{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T15:33:11Z","timestamp":1787758391301,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787702400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Australian Government Research Training Program"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/0314h5y94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Dual Investment Group"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Almond (Prunus dulcis) production generates large quantities of hull by-products, the safe utilisation of which can be affected by pesticide residues resulting from conventional disease management practices. Identifying practical approaches that reduce pesticide use while maintaining crop health is therefore an important step towards more sustainable almond production. This study evaluated vitamin-based biostimulants as a potential alternative disease management strategy under commercial orchard conditions. Field experiments were conducted over two consecutive growing seasons in commercial almond orchards in Australia. Eight vitamin formulations containing vitamin B complex, vitamin B1, vitamin C and vitamin E were evaluated for their ability to reduce disease incidence in leaves and whole nuts, together with their effects on chlorophyll content, flower-to-nut conversion, kernel nutrient composition and other production-related parameters. A formulation containing 50 \u00b5g mL\u22121 vitamin B complex together with vitamin B1 consistently reduced disease incidence to levels comparable with the grower standard chemical programme. Selected vitamin treatments also maintained chlorophyll content, kernel nutrient composition and flower-to-nut conversion without adversely affecting crop performance. Overall, the results indicate that vitamin-based biostimulants have the potential to become a practical component of integrated disease management in commercial almond production. Their use may contribute to reducing reliance on conventional pesticides while supporting the sustainable utilisation of almond hull by-products and improving the environmental sustainability of almond production systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15172606","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T15:04:32Z","timestamp":1787756672000},"page":"2606","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Evaluation of Vitamin-Based Biostimulants for Disease Suppression and Sustainable Almond Production Under Commercial Orchard Conditions"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-8012-7049","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manjula Nishantha","family":"Udagepolage Don","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Future Regions Research Centre, Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5734-3421","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Singarayer","family":"Florentine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Future Regions Research Centre, Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia"},{"name":"Applied Chemistry and Environmental Science School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chris","family":"Turville","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Future Regions Research Centre, Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kithsiri","family":"Dassanayake","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ag Analytics, 540 Swanston Street, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Shane Fulmer, D.S., Bratche, E., Djakovic, J., and Djurdjev, N. 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