Chicory Taproot Production: Effects of Biostimulants under Partial or Full Controlled Environmental Conditions.

Two trials were conducted on chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) grown under greenhouse andgrowth chamber conditions with the aim to evaluate the potential of three biostimulants (seaweedextract (SWE), animal-derived protein hydrolysate (APH), and vegetal-derived protein hydrolysate(VPH) on improving quali-quantitative traits of taproot, in short and out-of-season production cycles.In the greenhouse trial, VPH biostimulant promoted the inulin yield on a per-hectare basis withrespect to the untreated control and APH. Taproot fresh weights, dry weights, and diameter inVPH-treated plants increased in comparison with APH-treated ones. SWE-treated plants showedintermediate values of the root production parameters and the inulin yield, with no statisticaldifference with VPH, APH, and control. In the growth room trial, SWE, VPH, and control showed nosignificant differences in growth, root yield, and quality. The results demonstrated that VPH can beuseful for improving root production and inulin yield of chicory under partial controlled conditionssuch as in a greenhouse, whereas no benefits of biostimulant applications on crop yield and qualitytraits were recorded in growth chambers under full control of micro-climate conditions.