Abstract
Among the different mineral nutrients, potassium (K) is recognized as the macronutrient that most strongly affects the quality parameters of crops. An adequate K nutrition is in fact associated with increased fruit size, enhanced nutraceutical properties (e.g., content of sugar, organic acids, antioxidants), improved color and increased shelf life for many agricultural products. Previous studies have shown that, in controlled conditions, the foliar application of K-based fertilizers during the fruit development period could improve fruit quality; however, it is not clear whether such positive results can also be obtained in field-cultivated plants. For these reasons, the aim of the present study was to assess if the repeated applications of K-based fertilizers during the production period (mid-June to late August) might affect the quality parameters of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa ‘Murano’) fruits. Frigoplants, transplanted in April, were cultivated in grow bags on cocopeat (8 plants per linear meter) and treated foliarly spraying K2SO4 (6 g L-1) either once or twice a week. Control plants were sprayed with distilled water. As expected, foliar K-fertilization increased the K concentration by 8-11% in fruits and by 7-5% in leaves according to the frequency of application (once and twice a week, respectively). In addition, strawberry fruits exhibited an enhanced total soluble solids content (approximately 12%) and sweetness index (approximately 13%). Conversely, other nutraceutical compounds (e.g., phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols) as well as the fruit yield were not affected by K treatments, regardless the fertilization levels. In conclusion, results here presented show that at the field scale the foliar K-fertilization during the development of strawberries can enhance the quality and the nutraceutical value of fruits. © 2018 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar K-fertilization increased potassium concentration in strawberry fruits by 8-11% relative to distilled-water controls.
- Taxon
- strawberry
_single2.jpg?width=60)
Fragaria ×ananassat0 - Organ / stage
- fruitse1
- Treatment
- foliar K-fertilizatione1
- Outcome
- K concentratione1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 8-11%e1
- Comparator
- distilled watere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_single2.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“Foliar application of potassium-based fertilizer improves strawberry fruit quality”
e1“foliar K-fertilization increased the K concentration by 8-11% in fruits and by 7-5% in leaves”
e2“Control plants were sprayed with distilled water”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar K-fertilization increased potassium concentration in strawberry leaves by 7-5% relative to distilled-water controls.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Organ / stage
- leavese1
- Treatment
- foliar K-fertilizatione1
- Outcome
- K concentratione1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 7-5%e1
- Comparator
- distilled watere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Foliar application of potassium-based fertilizer improves strawberry fruit quality”
e1“foliar K-fertilization increased the K concentration by 8-11% in fruits and by 7-5% in leaves”
e2“Control plants were sprayed with distilled water”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar K-fertilization enhanced total soluble solids content of strawberry fruits by about 12% relative to distilled-water controls.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse3
- Treatment
- foliar K-fertilizatione1
- Outcome
- total soluble solids contente3
- Direction
- enhancede3
- Value
- approximately 12%e3
- Comparator
- distilled watere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Foliar application of potassium-based fertilizer improves strawberry fruit quality”
e1“foliar K-fertilization increased the K concentration by 8-11% in fruits and by 7-5% in leaves”
e2“Control plants were sprayed with distilled water”
e3“strawberry fruits exhibited an enhanced total soluble solids content (approximately 12%) and sweetness index (approximately 13%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar K-fertilization enhanced sweetness index of strawberry fruits by about 13% relative to distilled-water controls.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Organ / stage
- fruitse3
- Treatment
- foliar K-fertilizatione1
- Outcome
- sweetness indexe3
- Direction
- enhancede3
- Value
- approximately 13%e3
- Comparator
- distilled watere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Foliar application of potassium-based fertilizer improves strawberry fruit quality”
e1“foliar K-fertilization increased the K concentration by 8-11% in fruits and by 7-5% in leaves”
e2“Control plants were sprayed with distilled water”
e3“strawberry fruits exhibited an enhanced total soluble solids content (approximately 12%) and sweetness index (approximately 13%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Other nutraceutical compounds of strawberry fruit were not affected by K treatments.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- K treatmentse4
- Outcome
- other nutraceutical compoundse4
- Direction
- not affectede4
- Comparator
- distilled watere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Foliar application of potassium-based fertilizer improves strawberry fruit quality”
e2“Control plants were sprayed with distilled water”
e4“other nutraceutical compounds (e.g., phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols) as well as the fruit yield were not affected by K treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit yield of strawberry was not affected by K treatments.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- K treatmentse4
- Outcome
- fruit yielde4
- Direction
- not affectede4
- Comparator
- distilled watere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Foliar application of potassium-based fertilizer improves strawberry fruit quality”
e2“Control plants were sprayed with distilled water”
e4“other nutraceutical compounds (e.g., phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols) as well as the fruit yield were not affected by K treatments”
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