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The Influence of some Climatic Conditions on the Yield and Fruit Quality of Replanted Apple Orchard
The Effect of a Preparation Containing Humic Acids on the Growth, Yield, and Quality of Strawberry Fruits (Fragaria × ananassa (Duchesne ex Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier)
Humic acids are plant biostimulants, which can be used in horticulture as an effective and relatively inexpensive alternative to chemical means of production. The aim of the study was to assess how the fertiliser containing humic acids affected the growth, yield, and quality of strawberry fruits. In 2021, an experiment was conducted on two-year-old strawberry bushes (Fragaria× ananassa (Duchesne ex Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier) of the ‘Rumba’ cultivar growing on a horticultural farm in northern Wielkopolska, Poland. During the growing season, the soil was fertilized by the mineral fertilization and the bushes were sprayed two, three, or four times with the Humi Brown Gold fertiliser containing humic acids. In the experiment, the soil enzymatic activity, biometric parameters of strawberry leaves, fruit yield and fruit quality was assessed. It was determined that, in the experimental treatments where foliar fertilisation had been applied, the activities of proteases and dehydrogenases as well as soil respiration increased by more than double and were significantly higher than in the variants where soil fertilisers had been applied. The strawberry bushes treated with the humic acids fertiliser developed more than 60% larger surface leaves, bloomed more intensively and gave a higher yield. Fruits with significantly higher firmness were harvested from such bushes, with higher weight and extract content than those where the soil fertiliser had been applied. The difference was several tens of percent. This leads to the conclusion that the foliar application of humic acids could be an effective alternative to mineral fertilisation in strawberry plantations.
Biofumigation Treatment Using Tagetes patula, Sinapis alba and Raphanus sativus Changes the Biological Properties of Replanted Soil in a Fruit Tree Nursery
Apple replant disease (ARD) may cause significant losses both in commercial orchards and in fruit tree nurseries. The negative effects of ARD may be limited by using biofumigation. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of this treatment on the biological properties of replanted soil in a tree nursery. In two-year experiment, apple trees of the ‘Golden Delicious’ cultivar were used. The trees were planted into soil from two sites. The soil from one site had not been used in a nursery before (crop rotation soil). The other soil had been used for the production of apple trees (replanted soil). Three species of plants were used in the replanted soil as a forecrop: French marigold (Tagetes patula), white mustard (Sinapis alba), and oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleifera). The following parameters were assessed in the experiment: the enzyme and respiratory activity of the soil, the total count of bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and actinobacteria in the soil, as well as the count and species composition of soil nematodes. The vegetative growth parameters of the apple trees were also assessed. The biological properties of the replanted soil were worse than those of the crop rotation soil. In the replanted soil, the organic matter content, enzyme and respiratory activity as well as the count of soil microorganisms were lower. The biofumigants, used as a forecrop on the replanted soil, significantly increased its enzyme activity and respiratory activity. Dehydrogenase activity increased more than twofold. Growth parameters of the trees were significantly improved. The height of the trees increased by more than 50%, and the leaf area, weight and total length of side shoots were higher as well. The density of nematodes in the replanted soil after biofumigation was significantly reduced, with a larger reduction in the marigold fumigated soil. Eight of the eleven nematode species were completely reduced in the first year after biofumigation treatment.
The Use of Organic Additives for Replanted Soil in Apple Tree Production in a Fruit Tree Nursery
How soil is used affects its production characteristics in the future. Under ARD (Apple Replant Disease) conditions, replanted soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties deteriorate. Their improvement is possible through, for example, increasing the content of organic matter in the soil. The study aimed to assess the effect of two organic additives for replanted soil on its physical, chemical and biological properties, as well as on the vegetative growth of apple trees of the ‘Gala Schniga SchniCo(s)’ cultivar grafted on M.9 rootstock. The experiment was performed in 2021, in western Poland, on a nursery farm. The trees were planted in pots filled with soil from two stations: soil previously used for the production of apple trees (replanted soil) and nursery material (agricultural soil) unused for production so far. To fertilise it, three different portions of biocarbon and Carbomat Eco soil conditioner were added to the replanted soil. The experiment showed that apple trees grown on replanted soil had fewer side shoots, a smaller leaf area and a lower mass of leaves than those grown on agricultural soil. Furthermore, supplementation of replanted soil with organic additives caused a significant increase in its enzymatic activity and respiration, increased the rate of photosynthesis and improved several parameters determining the strength of vegetative growth in apple trees.
The Effect of the Foliar Application of Biostimulants in a Strawberry Field Plantation on the Yield and Quality of Fruit, and on the Content of Health-Beneficial Substances
In modern horticulture, biostimulants can be an effective alternative to traditional, industrial means of production. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of three biostimulants (Calgreen, Erathis, Greit VG) containing selected macronutrients (N, Ca), organic matter, and amino acids on the yield and quality of strawberries and their content of health-beneficial substances. In the comparative variant, the plants were treated with mineral fertilisers applied into the soil. In 2021, an experiment was conducted on a two-year-old strawberry plantation of the ‘Rumba’ cultivar located on a horticultural farm in northwestern Poland. The following parameters were assessed: the yield, weight, and firmness of fruits as well as their content of soluble substances, sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and anthocyanins. The use of biostimulants caused a decrease in soil acidity and salinity. In comparison with the soil fertilisation variant, the number of flowers and fruits on the plants increased by 50% to over 100%, which translated into a significant increase in the yield. The fruits from the plants treated with the biostimulants several times were of better quality. Their average weight, firmness, and the content of soluble substances (also after being stored for several days) increased significantly. However, the total content of sugars and ascorbic and malic acids, as well as the content of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, did not change.