EFFECTS OF CATION COMPOSITION OF THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION ON TIPBURN INCIDENCE IN STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIA x ANANASSA DUCH.) SOILLESS CULTIVATION

Six nutrient solutions were used to fertigate strawberry plants (cv ‘Camarosa’) in coconut peat grown under a glasshouse.
Different proportions of K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in the nutrient solutions were adjusted following a {3,2} simplex lattice design to maintain the cation composition of the nutrient solutions at 30 meq l^{– 1}. Concentrations of each cation varied between 2.25 and 12 meq l^-1 (K and Ca) and between 0.75 and 10.5 meq l^-1 (Mg). The yield and quality of the production, leaf area, petiole length and tipburn incidence were measured.
The response was modelled fitting a second degree canonical polynomial equation (cation proportions) to the results.
Yield and quality parameters were greater with nutrient solutions containing high levels of Ca²⁺ despite K⁺ or Mg²⁺ concentrations, but tipburn incidence was greater with high levels of K⁺, medium to low levels of Mg²⁺ and low levels of Ca.
Leaf area per plant and petiole length were also greater with high levels of K⁺, medium to low levels of Mg²⁺ and low levels of Ca, which suggests a possible relation of luxury growth with tipburn incidence in strawberry.

VI International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climate: Product and Process Innovation

S. López-Galarza, E. Escrivá, A. San Bautista, B. Pascual, J.V. Maroto

substrates, coconut peat, fertigation, model response

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.614.87