Application of Commercial Plant Probiotics Improves the Berry Yield and Quality of Field-Grown Blackcurrant

Abstract

The berries of blackcurrants are commercially important and rich in antioxidants and have a high free radical scavenging capacity. Four controlled fields 1 ha in size were set up in an organic farm to test two commercial plant probiotic products, ProbioHumus and NaturGel, and their combined impact on blackcurrant berry yield and quality. Spray applications of ProbioHumus, NaturGel, and their combination significantly increased fruit yields 38, 25, and 16%, respectively, versus the nontreated control. The berries from plants inoculated with probiotics had significantly higher contents of anthocyanins versus the nontreated control and tended to exhibit increased levels of ascorbic acid. The blackcurrant berries treated with both probiotics exhibited a fair ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals. This is the first study of the improvement of both the yield and the quality of blackcurrant berries by the application of commercial plant probiotics under field conditions.

Effects Induced by the Agricultural Application of Probiotics on Antioxidant Potential of Strawberries

“…The highest dry and fresh weights were recorded for the fruits harvested from plants treated with the probiotic ProbioHumus. Similar results were obtained with blackcurrant berries: the fresh weight of berries harvested from plants treated with ProbioHumus increased by 45%, and the crop yield was even 1.1 t ha −1 higher than that of non-treated control plants [ 42 ]. These data are in agreement with the results of other studies on the effect of plant probiotic bacteria on strawberry growth and yield [ 20 , 23 , 31 , 32 , 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”

“…Indeed, the decreased anthocyanin concentration cannot simply be explained, and no information is available on the influence of plant probiotics on the contents of anthocyanins of strawberry fruits. In blackcurrant berries, there was a moderate negative correlation between ascorbic acid and anthocyanins (R = −0.52, p < 0.00001) [ 42 ]. It is apparent that the increased antioxidant activity of strawberries from plants treated with probiotics correlated with strong antioxidants such as phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid.…”