Silicate fertilization in semi-hydroponic strawberry cultivation

Abstract

Strawberry-producing technologies are rapidly developing for the cultivation of small red fruits. The Southern Minas Gerais stands out in Brazil’s production. In this context, the search for production improvements via nutrition and quality maintenance is indispensable for cultivation. This study aimed to evaluate how different silicon doses can influence the production and quality of strawberry fruits from national and imported seedlings. For the experiment, strawberry seedlings from the ‘San Andreas’ cultivar, of national and Chilean origins, were used. The plants were grown in a semi-hydroponic system and corresponding silicon doses (0, 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000 mg L−1) were tested via foliar application. A split-plot design was used, in a 5×2 factorial scheme, with four replications and 10 plants per plot. By physical and physicochemical evaluations, alterations in the production and quality of the fruits were analyzed. The foliar application of silicon – to complement the strawberry nutrition – did not increase the productivity or quality of the fruits, regardless of the nationality of the seedlings. The only difference regarding origin was associated the vigor of plants.

Keywords

• Fragaria x ananassa
• substrate
• nutrient solution
• production
• quality