Nitrogen and potassium doses for strawberry fertigation and its influence on soil chemical characteristics

Abstract

N and K nutrients are key to increasing productivity and improving the quality of strawberry fruits. However, the doses of these nutrients applied via fertigation are mainly defined by the cultivation experience. The aim of this study was to determine the combination of N and K₂O doses, applied via fertigation to strawberry cv. Camarosa, which provides higher yields and better fruit quality, as well as to establish its effect on characteristics related to plant nutrition and soil fertility. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out combining doses of N and K₂O applied via fertigation on strawberry cv. Camarosa. Yield and fruit quality characteristics, plant nutrition, and soil fertility were evaluated. It was possible to conclude that: N and K nutrients, applied via fertigation as mineral fertilizers, promote an increase in strawberry yield, but their combination must be balanced, to ensure better fruit quality; fertigation is an effective practice for the nutrition of strawberry plants, but periodic monitoring of the soil pH and electrical conductivity should be carried out, in order to maintain a suitable edaphic environment for crop development.