THE EFFECT OF FOLIAR FERTILIZATION WITH CALCIUM ON QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY CULTIVARS ‘LUNA’ AND ‘ZANTA’

The experiment was established in August 2004, at the Experimental Station of the Agricultural University in Krakow.
The study was conducted in 2005 and 2006. Planting material were potted strawberry plants of the cultivars ‘Luna’ and ‘Zanta’. The foliar sprays with two commercially available calcium preparations were made during flowering and after flowering to improve fruit quality parameters.
The experiment included three combinations: combination A) – calcium nitrate with enriched magnesium (2%) and boron (1%) at a dose of 12 ml 3 L^-1 H₂O; combination B) – calcium nitrate (15%) at a dose of 7.2 g 3 L^-1 H₂O; and control – without foliar spraying.
The foliar fertilization was performed in three periods: I – full flowering, II – end of flowering, III – fruit sets of about 1 cm in diameter.
Fertilization with calcium preparation did not significantly increase the yield and fruit mass of strawberries, however, significantly improved the firmness of the fruit.
The application of calcium preparations increased the storage time of fruit and increases the possibility of transport, especially for cultivars with a very delicate fruit.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Berries: From Genomics to Sustainable Production, Quality and Health

M. Bieniasz, M. Małodobry , E. Dziedzic

strawberry, yield, fruit weight, flesh firmness, calcium

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.926.64