Biaza Sidiqui and Irtiza Sidiqi

The increasing challenges posed by climate change and environmental stressors have led to a noticeable decline in fruit yield and quality, along with a surge in pest and disease incidence. This, in turn, has encouraged the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which degrade soil health and leave harmful residues. To address these concerns, biostimulants have emerged as a sustainable alternative, offering multifaceted benefits without posing environmental risks. Biostimulants, encompassing natural substances and beneficial microorganisms, act by enhancing nutrient absorption, improving stress resilience, and promoting plant growth and productivity. They do not directly supply nutrients but instead stimulate natural plant processes to improve nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, and crop quality. This review covers major classes of biostimulants including humic substances, seaweed extracts, chitosan, protein hydrolysates, and microbial inoculants such as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and fungi (PGPF). These microbial agents enhance root development, increase nutrient availability, modulate plant hormones, activate antioxidant defense systems, suppress pathogens through the production of bioactive compounds, improve soil microbiota and plant immunity. The application of these biostimulants in various fruit crops have shown improved fruit size, firmness, color, nutrient content, yield and extended postharvest life. Moreover, integrating biostimulants into fruit production system offers a sustainable approach to mitigating the adverse effects of changing climatic dynamics. By reducing reliance on chemical inputs and enhancing plant resilience, biostimulants significantly contribute to the sustainability and profitability of horticulture. This review explores the different categories of biostimulants used in fruit cultivation and highlights their mechanisms in improving nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and disease resistance.

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