Abstract
ABSTRACT Introduction The use of pesticides in agriculture is crucial for crop protection although it potentially poses risks to the environment and human health. This has led to European Union initiatives to reduce chemical pesticide inputs which has driven innovation for more environmentally sustainable solutions. Biostimulants, including silicon‐based products, represent a promising strategy to improve crop growth and quality in horticultural crops, such as strawberries. This research investigates silicon‐based biostimulants and their impact on production and disease control in strawberry crops. Material and Methods Three commercial style trials were conducted in glasshouse and polytunnel growing environments to evaluate different silicon‐based biostimulant (Si_bio) products and application methods against a standard pesticide and reduced pesticide programme. Results The main findings of this research point to growing system having a major effect on strawberry production where biostimulants are used, with a positive effect of biostimulant use only noted in the polytunnel system. Our results show that although certain parameters responded positively to silicon‐based biostimulant application, such as increases to total weight and total yield, these were only significant in a single trial. Where overall yield increases were detected, this did not result in an increase in marketable yield. Pesticides remain more effective than biostimulants in reducing disease incidence of the fungal diseases grey mould and powdery mildew. Conclusion The impact on most agronomic parameters was limited and inconsistent across trials, however this work expands our understanding of the effectiveness of silicon biostimulants in strawberry production and disease management.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon biostimulants increased total strawberry weight in one trial.
- Taxon
- strawberry
_single2.jpg?width=60)
Fragaria ×ananassae2 - Treatment
- silicon‐based biostimulant applicatione1
- Outcome
- total weighte0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Qualifier
- in a single triale0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_single2.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“increases to total weight and total yield, these were only significant in a single trial”
e1“silicon‐based biostimulant application”
e2“impact on production and disease control in strawberry crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon biostimulants increased total strawberry yield in one trial.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae2
- Treatment
- silicon‐based biostimulant applicatione1
- Outcome
- total yielde0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Qualifier
- in a single triale0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increases to total weight and total yield, these were only significant in a single trial”
e1“silicon‐based biostimulant application”
e2“impact on production and disease control in strawberry crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Observed overall yield increases did not raise marketable strawberry yield.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
- Outcome
- marketable yielde0
- Direction
- did not result in an increasee0
- Comparator
- overall yield increasese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Where overall yield increases were detected, this did not result in an increase in marketable yield.”
e1“impact on production and disease control in strawberry crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Pesticides reduced grey mould incidence more effectively than biostimulants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
- Treatment
- Pesticidese0
- Outcome
- disease incidence of the fungal diseases grey moulde0
- Direction
- more effectivee0
- Comparator
- biostimulantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pesticides remain more effective than biostimulants in reducing disease incidence of the fungal diseases grey mould and powdery mildew.”
e1“impact on production and disease control in strawberry crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Pesticides reduced powdery mildew incidence more effectively than biostimulants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
- Treatment
- Pesticidese0
- Outcome
- powdery mildewe0
- Direction
- more effectivee0
- Comparator
- biostimulantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pesticides remain more effective than biostimulants in reducing disease incidence of the fungal diseases grey mould and powdery mildew.”
e1“impact on production and disease control in strawberry crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Effects of silicon biostimulants on most agronomic parameters were limited and inconsistent across trials.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
- Outcome
- impact on most agronomic parameterse0
- Qualifier
- across trialse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The impact on most agronomic parameters was limited and inconsistent across trials”
e1“impact on production and disease control in strawberry crops”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.