The Agrochemical Effect of a Protein Hydrolyzated Biostimulant Applied in Vegetable Culture

Currently, agriculture is facing increasing challenges related to climate change and legislative shifts regarding the inputs used. The urgent need to enhance sustainable agricultural production has driven the sector towards methods based on natural products, such as biostimulants. The application of biostimulants derived from protein hydrolysates obtained from plant biomass in horticulture brings a series of benefits that result in higher and improved yields. These fertilizing products are compliant with the relevant fertilizing product regulations. A biostimulant product containing soy-based protein hydrolysate was tested under controlled conditions on crops such as tomatoes (Precos variety), eggplants (Belona variety), bell peppers (Bianca variety), and cucumbers (Cornistar variety). The testing involved three foliar applications at a 0.5% concentration during the vegetative phase. The application of the fertilizing product with protein hydrolysate led to yield increases ranging from 28.1% (in eggplants, Belona variety) to 41.6% (in cucumbers, Cornistar variety). The three foliar treatments with the biostimulant product also enhanced the photosynthetic assimilation process by 33.6% to 50.6%. Additionally, the nutrient content (N, P, K) in the plants (leaves) showed a significant increase. Products like protein hydrolysate-based biostimulants are seen as a new, efficient generation of agricultural inputs for sustainable farming, replacing some of the traditional fertilizers used in the fertilization process and effectively correcting nutrient deficiency disorders.