Biostimulants in Nut Production

Dear Colleagues，

The increasing world population is placing growing pressure on crop productivity, including plants and fruits, while a reduction in the use of traditional agro-chemicals with negative impacts on humans and ecosystems is mandatory. Hence, new strategies must be found, including those from the bio-based industry, using circular economy principles. Fruit production, yield, and quality are influenced by several factors, including both biotic and abiotic. The ability to regulate plant growth and, at the same time, to reduce the impact of these biotic and abiotic stresses, can provide tools to achieve maximum productivity and quality in plants. Biostimulants have emerged as new, promising, and environmentally friendly products to promote the overall sustainability of production systems. Humic and fulvic acids, protein hydrolysates, seaweed extracts, chitosan, and other biopolymers, inorganic compounds, and beneficial fungi and bacteria are widely accepted categories of biostimulants, with proven potential in improving plant growth and increasing the crop production and quality of the final product. Some of them also have the capacity to enhance the nutrient uptake and improve the stress tolerance of crops. Tree nuts are important economic crops, with a global market reported at USD 88.8 billion which is expected to grow further to USD 103 billion in 2027. This importance lies in the known high nutrient content, pleasant flavor, and human health benefits linked to their composition. However, nut composition and tree performance can be influenced by cultivar, ecological factors during the growing season, the time of harvest orchard, and, more importantly, management practices, including fertilization.

This Special Issue, “Biostimulants in nut production”, invites researchers to contribute with original research or review articles that focus on this main topic of the application of biostimulants in nut crops. This includes novel approaches to this line of research but also the use of the established methodologies to understand the effects on plant physiology or fruit quality, from harvest to shelf life. 

Dr. Ivo Vaz de Oliveira
Dr. Sílvia Martins Afonso
Guest Editors

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• biostimulants
• tree nuts
• plant physiology
• fruit quality
• fruit composition