Abstract
Strawberries are rich in antioxidants and plant components to enhance cardiac health and regulate blood sugar. This experiment investigates the effects of N fertilization and foliar spraying with calcium (Ca) and boron (B) on growth, chemical composition of plant foliage, fruit yield, and quality of strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. cv. Fortuna). This experiment includes 12 treatments from the combination between four N fertilizers treatments (combinations of mineral and organic fertilizers) and three foliar spraying treatments with Ca+B at 2 and 4 mL/L in addition to the control treatment (spraying with tap water). Results show that the treatment where 50% of the recommended dose of N (50% RDN) was applied with mineral fertilizer + 100% organic N was the most effective one since it induced the highest values of plant height, number of crowns per plant, number of leaves per plant, fresh and dry weight per plant, especially when combined with the foliar application of Ca+B at the highest tested rate (4 mL/L). The highest values of N, P, K, Ca, B, and total carbohydrate contents were also scored for the combination of 50% RDN + 100% organic N and the foliar spraying with Ca+B at 4 mL/L in both growing seasons. In addition, the highest values of fruit yield per plant and per hectare, exportable fruit yield/ha, fruit firmness, fruit TSS, Vitamin C, total sugars, and anthocyanin, as well as the lowest values of total acidity were recorded for the combined treatment of 50% RDN + 100% organic and Ca+B at the highest rate (4 mL/L). The highest recorded value of length, diameter, and weight of fruit were scored by fertilizing strawberry plants with the recommended dose of mineral N (100% RDN) and spraying with Ca+B at the highest rate in both growing seasons. In conclusion, it could be suggested that fertilization of strawberry plants with half the recommended dose with mineral N fertilizer + 100% organic fertilizer and foliar spraying with Ca+B at 4 mL/L increases plant growth and improve yield parameters and fruit quality of the strawberry plants.
Highlights
Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is one of the most important fruit crops grown in Egypt for fresh consumption, exportation, and processing, which belongs to the Rosaceae family [1]
The experimental area was located at an altitude of 45 m above mean sea level between 30.45 N latitude and 31.10 E longitude to investigate the effect of mineral and organic N fertilizers, as well as the effect of foliar spraying with Ca and B on growth, chemical composition, fruit yield and quality of strawberry plants
The improvement in plant growth, due to the combined supplementation of mineral and organic N could be attributed to the slow release of N in organic fertilizers, which may better fulfill the plant requirements during the later stages of the growing season, while mineral fertilizers can compensate for the needed N in early to mid-stages, due to the presence of both nitrates and ammonium N in the tested mineral fertilizer
Summary
Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is one of the most important fruit crops grown in Egypt for fresh consumption, exportation, and processing, which belongs to the Rosaceae family [1]. The average area cultivated in 2019 with strawberries in Egypt was increased and reached about 16,248 ha, while the harvested area and total production in the world for the same year reached 396,401 ha and 8,885,028 tons, respectively [1]. The total exportable fruit yield was 54 thousand tons of fresh fruit and about 140 thousand tons of frozen strawberries (individual quick freeze IQF) according to the statistics of the Food and Horticulturae 2021, 7, 257. Egypt is the top place in the world in the export of frozen strawberries, according to the report of the World
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