Effect of Root Inducing Biostimulants on Vegetative Recovery, Establishment and Phenological Development of Globe Artichoke Under Field Conditions: Preliminary Results

Abstract

Globe artichoke ( Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori) is a perennial crop widely cultivated in Mediterranean regions. Spinoso sardo, a Sardinian varietal type propagated agamically through quiescent buds (“ovoli”), is often characterized by heterogeneous growth, asynchronous phenological development, variable yields and sanitary constraints. This study evaluated the effects of two commercial root‐targeted biostimulants (Radifarm® and Kendal Root®), applied to ovoli and/or as foliar treatments, either individually or in combination, under open‐field forcing conditions. Biostimulant treatments were associated with trends in phenological development over time, with treated plants generally showing more advanced BBCH stages compared with the control, although differences were not statistically significant at p  < 0.05. In contrast, biostimulant applications significantly reduced the incidence of plants failing to resume vegetative growth, with the highest proportion of missing plants observed in the control treatment (χ2 = 14.16, df = 6, p  = 0.028). Overall, the results suggest that root‐targeted biostimulants may support early plant establishment and influence phenological progression of globe artichoke under forcing cultivation conditions. Further research is required to confirm these effects under different environments and growing conditions.