Plant-Derived Biostimulants Differentially Modulate Primary and Secondary Metabolites and Improve the Yield Potential of Red and Green Lettuce Cultivars

The study investigated the effects of two plant-derived biostimulants, Trainer® (a legume-derived protein hydrolysate) and Auxym® (a tropical plant extract), on two lettuce cultivars (green and red salanova®). The biostimulants were found to significantly enhance the yield, biometric parameters, mineral content, organic acids, physiological parameters, phenolic acid contents, flavonoid contents, and carotenoid content of the lettuce. The tropical plant extract (TPE) biostimulant was particularly effective, increasing the fresh yield of lettuce plants by an average of 20.0%, and the dry biomass by 12.4%. The red salanova lettuce treated with TPE had the highest yield, dry biomass, and total phenolic acids. The study concludes that plant-derived biostimulants can enhance the yield and nutritional quality of lettuce cultivars, potentially contributing to agricultural sustainability.