The world’s population continues to grow while available natural resources, such as arable land, water, and quality soil, are decreasing. Therefore, it is essential to implement environmentally friendly crop management strategies, which include the use of biostimulants. This study analysed the effects on strawberry plants of Actysei^TM and Phylgreen^®, two commercial biostimulants based on extracts of the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum. The study was conducted under field capacity (regular irrigation) and at 50% field capacity (mild water stress conditions) for 12 weeks. Different growth parameters of the aerial parts of the plants were measured weekly, such as the number of leaves, length of the longest leaf, leaf area, and the number of flowers and fruits produced, as well as the chlorophyll content, determined with a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector. At the end of the experiment, the plant material was collected, and the roots and aerial parts were weighed separately to obtain the fresh and dry weight of the samples. Fruit quality was assessed by analysing morphological parameters (weight and size) and some biochemical variables (proline, total soluble sugars, and antioxidant compounds contents). Actysei^TM application generally enhanced plant growth in control plants and under mild water stress conditions, even though root weight was reduced. In contrast, no significant effect of Phylgreen^® on vegetative growth was observed, except for stimulating the root growth of plants watered at field capacity. Both biostimulants, Phylgreen^® to a greater extent, showed an impact on the plants already seven weeks after their initial application, stimulating flower and fruit production, especially at field capacity.

Asteraceae is one of the families with a large number of ornamental plants. Climate change imposes the need to select species that are more tolerant to changing environmental conditions, especially drought. In this study, we compared the performance under water stress of six species belonging to different tribes of Asteraceae with different geographical origins. Young plants obtained after seed germination were subjected to intermediate water stress (irrigation with half the water amount used in control treatments) and severe water stress (no irrigation at all) for one month. Growth variables and biochemical stress markers were determined to assess the effects on the plants of the stress treatments. Multivariate analysis tools were used to rank species according to their tolerance. Three species were relatively more susceptible to water stress, Callistephus chinensis, Xerochrysum bracteatum, and Calendula officinalis, whereas Leucanthemum vulgare, Glebionis carinata, and Ageratum houstonianum were more tolerant. Our study indicated that the last two species, which are registered as invasive in some geographic areas, possess a larger phenotypic plasticity. Principal component analysis (PCA) combined with canonical variation analysis (CVA) proved optimal statistical methods for analysing species of diverse origins and belonging to different genera of a large family, such as the Asteraceae.

One of the most important challenges horticultural crops confront is drought, particularly in regions such as the Mediterranean basin, where water supplies are usually limited and will become even scarcer due to global warming. Therefore, the selection and diversification of stress-tolerant cultivars are becoming priorities of contemporary ornamental horticulture. This study explored the impact of water stress on two Tropaeolum species frequently used in landscaping. Young plants obtained by seed germination were exposed to moderate water stress (half the water used in the control treatments) and severe water stress (complete withholding of irrigation) for 30 days. Plant responses to these stress treatments were evaluated by determining several growth parameters and biochemical stress markers. The latter were analysed by spectrophotometric methods and, in some cases, by non-destructive measurements using an optical sensor. The statistical analysis of the results indicated that although the stress responses were similar in these two closely related species, T. minus performed better under control and intermediate water stress conditions but was more susceptible to severe water stress. On the other hand, T. majus had a stronger potential for adaptation to soil water scarcity, which may be associated with its reported expansion and naturalisation in different regions of the world. The variations in proline and malondialdehyde concentrations were the most reliable biochemical indicators of water stress effects. The present study also showed a close relationship between the patterns of variation of flavonoid and chlorophyll contents obtained by sensor-based and spectrophotometric methods.