Articles
Effect of different fertilization supplies on vegetative, organoleptic and nutritional quality of Vaccinium corymbosum Duke
Article number
1440_72
Pages
527 – 532
Language
English
Abstract
The soilless techniques, also known as hydroponics, represent an eco-friendly way of food production, to optimize the resources applied for crop management.
The possibility of losing fertilizers or water in an open system, as well as conventional soil farming, may be prevented in a hydroponic cultivation system, by choosing the proper growth medium (peat moss, coconut fibre) and the growing support (e.g., pot, grow-bag) for the specific crop.
In this experiment, highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum Duke was cultivated under different concentrations of fertilizers.
The vegetative, productive, qualitative, and nutritional parameters have been investigated.
The growth media adopted were composed of 60% blonde peat, 20% coconut coir, and 20% perlite, whilst the fertigation was automatically provided through a drip system, in conformity with a constant monitoring system.
The mother solution was composed of 11.3% H2SO4, 8.82% K3PO4, 16.4% K2SO4, 27.7% MgSO4, 32.79% (NH4)2SO4, 1.26% MICROSOL 680 and 1.77% Fe-EDDA. Four treatments with different fertilizer concentrations were adopted, maintaining electroconductibility (EC) values of 600 μS cm‑1 (T1), 700 μS cm‑1 (T2), 800 μS cm‑1 (T3), and 700 μS cm‑1 with nitrate (T4), respectively, compared with the electrical conductivity of water irrigation, which was 390 μS cm‑1. Finally, T2 led to the highest plants, the longest shoots, and the greatest fruit yield.
T3 blueberries showed the highest sweetness and lowest acidity.
The antioxidant compounds (like polyphenols and anthocyanins) were positively affected by a solution concentration equal to and higher than 700 μS cm‑1. These data showed that the adoption of a soilless system may be fundamental to optimizing resources like fertilizer and water, without compromising the final fruit quality.
The possibility of losing fertilizers or water in an open system, as well as conventional soil farming, may be prevented in a hydroponic cultivation system, by choosing the proper growth medium (peat moss, coconut fibre) and the growing support (e.g., pot, grow-bag) for the specific crop.
In this experiment, highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum Duke was cultivated under different concentrations of fertilizers.
The vegetative, productive, qualitative, and nutritional parameters have been investigated.
The growth media adopted were composed of 60% blonde peat, 20% coconut coir, and 20% perlite, whilst the fertigation was automatically provided through a drip system, in conformity with a constant monitoring system.
The mother solution was composed of 11.3% H2SO4, 8.82% K3PO4, 16.4% K2SO4, 27.7% MgSO4, 32.79% (NH4)2SO4, 1.26% MICROSOL 680 and 1.77% Fe-EDDA. Four treatments with different fertilizer concentrations were adopted, maintaining electroconductibility (EC) values of 600 μS cm‑1 (T1), 700 μS cm‑1 (T2), 800 μS cm‑1 (T3), and 700 μS cm‑1 with nitrate (T4), respectively, compared with the electrical conductivity of water irrigation, which was 390 μS cm‑1. Finally, T2 led to the highest plants, the longest shoots, and the greatest fruit yield.
T3 blueberries showed the highest sweetness and lowest acidity.
The antioxidant compounds (like polyphenols and anthocyanins) were positively affected by a solution concentration equal to and higher than 700 μS cm‑1. These data showed that the adoption of a soilless system may be fundamental to optimizing resources like fertilizer and water, without compromising the final fruit quality.
Publication
Authors
D. Raffaelli, F. Mecozzi, V. Pergolotti, L. Mazzoni, B. Mezzetti, F. Capocasa
Keywords
Vaccinium corymbosum, soilless, fertilization, sensorial quality, nutritional quality
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