Sweet cherry trees are one of the most important crops worldwide, producing fruits with high economic importance due to the nutritional value and bioactive properties of cherries, providing benefits to human health. Due to the currently unstable climatic conditions, cherry cracking has become a significant problem, strongly affecting the quality and yield of cherry orchards. A cracking rate of 20–25% at harvest can render cherry production unprofitable, decreasing the commercial value of the fruit, as only the cracked ones can be sold to processing industries. This study aims to assess the impact of calcium- and seaweed-based biostimulant applications on sweet cherry quality and profitability in cv. Sweetheart. Applying 300 g hL⁻¹ of calcium led to a significant 52% reduction in the cracking index and a substantial 136% increase in orchard yield. Similarly, applying 150 mL hL⁻¹ of seaweed resulted in a 2% increase in fruit weight and a 3% decrease in the cracking index. Therefore, our findings suggest that calcium- and seaweed-based biostimulants could serve as novel and sustainable alternatives for orchard producers, enhancing cherry profitability and marketability.

Recycling vineyard pruning residues into compost and vermicompost represents a sustainable strategy to reduce viticulture’s reliance on chemical fertilizers. Nonetheless, their effects on plant performance remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effect of vine pruning residues compost and vermicompost on the physiological, biochemical, and growth performance of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Touriga Franca, in comparison with mineral fertilization and an unfertilized control. A pot experiment was conducted from April to September 2024 in northern Portugal under Mediterranean climate conditions, using one-year-old grapevines and subjected to four fertilization treatments. Leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant and osmoprotective metabolites, and shoot and root development were assessed at three sampling dates during the growing season. Organic amendments enhanced photosynthetic performance and root growth relative to the unfertilized control. Vermicompost promoted higher CO₂ assimilation, stomatal conductance, and shoot and root elongation, whereas compost increased intrinsic water use efficiency, photochemical regulation, and root biomass. Biochemical analyses indicated that compost favored protein and carotenoid accumulation, while vermicompost increased proline and later protein levels, alongside reduced phenolic and flavonoid contents. Despite their similar chemical composition, compost and vermicompost induced distinct physiological responses driven by differences in biological activity and nutrient dynamics. These findings demonstrate that pruning-derived organic amendments can match mineral fertilization in supporting grapevine performance while offering additional benefits for stress regulation and sustainable vineyard management.