Interação entre a exclusão de micronutrientes, aplicação de silicato de potássio no desenvolvimento e qualidade da cultura do morango

Abstract

Strawberry stands out in the global market for its remarkable sensory characteristics, such as intense red coloration, pleasant aroma, and sweet flavor with slight acidity. Proper fertilization management is essential to ensure plant development, productivity, and fruit quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the micronutrients manganese, iron, and boron applied via fertigation, as well as potassium silicate, on the morphological, physiological, productive, and qualitative aspects of strawberry cultivation. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Erechim campus of the Federal University of Fronteira Sul, using the cultivar 'San Andreas'. The experimental design adopted was randomized blocks, with eight replications, in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, totaling 32 experimental units. Each unit consisted of one slab containing two strawberry seedlings, resulting in a total of 64 plants. The treatments consisted of micronutrient exclusion, with the following levels: (1) complete fertigation solution; (2) fertigation solution without boron; (3) fertigation solution without manganese; and (4) fertigation solution without iron. For the potassium silicate application factor via fertigation, two levels were considered: with and without product application. The variables evaluated included growth (plant height), production (number of fruits, number of flowers, yield, and fruit weight), and fruit quality (soluble solids content, °Brix). The results showed that the exclusion of boron, manganese, and iron did not promote statistically significant changes in most of the variables evaluated. Potassium silicate application provided a significant increase in the number of fruits per plant, in addition to showing a trend of increased yield and fruit set, especially in treatments subjected to iron omission. Physiological variables related to gas exchange, chlorophyll content, and water use efficiency remained stable among treatments, evidencing that nutrient omissions and silicate application did not compromise the physiological functioning of strawberry plants under the evaluated conditions. Furthermore, the cultivar 'San Andreas' demonstrated high homeostatic resilience, maintaining its basal physiological parameters even under temporary micronutrient omission, which reinforces its robustness and adaptive capacity. This behavior, combined with the increment provided by potassium silicate, highlights the potential of this input as a complementary tool in the nutritional management of strawberry crops.