This study investigated the effects of biostimulant treatment and chilling applied during the young phase of growth on stress indicators, antioxidant compounds and physiological status of coriander leaves. Coriander transplants were sprayed three times with Asahi SL or Goëmar Goteo (Arysta Life Science). After the last spraying, 6-week-old plants were placed in vegetative chambers at 6 °C (chilling stress) and 18 °C (control) for 6 days, and then stress biomarkers, total antioxidant activity, photosynthetic pigment concentration, chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic activity were determined in leaves. In chilled conditions, biostimulant application significantly decreased electrolyte leakage from leaf tissues to the level determined for non-chilled plants. The comparison of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde concentrations for control and biostimulant-treated plants did not confirm the protective effect of biostimulants against stress molecule accumulation in chilling conditions. Biostimulants increased maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, the rate of transpiration and stomatal conductance but decreased intercellular carbon dioxide concentration. L-ascorbic acid, total phenolic concentration and total antioxidant activity increased as a result of biostimulant application to chilled plants. The increased values of most photosynthesis and stress indicators in coriander leaves after 6 days chilling showed that plants were in a phase of acclimation to low temperature. The results indicate that biostimulants can affect selected metabolic pathways, accelerating the adaptation of chilled coriander plants. The precise use of plant growth regulators with application of chilling can be a method for controlling nutritionally important compounds in coriander foliage.

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Geophytes are an increasingly widely used group of plants. Its high biodiversity, however, significantly impacts the cultivation process. Therefore, every new insight into the behavioral aspects of each single species is crucial for production. This study, for the first time, aims at contributing to a better understanding of the interplay between the bulb size potential of Narcissus poeticus and the pattern of bulb lifting time to find the optimal combination of these factors in obtaining the best quality propagation material. Twelve bulb size groups were examined. Plants were planted in the open air in two locations of Central East Europe and lifted in three terms: immediately and two and four weeks after flowering. Bulb fresh and dry weight, as well as leaf, root and total plant dry weight, increased with growing bulb size and delayed the time of lifting. The bulb weight increase indicator was twice as high for bulbs lifted in the third date compared to those lifted earlier. Its value was the highest for the smallest bulbs. Bulb shape ratio gradually decreased together with the increase of bulb weight and later lifting term. Principal components analysis allowed singling out two principal components that accounted for 86.58% of total variability.

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