composed by Maxi-Grow Excel®, Equilibrium® and Exelgrow® products according to the usual biostimulant treatments of the farmer for sweet cherry crop. Both options were applied at 12 times throughout the flowering and ripening stages under real field conditions in a 68-day study. Results Although the program effectiveness differed by variety, both biostimulants treatments improved bud breakage, enhanced flowering, and advanced ripening, while improving the fruit quality and the organoleptic properties. Remarkable findings included increased levels of major carbohydrates and increased oxalic acid. Additionally, significant changes in the phenolic and flavonoid profile were observed. The organic program led to higher levels of chlorogenic acid as well as increased naringin across both varieties. Conversely, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside levels were increased in the organic program for Red Pacific but were higher in the conventional method for Nimba. Conclusions The increase in marketable first category fruit and the reduction in unmarketable fruit due to both programs contribute to improved farmer profitability and demonstrate the clear effectiveness of the application of biostimulant systems. In addition, the organic treatment produced an enhanced ripening, enabling an early harvest, with a positive impact on the quality and organoleptic parameters of the cherries. In particular, the organic treatment where a single product composed of seaweed extracts, amino acids and carbohydrates from plant-based origin is applied instead of the three products required in the conventional system is particularly valuable in organic farming where external inputs are limited.