The Effect of Organic and Amino Acid Biostimulants on Actinidia deliciosa ‘Hayward’ Cultivation: Evaluation of Growth, Metabolism, and Kiwifruit Postharvest Performance

Abstract

The commercial value of kiwifruit is determined mostly by its nutritional composition and antioxidant content. The enrichment of these traits in an era where climate change affects kiwi growth conditions is worth investigating via the application of biostimulants that enhance plant growth. In this work, we evaluated the effects of three commercial biostimulants on the metabolism and growth characteristics of the Actinidia deliciosa cultivar ‘Hayward’: (I) a humic and fulvic-based biostimulant, (II) a glycine–betaine–proline-based biostimulant, and (III) a vegetal amino acid-based biostimulant. A biostimulant-free treatment was used as a control. In the two-year experiment (2022 and 2023), the growth characteristics of kiwi trees were measured, such as stem length, the number of leaves, leaf area, and fresh and dry biomass at the end of each growing season. The leaves’ total chlorophyll, total phenolics, and proline content were detected during the two seasons in order to obtain more insights into plant metabolism. Κiwifruit qualities and antioxidant traits, such as total soluble solids, titratable acidity, firmness, fresh and dry biomass, DPPH, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), were recorded during the postharvest life for each season. Data analysis illustrated the beneficial impact of some biostimulants on several of the previously mentioned parameters, such as antioxidant kiwifruit traits, especially in the case of glycine–betaine–proline-based acid-based biostimulants.