Influence of biostimulants on phenolic content in broccoli heads directly after harvest and after storage

Biostimulants are commonly used in horticulture, primarily to increase yield quantity and quality, as well as plant tolerance to stress. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of amino acid-based biostimulants and amino acids in combination with Ascophyllum nodosum filtrate, applied during the growing season on the phenolic content in broccoli heads both after harvest and after long storage in a cold store. The seedlings were planted in mid-July, and heads were harvested from September to October in each year of the study. Ascophyllum nodosum filtrate at a concentration of 1% was used during seedling production. The plants were watered with biostimulants twice, in the fourth and fifth week after sowing. They were also sprayed with amino acid-based biostimulants (1.5 dm3 ha-1) three times, i.e. after the second, fourth and sixth week after planting. The biostimulants were not used in the control treatment. After harvest, the heads were stored for three weeks in a cold store at 1-2°C and 95% RH. Chemical analyses of total phenolic, caffeic, ferulic and sinapic acids, and of quercetin and kaempferol were carried out on samples of fresh broccoli and after the first, second and third week of storage. It was found that the application of biostimulants resulted in a significant increase in the total phenolic content, sinapic acid content, as well as quercetin content. Both in the control treatment and in the plants treated with the biostimulants, the concentration of all the tested phenolic compounds increased with the duration of storage.