Prospects of using biostimulants during the adaptation of micropropagated strawberry plants to ex vitro conditions

Abstract

The economic importance of strawberry in modern berry production underpins the relevance of this study. Advances in certified planting material technology can enhance both the profitability and quality of the resulting plants. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of the biostimulants Megafol and Emistim on survival rates and biometric traits of micropropagated strawberry plants during acclimatization to non-sterile (ex vitro) conditions. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the experimental confirmation of the efficacy of these next-generation biostimulants across a wide range of strawberry cultivars at the ex vitro stage. Plant height increased by 20—80% depending on the genotype, and root length increased by an average of 30% across all cultivars compared to the control. The highest leaf number (6.7 ± 0.3) was obtained with Megafol treatment. In specific genotypes (Asia, Darselect, Florence), both Megafol and Emistim ensured 100% survival of ex vitro plantlets. Treatment with these biostimulants improved the physiological status of strawberry plants during the stressful transplantation phase, thereby enhancing planting material quality and shortening the adaptation period.