Mirabella, Antonietta (2025) Sustainable Soil Disinfestation and Biostimulant Strategies to Enhance Yield and Quality of Fresh-Cut Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). [Tesi di dottorato]

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Abstract

This doctoral thesis investigates how sustainable soil disinfestation strategies and plant biostimulants can improve the agronomic performance and nutritional quality of lettuce cultivated under intensive greenhouse conditions for the fresh-cut industry. Continuous cropping and increasingly restricted use of synthetic fumigants have heightened the need for environmentally friendly approaches capable of controlling soil-borne pathogens while preserving soil health and product quality. Through three complementary experimental studies conducted in commercial settings, the thesis evaluates the impact of physical, biological and thermal soil disinfestation methods—namely microwave irradiation, flame weeding, biofumigation, anaerobic soil disinfestation and Trichoderma spp. inoculation—alone and in combination with foliar biostimulants such as protein hydrolysates and Ascophyllum nodosum extracts. The results show that biofumigation consistently enhances yield and promotes the accumulation of selected flavonoids, while Trichoderma spp. effectively reduces nitrate content and supports mineral balance, contributing to improved food safety. Microwave irradiation emerges as a promising non-chemical technique capable of stimulating antioxidant metabolism. Biostimulants markedly increase biomass production and strengthen both hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activity, with synergistic effects observed when integrated with soil treatments. Across studies, cultivar identity and crop sequence strongly influence metabolic responses, particularly in terms of phenolic composition. Collectively, the findings demonstrate that integrated soil and plant management strategies can simultaneously enhance productivity, nutritional value and environmental sustainability in leafy vegetable systems, offering a viable alternative to chemical fumigation for high-value horticultural supply chains.

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