Biostimulant-Based Molecular Priming Improves Crop Quality and Enhances Yield of Raspberry and Strawberry Fruits

Abstract

Background/objectives: The biostimulant SuperFifty, produced from the brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum, can improve crop quality and yield and mitigate stress tolerance in model and crop plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, pepper, and tomato. However, the effect of SuperFifty on raspberries and strawberries has not been well studied, especially in terms of nutritional properties and yield. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SuperFifty on the quality and quantity of raspberry and strawberry fruits, with a focus on metabolic composition and essential elements, which together determine the nutritional properties and total yield of these two crops.

Methods: Metabolome analysis was performed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS), and essential elements analysis was performed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Results: Here, we demonstrate that SuperFifty increases the fruit size of both raspberries and strawberries and enhances the yield in these two berry crops by 42.1% (raspberry) and 33.9% (strawberry) while preserving the nutritional properties of the fruits. Metabolome analysis of 100 metabolites revealed that antioxidants, essential amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and vitamins, such as glutathione, alanine, asparagine, histidine, threonine, serine, tryptophan, sucrose, citric acid, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), as well as other primary metabolites, remain the same in the SuperFifty-primed fruits. Secondary metabolites, such as caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, and quercetin, also maintained their levels in the SuperFifty-primed fruits. Analysis of essential elements demonstrated that elements important for human health, such as Zn, Mn, Fe, B, Cu, K, and Ca, maintain the same levels in the raspberry and strawberry fruits obtained from the biostimulant-primed plants. Magnesium, an important element known as a co-factor in many enzymatic reactions related to both plant physiology and human health, increased in both raspberry and strawberry fruits primed with SuperFifty. Finally, we discuss the potential financial and health benefits of the SuperFifty-induced priming for both growers and consumers.

Conclusions: We demonstrate that SuperFifty significantly enhances the yield of both raspberries and strawberries, improves the marketable grade of the fruits (larger and heavier fruits), and enhances the nutritional properties by elevating Mg content in the fruits. Altogether, this biostimulant-induced molecular priming offers an environmentally friendly, efficient, and sustainable way to enhance the yield and quality of berry crops, with clear benefits to both berry producers and customers.

Keywords: Ascophyllum nodosum; ICP-MS; LC-MS; biostimulants; raspberry; strawberry.

Figure 1

SuperFifty enhances the size and weight of berry fruits. (A) Representative pictures of raspberry (left) and strawberry (right) fruits from plants treated with water (control) or SuperFifty. (B) The data are the average weight of 50 fruits treated with water and SuperFifty, mean values +/− SEM. Asterisks indicate statistically significant differences from controls (p < 0.01).

Figure 2

LC-MS analysis of primary metabolites in raspberry and strawberry fruits after SuperFifty-induced molecular priming. Red color and blue color indicate higher and lower relative metabolic abundances, respectively. The heatmap is based on data from five biological replicates.

Figure 3

ICP-MS analysis of essential elements in raspberry and strawberry fruits after SuperFifty-induced molecular priming. The data are from five biological replicates ± SD. Asterisks indicate statistically significant differences from controls (p < 0.01).

Figure 4

World raspberry production in 2007–2022 in thousands of metric tons. Source: International Raspberry Association (www.internationalraspberry.net/, accessed on 4 November 2024).