Comparative Effects of Conventional and Systemic Biologicals on the Development and Yield of Two Carrot Cultivars

Systemic biologicals have emerged as a disruptive technology for overcoming the limitations of conventional biologicals. The effectiveness of systemic and conventional biological products in improving the growth and yield of two carrot cultivars was compared. Carrot plants were inoculated with either systemic or conventional biofertilizers and nematicides, and various growth parameters and yields were compared. As expected, the first indicator of the proper functioning of the systemic biofertilizer was increased chlorophyll content (two-variety averages: systemic = 17.1, conventional = 11.8, control = 10.9 mg g^-1 FW). The results indicated the superior performance of the systemic biologicals in carrot production. The two-variety average yield increased by 11.92 t ha^-1 (32%) in plants inoculated with systemic biologicals compared with the control plants and by 6.62 t ha^-1 (15.4%) compared with plants inoculated with conventional products (p ≤ 0.05). For the biological nematicides, the two-variety average damage rate was 10.15% in plants treated with the systemic bionematicide, 21.15% in plants treated with the conventional bionematicide, and 31.6% in non-inoculated plants. Analyses revealed the presence of microorganisms in plants inoculated with systemic biologicals, although beneficial fungi were detected at relatively low levels. In conclusion, systemic products offer a more robust and consistent technology for improving crop health and yield and are considered the next generation of biologicals.