© The Authors, 2024, Published by the Universidad del Zulia*Corresponding author:jahuerta@uach.mx
Keywords:
Amino acids
Seaweed
Fulvic acids
Malus domestica Borkh.
Eect of biostimulants on the fruit quality of Golden Glory apple in Chihuahua, Mexico
Efecto de bioestimulantes sobre la calidad del fruto de manzana Golden Glory en Chihuahua, México
Efeito de bioestimulantes na qualidade dos frutos da Golden Glory apple em Chihuahua, México
Angélica Anahí Acevedo-Barrera
Aldo Gutiérrez-Chávez
Ramona Pérez-Leal
Juan Manuel Soto-Parra
Alejandra Villa-Martínez
Jared Hernández-Huerta*
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2024, 41(3): e244129
ISSN 2477-9407
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47280/RevFacAgron(LUZ).v41.n3.09
Crop production
Associate editor: Dr. Jorge Vilchez-Perozo
University of Zulia, Faculty of Agronomy
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Faculty of
Agrotechnological Sciences, Pascual Orozco, Chihuahua,
31350, C.P. 31000, Chih, México.
Received: 19-07-2024
Accepted: 09-08-2024
Published: 19-08-2024
Abstract
The cultivation of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) holds
signicant global importance due to their avor and nutritional
value. In Mexico, Chihuahua leads in production, yet the response of
the Golden Glory variety to biostimulants remains unstudied. This
study aimed to evaluate the eect of biostimulants on fruit quality in
Golden Glory apple. Conducted in Namiquipa, Chihuahua, during
the 2023 season, the study employed randomized experimental
design with treatments (amino acids, algae, fulvic acids, and a
control) spraying weekly from owering to near harvest. Fruit
characteristics were evaluated 90 days post-initial treatment. Amino
acids signicantly improve fruit weight (27.98 %), diameters
(8.41 % polar and 9.28 % equatorial), color (178.8 %), and total
soluble solids (TSS;5.72 %), while reducing malic acid content
and enhancing TSS/TA ratio by 23.21 %, with no impact rmness.
Fruit quality met marketing standards. Seaweed and fulvic acids
treatment showed no signicant improvement parameters. These
results underscore amino acids ‘ecacy in enhancing ‘Golden
Glory’ apples quality.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2024, 41(3): e244129 July-September. ISSN 2477-9407.
2-6 |
Resumen
El cultivo de manzano (Malus domestica Borkh.) tiene una
gran importancia mundial debido a su sabor y valor nutricional. En
México, Chihuahua lidera la producción, pero aún no se ha estudiado
la respuesta de la variedad Golden Glory a bioestimulantes. Este
estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto de bioestimulantes sobre
la calidad del fruto en manzana cv Golden Glory. El estudio se realizó
en Namiquipa, Chihuahua, durante la temporada 2023, mediante
un diseño experimental completamente al azar con tratamientos
(aminoácidos, algas, ácidos fúlvicos y un control) asperjados
semanalmente desde oración hasta cerca de la cosecha. Las
características del fruto se evaluaron 90 días después del tratamiento
inicial. Los aminoácidos mejoraron signicativamente el peso de
fruto (27,98 %), el diámetro (8,41 % polar y 9,28 % ecuatorial), el
color (178,8 %) y los sólidos solubles totales (SST; 5,72 %), redujeron
el contenido de ácido málico y mejoraron la relación SST/AT un
23,21 %, sin afectar la rmeza. La calidad del fruto cumplió con los
estándares de comercialización. Los tratamientos con algas marinas y
ácidos fúlvicos no mostraron mejoras signicativas en la mayoría de
los parámetros evaluados. Estos hallazgos destacan la ecacia de los
aminoácidos para mejorar la calidad de manzanas ‘Golden Glory’.
Palabras clave: aminoácidos, algas marinas, ácidos fúlvicos, (Malus
domestica Borkh.).
Resumo
O cultivo da maçã (Malus domestica Borkh.) possui signicativa
importância mundial devido ao seu sabor e valor nutricional. No
México, o Chihuahua lidera a produção, mas a resposta da variedade
Golden Glory aos bioestimulantes permanece não estudada. Este
estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de bioestimulantes
na qualidade dos frutos da maçã Golden Glory. Conduzido em
Namiquipa, Chihuahua, durante a temporada de 2023, o estudo
empregou um desenho experimental aleatório com tratamentos
(aminoácidos, algas, ácidos fúlvicos e um controle) pulverizados
semanalmente desde a oração até perto da colheita. As características
dos frutos foram avaliadas 90 dias após o tratamento inicial. Os
aminoácidos melhoram signicativamente o peso dos frutos (27,98
%), diâmetros (8,41 % polares e 9,28 % equatoriais), cor (178,8
%) e sólidos solúveis totais (SST; 5,72 %), ao mesmo tempo que
reduzem o teor de ácido málico e melhoram a relação SST/AT em
23,21 %, sem rmeza de impacto. A qualidade dos frutos atendeu
aos padrões de comercialização. O tratamento com algas marinhas e
ácidos fúlvicos não apresentou parâmetros de melhoria signicativos.
Estes resultados sublinham a ecácia dos aminoácidos na melhoria da
qualidade das maçãs ‘Golden Glory’.
Palavras-chave: aminoácidos, algas marinhas, ácidos fúlvicos,
(Malus domestica Borkh.).
Introduction
Biostimulants are substances such as humic and fulvic acids,
protein hydrolysates, botanical extracts from algae, chitosan,
and other biopolymers, as well as microorganisms, which, when
applied in small quantities to plants, enhance nutrient eciency,
abiotic stress tolerance, and crop quality, regardless of their nutrient
content (Garza-Alonso et al., 2022). These eects manifest through
morphological, physiological, biochemical, epigenomic, proteomic,
and transcriptomic changes (González-Morales et al., 2021).
Additionally, biostimulants modulate plant metabolism by stimulating
the production of plant hormones and growth regulators (Mannino et
al., 2020).
Biostimulants have gained importance in agriculture due to
their ability to improve mineral uptake, potentially reducing the
need for chemical fertilizers, decreasing environmental damage,
and supporting sustainable agriculture (Kapłan et al., 2023). Due to
their hormonal, mineral, and phytoregulatory content, they can also
mitigate abiotic stress in plants (de Araújo et al., 2021) and improve
crop quality characteristics (Afonso et al., 2022; Almutairi et al.,
2023).
Biostimulants have been introduced in apple cultivation to regulate
physiological processes and improve fruit growth and quality (Kapłan
et al., 2023). Quality attributes are crucial in fruits as they determine
commercial value, market type, and consumer acceptance (Fenili et
al., 2018). Previous studies in apple have found signicant increases
in various fruit quality parameters such as weight, length, color, and
diameter, as well as an increase in yield with the use of biostimulants
(Ayub et al., 2019; Kiczorowski, 2019, Di-Vaio et al., 2021).
The apple (Malus domestica Borkh) is the fourth most consumed
fresh fruit worldwide due to its taste and nutritional value (Costa et
al., 2022). Mexico is among the top 20 apple-producing countries
(SADER, 2023). 2022 Mexico produced 808,906.03 tons of apples,
with Chihuahua contributing 85 % of the 31,682 hectares cultivated
(SADER, 2023). The Golden Glory variety, notable for its adaptation
to Chihuahua’s climate and its fruit’s quality, remains understudied
in terms of its response to biostimulants (Molina-Corral et al., 2021).
However, although the benets of biostimulants on apple fruit
quality are known, responses to these products can vary signicantly
depending on the plant variety due to dierences in the physiology
and genetics of each variety (Makhaye et al., 2021). Studies have
shown that dierent varieties can respond dierently to the application
of biostimulants, suggesting that the intrinsic characteristics of each
variety inuence the eectiveness of these products (Świerczyński et
al., 2021). Therefore, the objective of the present study is to evaluate
the eect of three types of biostimulants: amino acids, seaweed, and
fulvic acids on the quality characteristics of the Golden Glory apple
cultivar.
Materials and methods
Experimental area
The study was carried out during the 2023 apple tree
production cycle in the “Loya” orchard, Namiquipa, Chihuahua
(29°6’47”N,107°26’ 7” W;1,828 m asl). The apple trees (Malus
domestica Borkh), Golden Glory variety grafted on M-11 rootstock,
were ten years old, 4 meters tall, planted 2 x 4 m apart, in very
friable soils, the characteristics of which are shown in the table 1.
The crop was irrigated using a drip system with irrigation sheets
were set at 225 cm distributed in 15 irrigations, edaphic fertilization
of 138N-45P-40K and foliar fertilization 110Ca—20Mg, and
agricultural practices (mechanical weeds control, pests, and diseases
management) as recommended by the Regional Agricultural Union
of Fruit Growers of the state of Chihuahua (UNIFRUT, 2023). Daily
monitoring of minimum and maximum relative humidity and average
temperature in the orchard was also performed (weather station
AddWave®, ADCO Telemetry, Kempten Germany) (gure 1).
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Acevedo-Barrera et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2024 41(3): e244129
3-6 |
The trial was established under a completely randomized
experimental design, testing biostimulants based on amino acids
(Basfoliar Amino SL®): Free amino acids (glutamic 28.2 %,
aspartic 8.8 %, lysine 6.3 %, leucine 6 %, glycine 5.9 %, alanine
5.4 %, arginine 5.2 %, valine 4.3 %, proline 4 %, threonine 3.8 %,
isoleucine 3.6 %, histidine 3.4 %, phenylalanine 3.4 %, serine 3.2
%, tyrosine 2.6 %, methionine 2 %, taurine 0.9 %, tryptophan 0.7 %,
hydroxyproline 0.5 %), organic matter 19.60 %, total nitrogen 3.1 %
w.v
-1
, nitrogen 3.1 % w.v
-1
(organic/protein N), P
2
O
5
3.5 % w.v
-1
, K
2
O 0.4
% w.v
-1
, CaO 0.3 % w.v
-1
, Mg 0.2 % w.v
-1
, B 7ppm, Zn 6ppm, choline
chloride (B9) 100 ppm, niacin (B3) 50 ppm, pantothenic acid (B5)
3 ppm, riboavin (B2) 2 ppm, vitamin (B12) 122 mg.kg
-1
), seaweed
(Stimulus Maxx®): Seaweed extracts (Ascophyllum nodosum) 20.37
% w.v
-1
total nitrogen 3.77 % w.v
-1
, urea nitrogen 3.77 % w.v
-1
, P
2
O
5
1.73 % w.v
-1
, K
2
O 4.81 % w.v
-1
, B 153 ppm, Cu EDTA 40.4 ppm, Fe
EDTA 326 ppm, Mn 297 ppm, Mo 8.93 ppm, Zn EDTA 138 ppm),
and fulvic acids (K-tionic®): Carbon from total humic extract 100
g.L
-1
(Carbon from humic acids 10 %, carbon from fulvic acids 90
%), total nitrogen 6 g.L
-1
, urea nitrogen 6 g.L
-1
, K
2
O 38 g.L
-1
, and
water as a control. Each treatment had ten repetitions (one tree per
experimental unit), applied at 10 mL.L
-1
of water weekly from full
owering to one week before harvest. Treatments were sprayed
using a precision turbine agricultural sprinkler (Swissmex®, model
840001, MNX) at 6:00 a.m.
Table 1. Physicochemical properties of the experiment soil.
Parameters
Depth (cm)
0-60
Sand 56
Silt 19
Clay 25
Textura name Flat/ sandy crumb
pH 7.03
EC (mmhos.cm
-1
) 0.90
Organic matter 0.86
N-NO
3
(kg.ha
-1
) 108.75
P (kg.ha
-1
) 25.70
K (mg.kg
-1
) 562.70
Ca (mg.kg
-1
) 2262.50
Mg (mg.kg
-1
) 337.50
Fe (mg.kg
-1
) 0.48
Mn (mg.kg
-1
) 1.20
Zn (mg.kg
-1
) 3.38
Cu (mg.kg
-1
) 0.78
Figure 1. Prevailing climatic conditions during the development
of the trial.
Parameters evaluated
The fruits were collected at maturity, determined by sampling
untreated trees to assess average commercial size (mid-August). Ten
fruits were randomly selected from the middle part of the tree.
Physical characteristics of the fruit
The weight was determined using a digital scale (OHAUS, model
E01140, New Jersey, USA), and equatorial and polar diameters were
measured with a vernier (Starret ®, EC799A-6/150, Massachusetts,
USA). The fruit shape index (FSI) was calculated using the following
formula (Jemrić et al., 2013).
Fruit rmness (lb.in
-2
) was determined with a manual penetrometer
(Bishop®, FT 327, Alfonsine, Italy) with a punch diameter of 11.3
mm, measuring at the equator of the fruits (Magness and Taylor, 1925).
Fruit color was determined with the scale proposed by Hernández et
al. (1999): 1) green epidermis; 2) rough green epidermis with rough
lenticels; 3) waxy green epidermis; 4) epidermis with transition to
yellow color; 5) whitish yellow epidermis (yellowish) and 6) yellow
epidermis with a tendency towards orange.
The result was expressed as a percentage using the following
formula:
Where: C1= equatorial zone color (observation 1), C2= equatorial
zone color (observation 2), 6= number of categories of the color scale.
Chemical characteristics of the fruit
For the evaluation of total soluble solids (TSS), extraction juice
was from each fruit, and a drop was placed in the cell of a refractometer
(ATAGO®, Pallete Model PR-32α 0- 32 %, USA) calibrated with
distilled water. The results were expressed in degrees Brix (°Brix).
For titratable acidity (TA): 10 mL of apple juice was placed in
a ask, and three drops of 1 % phenolphthalein were added. The
titration was carried out with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide until pink. The
result was expressed as a percentage of malic acid using the equation
(Association of Ocial Agricultural Chemists [AOAC], 1990).
The TSS/TA ratio was calculated by dividing the total soluble
solids by the malic acid content (De Bruyn et al., 1971).
Statistical analysis
The physical and chemical variables of apple fruits were evaluated
for normality using Shapiro-Wilk tests and for homoscedasticity
using Levine’s test. ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p<0.05) or Kruskal-
Wallis/Conover-Iman test (Color, TSS, TA, TSS/TA) (p<0.05) were
conducted. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed after
Bartlett’s test (χ² 907, p<0.01) to assess treatment on fruit quality.
Data were processed using the Info Stat (Info Stat 2021v. Grupo Info
Stat, Argentina) and JAMOVI 2.5.2.0.
Results and discussion
The application of biostimulants had a notable impact on fruit
quality parameters in apple cv Golden Glory, mainly using amino
acids. Amino acids treatment signicantly increased fruit weight by
=
 
 
1

(
%
)
=
1
+
2
2
6
100
1
 ( %  ) = 

(

)




0.067

 
(

)
100 1
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2024, 41(3): e244129 July-September. ISSN 2477-9407.
4-6 |
27.98 % compared to the control, with an average weight of 167.27 ±
0.03 g (gure 2a). This increase is higher than Arabloo et al. (2017)
and Kiczorowski et al. (2019) for other apple cultivars reported.
In contrast, seaweed and fulvic acids did not show signicant
dierences compared to the control, with averages of 147.91 ± 0.03
and 141.53 ± 0.03 g.fruit
-1
, respectively.
The enhanced fruit weight whit amino acids may be attributed
to their role in preventing protein degradation and participating in
the biosynthesis of non-protein nitrogenous compounds (Bulgari et
al., 2019; Francesca et al., 2020), leading to the accumulation of
soluble compounds and increased fruit weight (Puglisi et al., 2020).
Amino acids can act as signaling molecules, promoting the synthesis
of phytohormones like auxins and cytokinins, which are crucial for
cell division and growth (Francesca et al., 2020; Kuchay et al., 2021).
Regarding fruit dimensions, the equatorial and polar diameters
increased by 8.41 % and 9.28 %, respectively, with amino acid
treatment, averaging 71.9 ± 0.96 mm and 66.1 ± 0.88 mm (gure 2b).
Seaweed and fulvic acids treatments did not show signicant dierences
in these parameters. The spherical shape of the fruits, indicated by a
consistent shape index of 0.91, was maintained across all treatments,
which is representative of this variety (gure 2c). This improvement in
fruit size aligns with ndings by Gonçalves et al. (2020) and Khan et
al. (2012), who reported size increases in cherry and grapes with amino
acids and seaweed. Amino acids enhance size by improving nitrogen
assimilation and promoting cell division through phytohormones
signaling (Francesca et al., 2020; Kuchay et al., 2021).
Fruit rmness did not show signicant dierences between
treatments, averaging 11.0 lb.in
-
² ± 1.10 per fruit (gure 2d). Although
there were no statistical dierences between treatments, fruit rmness
remained within the range indicated by NMX-FF-061-SCFI-2023,
which is >10 lb for green apple varieties. Firmness is a critical quality
parameter for determining harvest timing, packaging, transportation,
and storage conditions (Wang et al., 2023). These results are consistent
with Lobo et al. (2019) and Di-Vaio et al. (2021), who also found no
signicant eects on rmness with similar treatments.
Color intensity increased signicantly with amino acids and
seaweed treatments, showing an increase of 178.8 %, with an
average value of 84.37 % ± 6.3 (gure 2e). Fulvic acids did not show
signicant dierences compared to the control. The enhanced color
may result from increased pigment production, such as carotenoids,
which are inuenced by amino acid and seaweed extract (Puglisi
et al., 2020; Fernández-Cancelo et al., 2021). Similar eects were
reported by Basak (2008) in apples and Cozzolino et al. (2021) in
tomatoes.
Total soluble solids (TSS) content was highest in the amino acids
treatment, increasing by 5.72 % compared to the control, reaching
13.85 °Brix (gure 3a). Fulvic acids also increased TSS, although
to a lesser extent (4.58 %), while seaweed treatment showed not
signicant dierence.
SST is crucial for fruit palatability and maturity inuencing
consumer preference (Yang et al., 2020). The increase in TSS may
be due to the enhancement of photosynthetic rates and upregulation
of carbohydrate metabolism genes, which increases sugar content in
fruits (Shehata and Abdelgawad, 2019; Malik et al., 2022; Liava et
al., 2023).
Figure 2. Physical properties of cv Golden Glory apples treated with biostimulants for 90 days during fruit development. Ctrl=control,
AA= amino acids, SW=seaweed, FA= fulvic acid. Bars with same letters show no signicant dierences (p<0.05, Tukey test or
Kruskal-Wallis Conover-Iman
1
).
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Acevedo-Barrera et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2024 41(3): e244129
5-6 |
Figure 3. Chemical properties of cv Golden Glory apples treated with biostimulants for 90 days. Ctrl=control, AA= amino acid,
SW=seaweed, FA= fulvic acid. Bars with same letters show no signicant dierences (p<0.05, Kruskal-Wallis Conover-Iman test).
The malic acid content or titratable acidity (TA) decreased
signicantly with amino acid and seaweed treatments, reducing by
up to 16.66 %, with an average of 0.65 % malic acid (gure 3b),
but values remained within the NMX-F-045-1982 for apples (30-60
g of malic acid per 100 g). The decreased aligns with ndings by
Di-Vaio et al. (2021) and Yao et al. (2023), who reported reductions
in TA with similar treatments. The decrease in TA may be due to the
enhanced metabolism and utilization of organic acids for energy and
growth, inuenced by biostimulants (Soppelsa et al., 2018).
The SST/TA ratio improved signicantly with amino acid and
seaweed treatments, by 23.21%, reaching 20.70 ± 4.21 (gure 3c).
Fulvic acids treatment also signicantly improved the TSS/TA ratio
by 14.22 % compared to the control, reaching 19.19 ± 2.81. This ratio
is critical for sensory quality consumer acceptance, with the optimal
range being 15-38 for apples (Huang et al., 2018). The improvement
in the TSS/TA ratio aligns with ndings of Mosa et al. (2023).
Principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted the eects of
biostimulants on the analyzed parameters. The rst two components
(PCs) explained 89.9 % of the variance, with PC1 at 65.5 % and PC2
at 24.4 % (gure 4).
Figure 4. Analysis of principal components of characteristics of cv
Golden Glory apples fruits treated with biostimulants
for 90 days during fruit development.
Amino acids treatment was positively associated with rmness,
TSS, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, weight, and color, showing
a signicant and favorable inuence. Seaweed treatment and the
control had dierent eects, located in opposite quadrants, suggesting
dierent impacts on the variables studied. Fulvic acids did not show
a strong correlation with any specic variable, indicating a neutral
eect. Together, these results highlight the eectiveness of amino
acids in improving multiple quality parameters, while the rest of the
treatments have varied eects.
The results of this study reveal that the use of biostimulants based
on amino acids, seaweed, and fulvic acids promotes to a greater extent
the quality characteristics of the Golden Glory apple, serving as a tool
for decision-making in the management of apple orchards.
Conclusions
The eect of biostimulants on fruit quality in apple cv Golden
Glory showed dierences, mainly with amino acids. The amino
acids treatment improves various fruit quality parameters, such
weight, polar and equatorial diameters, color, and total soluble solids,
compared to untreated trees. They also reduced malic acid content
and improved the TSS/TA ratio without negatively aecting the
rmness of the fruit. In contrast, seaweed and fulvic acids treatments
did not signicantly improve most of the evaluated parameters. These
ndings highlight the eectiveness of amino acids as biostimulants in
enhancing the quality and commercial value of Golden Glory apples.
Literature cited
Afonso, S., Oliveira, I., Meyer, A.S., & Gonçalves, B. (2022). Biostimulants
to improved tree physiology and fruit quality: a review with special
focus on sweet cherry, Agronomy, 12(3), 659. https://doi.org/10.3390/
agronomy12030659
Almutairi, K.F., Górnik, K., Ayoub, A., Abada, H.S., & Mosa, W.F.
(2023). Performance of mango trees under the spraying of some
biostimulants, Sustainability, 15(21), 15543. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su152115543
Arabloo, M., Taheri, M., Yazdani, H., & Shahmoradi, M. (2017). Eect of foliar
application of amino acid and calcium chelate on some quality and
quantity of Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples, Trakia Journal of
Sciences, 15(1), 14-19. https://doi:10.15547/tjs.2017.01.003
Association of Ocial Agricultural Chemists [AOAC]. (1990). Ocial Methods
of Analysis of the Association of Analytical Chemists International;
Association of Ocial Agricultural Chemists (AOAC): Gaithersburg,
MD, USA, 15(1), 771.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2024, 41(3): e244129 July-September. ISSN 2477-9407.
6-6 |
Ayub, R.A., Sousa, A.M., Viencz, T., & Botelho, R.V. (2019). Fruit set and yield
of apple trees cv. Gala treated with seaweed extract of Ascophyllum
nodosum and thidiazuron,
Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura, 41, e-072.
https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-29452019072
Basak, A. (2008). Eect of preharvest treatment with seaweed products, Kelpak®
and Goëmar BM 86®, on fruit quality in apple, International Journal of
Fruit Science, 8(1-2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538360802365251
Bulgari, R., Franzoni, G., & Ferrante, A. (2019). Biostimulants application in
horticultural crops under abiotic stress conditions, Agronomy, 9(6), 306.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9060306
Costa, J.M., Ampese, L.C., Ziero, H.D., Sganzerla, W.G., & Forster-Carneiro,
T. (2022). Apple pomace biorenery: Integrated approaches for the
production of bioenergy, biochemicals, and value-added products–An
updated review,
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10(5),
108358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2022.108358
Cozzolino, E., Di Mola, I., Ottaiano, L., El-Nakhel, C., Rouphael, Y., & Mori, M.
(2021). Foliar application of plant-based biostimulants improve yield and
upgrade qualitative characteristics of processing tomato, Italian Journal
of Agronomy, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2021.1825
de Araújo, L. L. M., Ramos, D., Brachtvogel, E., & Kovalski, A. (2021). Ação de
Bioestimulantes em cultivares comerciais de soja na Região Norte do Vale
do Araguia-MT,
PesquisAgro, 4(1), 3-21. https://10.33912/AGRO.2596-
0644.2021
De Bruyn, J.W., Garretsen, F., & Kooistra, E. (1971). Variation in taste and
chemical composition of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.),
Euphytica, 20, 214-227. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00056081
Di-Vaio, C., Cirillo, A., Cice, D., El-Nakhel, C., & Rouphael, Y. (2021).
Biostimulant Application Improves Yield Parameters and Accentuates
Fruit Color of Annurca Apples,
Agronomy, 11(4), 715. https://doi.
org/10.3390/agronomy11040715
Fenili, C.L., Petri, J.L., Sezerino, A.A., De Martin, M.S., Gabardo, G.C., & Daniel,
E.D. (2018). Bluprins® as alternative bud break promoter for ‘Maxi
Gala’and ‘Fuji Suprema’apple trees, Journal of Experimental Agriculture
International, 26 (2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.9734/JEAI/2018/43649
Francesca, S., Arena, C., Hay, M.B., Schettini, C., Ambrosino, P., Barone,
A., & Rigano, M.M. (2020). The use of a plant-based biostimulant
improves plant performances and fruit quality in tomato plants grown
at elevated temperatures, Agronomy,
10(3), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/
agronomy10030363
Fernández-Cancelo, P., Teixidó, N., Echeverría, G., Torres, R., Larrigaudière, C.,
& Giné-Bordonaba, J. (2021). Dissecting the inuence of the orchard
location and the maturity at harvest on apple quality, physiology and
susceptibility to major postharvest pathogens, Scientia Horticulturae,
285, 110159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110159
Garza-Alonso, C.A., Olivares-Sáenz, E., González-Morales, S., Cabrera-De la
Fuente, M., Juárez-Maldonado, A., González-Fuentes, J. A., Tortella,
G., Valdés-Caballero., & Benavides-Mendoza, A. (2022). Strawberry
biostimulation: From mechanisms of action to plant growth and fruit
quality, Plants, 11(24), 3463. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11243463
Gonçalves, B., Morais, M.C., Sequeira, A., Ribeiro, C., Guedes, F., Silva, A.P.,
& Aires, A. (2020). Quality preservation of sweet cherry cv Staccato by
using glycine-betaine or Ascophyllum nodosum,
Food chemistry, 322,
126713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126713
González-Morales, S., Solís-Gaona, S., Valdés-Caballero, M. V., Juárez-
Maldonado, A., Loredo-Treviño, A., & Benavides-Mendoza, A. (2021).
Transcriptomics of biostimulation of plants under abiotic stress, Frontiers
in Genetics, 12, 583888. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.583888
Hernández, R.A., Soto, J.M., Uvalle, J.X., Yáñez, R.M., Sánchez, E., Romero,
L. 1999. Contenido nutricional foliar y calidad de frutos en manzano
‘Golden Delicious’ como resultado de las aplicaciones de calcio durante
el desarrollo del fruto. Editorial Plácido Cuadros S.L. Granada, España.
182 p.
Huang, Z., Hu, H., Shen, F., Wu, B., Wang, X., Zhang, B., Wang, W., Liu, L., Chen,
Ch., Zhan, R., Chenz, R., Wang, Y., Wu, T., Xu, X., Han, Z., & Zhang,
X. (2018). Relatively high acidity is an important breeding objective for
fresh juice-specic apple cultivars, Scientia Horticulturae, 233, 29-37.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.01.026
Jemrić, T., Babojelić, M.S., Goran, Fruk., & Šindrak, Z. (2013). Fruit quality of
nine old apple cultivars, Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-
Napoca, 41(2), 504-509.
Kapłan, M., Klimek, K., Buczyński, K., Stój, A., Krupa, T., & Borkowska, A.
(2023). Evaluation of the eect of biostimulation on the yielding of
Golden Delicious apple trees,
Applied Sciences, 13(16), 9389. https://doi.
org/10.3390/app13169389
Khan, A.S., Ahmad, B., Jaskani, M.J., Ahmad, R., & Malik, A.U. (2012).
Foliar application of mixture of amino acids and seaweed (Ascophylum
nodosum) extract improve growth and physicochemical properties of
grapes, International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 14(3), 383-388.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2018.1504966.
Kiczorowski, P. (2019). Inuence of NPK minerals and biostimulants on the
growth, yield, and fruit nutritional value in cv. ‘Sampion’apple trees
growing on dierent rootstocks,
Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Hortorum
Cultus
, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.24326/asphc.2019.1.20
Kuchay, M.A., Ahmad, W.A., Ajay, K.B., & Goswami, M. (2021). Eect of plant
growth regulator, applin on growth, yield and quality of royal delicious
apple, International Journal of Farm Sciences, 11(1), 1-6. https://doi.
org/0.5958/2250-0499.2022.00097.0
Liava, V., Chaski, C., Añibarro-Ortega, M., Pereira, A., Pinela, J., Barros, L., &
Petropoulos, S. A. (2023). The eect of biostimulants on fruit quality of
processing tomato grown under decit irrigation, Horticulturae, 9(11),
1184. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9111184
Lobo, T.J., De Sousa, K.S., Neto, V.B., Pereira, R.N, Silva, L.S., Lucena, C,Í.
(2019). Biostimulants on fruit yield and quality of Mango cv. Kent grown
in semiarid,
Journal of the American Pomological Society, 73(3), 152-
160. https://doi.org/10.21273/hortsci13753-18
Magness, J.R., & Taylor, G.F. (1925). An improved type of pressure tester for the
determination of fruit maturity. United States Department of Agriculture:
Washington, DC, USA. p. 1982. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.66090
Malík, M., Velechovský, J., Praus, L., Janatová, A., Kahánková, Z., Klouček, P.,
& Tlustoš, P. (2022). Amino acid supplementation as a biostimulant in
medical cannabis (Cannabis sativa
L.) plant nutrition. Frontiers in plant
science
, 13, 868350. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.868350
Makhaye, G., Mofokeng, M. M., Tesfay, S., Aremu, A. O., Van Staden, J., &
Amoo, S. O. (2021). Inuence of plant biostimulant application on seed
germination,
Biostimulants for crops from seed germination to plant
development, 109-135.
Mannino, G., Campobenedetto, C., Vigliante, I., Contartese, V., Gentile, C., &
Bertea, C.M. (2020). The application of a plant biostimulant based
on seaweed and yeast extract improved tomato fruit development
and quality,
Biomolecules, 10(12), 1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/
biom10121662
Molina-Corral, F.J., Espino-Díaz, M., Jacobo, J.L, Mattinson, S.D., Fellman, J.K.,
Sepúlveda, D.R., González-Aguilar, G.A., Salas-Salazar, N.A., & Olivas,
G.I. (2021). Quality attributes during maturation of ‘Golden Delicious’ and
‘Red Delicious’ apples grown in two geographical regions with dierent
environmental conditions,
Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-
Napoca, 49(1), 12241-12241. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha49112241
Mosa, W. F., Sas-Paszt, L., Głuszek, S., Górnik, K., Anjum, M. A., Saleh, A.A.,
Abada, H.S., & Awad, R. M. (2023). Eect of some biostimulants on
the vegetative growth, yield, fruit quality attributes and nutritional
status of apple, Horticulturae, 9(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/
horticulturae9010032
Puglisi, I., La Bella, E., Rovetto, E. I., Lo Piero, A.R., & Baglieri, A. (2020).
Biostimulant eect and biochemical response in lettuce seedlings treated
with a Scenedesmus quadricauda extract, Plants, 9(1), 123. https://doi.
org/10.3390/plants9010123
Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural [SADER]. (2023, 13 de julio).
Servicio de Información Agroalimentaria y Pesquera. Sistema de
Información Agroalimentaria y Pesquera. https://nube. siap.gob.mx/
cierreagricola/.
Shehata, M.N., & Abdelgawad, K.F. (2019). Potassium silicate and amino acids
improve growth, owering and productivity of summer squash under
high temperature condition,
American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, 19(2), 74-86. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.
aejaes.2019.74.86
Soppelsa, S., Kelderer, M., Casera, C., Bassi, M., Robatscher, P., & Andreotti, C.
(2018). Use of biostimulants for organic apple production: Eects on tree
growth, yield, and fruit quality at harvest and during storage,
Frontiers in
Plant Science, 9, 1342. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01342
Świerczyński, S., Antonowicz, A., & Bykowska, J. (2021). The eect of the
foliar application of biostimulants and fertilizers on the growth and
physiological parameters of Maiden apple trees cultivated with limited
mineral fertilisation,
Agronomy, 11(6), 1216. https://doi.org/10.3390/
agronomy11061216
Unión de fruticultores [UNIFRUT]. (2023, 03 de agosto). https://www.unifrut.
com.mx/manzana_mexicana.php
Wang, D., Ding, C., Feng, Z., Ji, S., & Cui, D. (2023). Recent advances in portable
devices for fruit rmness assessment,
Critical Reviews in Food Science
and Nutrition, 63(8), 1143-1154. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021
.1960477
Yang, B., Gao, Y., Yan, Q., Qi, L., Zhu, Y., & Wang, B. (2020). Estimation method
of soluble solid content in peach based on deep features of hyperspectral
imagery,
Sensors, 20(18), 5021. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20185021
Yao, L., Liang, D., Xia, H., Pang, Y., Xiao, Q., Huang, Y., & Lv, X. (2023).
Biostimulants promote the accumulation of carbohydrates and
biosynthesis of anthocyanins in ‘Yinhongli’plum,
Frontiers in Plant
Science, 13, 1074965. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.1074965