Articles
The effect of different nitrogen fertilizations rate on fruit production and qualitative properties of three peach cultivars
Article number
1352_25
Pages
185 – 192
Language
English
Abstract
Peach is the most cultivated stone fruit in Italy, and in particular in the Marche Region, where this trial took place.
The peach productivity, the nutritional and sensorial quality of the fruits are determined by the interaction of multiple factors.
Among them, fertilization is one of the crucial factors, and should be applied efficiently, without providing excess of nutrients, that may be lost into groundwater or surface waterways (water eutrophication). The aim of this study was to evaluate yield performance and qualitative parameters of peach produced in the Marche Region through the management and reduction of the nitrogen fertilization.
Three peach cultivars (Slapi, Romestar and Tardibelle) were cultivated according to three different nitrogen regimes (100, 80 and 60% of the common nitrogen amount applied by local growers) and evaluated for productive (total production, average fruit weight) and qualitative parameters (fruit overcolor, size, sugars, titratable acidity, and firmness). Results showed that nitrogen reduction did not strongly affect any of the evaluated parameters, and there was a cultivar-dependent behavior in response to the reduction of nitrogen fertilization.
This result suggests the possibility of reducing by up to 40% the amount of nitrogen applied for peach cultivation, allowing to save fertilization cost for the growers and the risk of groundwater eutrophication.
However, not all the cultivars reached the best result with the N60 treatments: this means that improving the production technique with the correct combination of different cultivars and nitrogen fertilization allows to obtain good productive performances, and fruits with high sensorial characteristics.
The peach productivity, the nutritional and sensorial quality of the fruits are determined by the interaction of multiple factors.
Among them, fertilization is one of the crucial factors, and should be applied efficiently, without providing excess of nutrients, that may be lost into groundwater or surface waterways (water eutrophication). The aim of this study was to evaluate yield performance and qualitative parameters of peach produced in the Marche Region through the management and reduction of the nitrogen fertilization.
Three peach cultivars (Slapi, Romestar and Tardibelle) were cultivated according to three different nitrogen regimes (100, 80 and 60% of the common nitrogen amount applied by local growers) and evaluated for productive (total production, average fruit weight) and qualitative parameters (fruit overcolor, size, sugars, titratable acidity, and firmness). Results showed that nitrogen reduction did not strongly affect any of the evaluated parameters, and there was a cultivar-dependent behavior in response to the reduction of nitrogen fertilization.
This result suggests the possibility of reducing by up to 40% the amount of nitrogen applied for peach cultivation, allowing to save fertilization cost for the growers and the risk of groundwater eutrophication.
However, not all the cultivars reached the best result with the N60 treatments: this means that improving the production technique with the correct combination of different cultivars and nitrogen fertilization allows to obtain good productive performances, and fruits with high sensorial characteristics.
Publication
Authors
L. Mazzoni, M. Marcellini, R. Qaderi, F. Balducci, V. Pergolotti, D. Raffaelli, B. Mezzetti, F. Capocasa
Keywords
yield, antioxidants, polyphenols, fruit quality, sugar content
Groups involved
Online Articles (87)