Silicate fertilization in semi-hydroponic strawberry cultivation

Abstract

Strawberry-producing technologies are rapidly developing for the cultivation of small red fruits. The Southern Minas Geraisstands out in Brazil’s production. In this context, the search for production improvements via nutrition and quality maintenanceis indispensable for cultivation. This study aimed to evaluate how different silicon doses can influence the production andquality of strawberry fruits from national and imported seedlings. For the experiment, strawberry seedlings from the ‘SanAndreas’ cultivar, of national and Chilean origins, were used. The plants were grown in a semi-hydroponic system andcorresponding silicon doses (0, 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000 mg L−1) were tested via foliar application. A split-plot design wasused, 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 thestrawberry 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.