Abstract
K and N are the nutrients with the highest influence on yield and fruit quality. From this perspective, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of N as NO3−, K+ and their interactions on the yield and quality of strawberries grown under soilless conditions. A solution comprised of micronutrients based on an amended Steiner’s Universal Nutrient Solution was mixed with 4 levels of K+ (5, 7, 9 and 11 mol m−3) and 3 levels of NO3− (9, 12, and 15 mol m−3) to obtain 12 treatments. The results suggest that 15 mol m−3 of NO3− in the nutrient solution produced the highest yield, but fruit with low nutraceutical quality. On the other hand, 11 mol m−3 of K+ in the nutrient solution produced the highest yield and fruit with the best nutraceutical quality. The ionic concentration of the Universal Steiner’s Nutrient Solution proved to be the best nutritional option to maximize the yield and nutraceutical quality of strawberry fruit. The increase in NO3− concentration in the nutrient solution produced a higher yield of strawberries, while a higher concentration of K+ improved fruit quality, thus reaffirming the significance of nutrients within the plant functioning of this crop.
Highlights
K and N are the most dynamic nutrients, whose deficiency most often affects crop yield and quality, even when only 2 of the 14 essential mineral nutrients for crop nutrition are diagnosed [1].Of the essential nutrients for strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivation, N stands out as one of the most important for promoting vigorous plant growth [2], allowing for high yields [3].proper precautions should be taken with N-nutrition because, with high concentrations, the nutraceutical quality tends to decrease; in this sense, when there is no N-deficit, the production of N-containing compounds, such as amino acids, proteins and alkaloids, is privileged [4,5]
The highest yield, number of fruit and firmness were obtained with treatments of 12 and 15 mol m−3 of NO3 − -N in the nutrient solution (Table 1); with 9 mol m−3, a larger fruit size was achieved; the latter refers to the equatorial and polar diameter, average weight of fruit and o Brix
The optimal concentration of N to maximize yield and number of fruits was not reached under the experimental conditions of this study, since there was a linear trend on these study parameters
Summary
K and N are the most dynamic nutrients, whose deficiency most often affects crop yield and quality, even when only 2 of the 14 essential mineral nutrients for crop nutrition are diagnosed [1].Of the essential nutrients for strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivation, N stands out as one of the most important for promoting vigorous plant growth [2], allowing for high yields [3].proper precautions should be taken with N-nutrition because, with high concentrations, the nutraceutical quality tends to decrease; in this sense, when there is no N-deficit, the production of N-containing compounds, such as amino acids, proteins and alkaloids, is privileged [4,5]. K and N are the most dynamic nutrients, whose deficiency most often affects crop yield and quality, even when only 2 of the 14 essential mineral nutrients for crop nutrition are diagnosed [1]. Of the essential nutrients for strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivation, N stands out as one of the most important for promoting vigorous plant growth [2], allowing for high yields [3]. Proper precautions should be taken with N-nutrition because, with high concentrations, the nutraceutical quality tends to decrease; in this sense, when there is no N-deficit, the production of N-containing compounds, such as amino acids, proteins and alkaloids, is privileged [4,5].
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