Effects of Edaphic Fertilization and Foliar Application of Se and Zn Nanoparticles on Yield and Bioactive Compounds in <i>Malus domestica</i> L.
Anay Montaño-Herrera,
Yair Olovaldo Santiago-Saenz,
César Uriel López-Palestina,
Gregorio Cadenas-Pliego,
Zeus H. Pinedo-Guerrero,
Alma Delia Hernández-Fuentes,
José Manuel Pinedo-Espinoza
Affiliations
Anay Montaño-Herrera
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Av. Universidad Km. 1, Rancho Universitario, Tulancingo 43600, Hidalgo, Mexico
Yair Olovaldo Santiago-Saenz
Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Circuito Ex Hacienda, La Concepción S/N, Carretera Pachuca Actopan, San Agustín Tlaxiaca 42160, Hidalgo, Mexico
César Uriel López-Palestina
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Av. Universidad Km. 1, Rancho Universitario, Tulancingo 43600, Hidalgo, Mexico
Gregorio Cadenas-Pliego
Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada, Saltillo 25294, Coahuila, Mexico
Zeus H. Pinedo-Guerrero
Departamento de Horticultura, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo 25315, Coahuila, Mexico
Alma Delia Hernández-Fuentes
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Av. Universidad Km. 1, Rancho Universitario, Tulancingo 43600, Hidalgo, Mexico
José Manuel Pinedo-Espinoza
Unidad Académica de Agronomía, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, km 15.5 Carretera Zacatecas-Guadalajara, Zacatecas 98170, Zacatecas, Mexico
In this study, we evaluated the effects of edaphic fertilization with N, P, and K (150-50-80, 100-60-60, and without edaphic fertilization (SFE)) and foliar fertilization with nanoparticles (NPs) of Se and Zn (Se: 50 ppm, Zn: 250 ppm, and no nanoparticles (NP0)) on the yield and antioxidant compounds of apple fruits. We conducted this study in a 20-year-old commercial orchard. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design of nine treatments. The treatments with fertilization doses of 150-50-80 and 100-60-60, supplemented with Se and Zn NPs, generally increased the yield, sugar content, and ascorbic acid of the apple fruits. The SFE + NPZn treatment produced the highest increase (+193% compared with the control) in fruit yield. The SFE + NPSe and SFE + NPZn treatments led to higher contents of phenols and flavonoids, with maximum values of 7.6 mg GAE and 15.82 mg QE per gram of dry weight. These compounds presented a direct correlation with the antioxidant activity in the fruits. The foliar application of Se and Zn nanoparticles supplemented the soil fertilization with N, P, and K to improve the yield and bioactive-compound synthesis of the apple fruits.
