Acta Scientiarum Polonorum: Hortorum Cultus (Apr 2015)
PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF Fe-nanosponge COMPLEX IN HORTICULTURE
Abstract
Iron deficiency is a major nutritional disorder in crops. Inorganic Fe-compounds and synthetic Fe-chelates are commonly used to control chlorosis but their use arise environmental concerns. We recently developed a new iron fertilizer using a β-cyclodextrin-based nanosponge complex (Fe-NS). In this study, a pilot trial was performed on hydroponically cultivated horticultural plants in order to evaluate the effect of Fe-NS. Sweet corn and tomato were used as model plants analyzing chlorophyll, dry matter and Fe content. Fe-NS effect was compared to FeSO4 and Fe-DTPA. Fe-NS had a positive effect on re-greening and growth in sweet corn and tomato plants.