Influence of organic and mycorrhizal fertilization on productivity and quality of strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) in sub-Saharan Africa (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)

Auteurs

Université de Yaoundé I

Alanis Cindy Noadje Kameni
Autres affiliations : Carnegie Department of Plant Biology
Autres affiliations : Carnegie Department of Plant Biology

Résumé

Abstract Introduction: A good fertilization practice is necessary to effectively improve the growth, yield and quality of Fragaria × ananassa Duch. in tropical areas. Materials and methods : This study proposed a fertilization approach for strawberry cultivation under poor soil conditions. The experimental design was a completely randomized block design with two factors: varieties (V1: Rubygem and V2: Charlotte) as the main factor and treatments (unfertilized control (T0), mineral fertilizer (T1), organic fertilizer (T2), mycorrhizae (T3) and the combination of organic fertilizer + mycorrhizae (T4)) as the secondary factor, with four repetitions. Results and discussion: The results show that the highest yield values were obtained with organic fertilizer treatments (46.24 ± 3.01 g/plant) in the Rubygem variety, while in the Charlotte variety, the combination of organic fertilizer + mycorrhizae (64.37 ± 4.79 g/plant) was more effective. Additionally, organic fertilizer applied alone and in combination with mycorrhizae proved to be the fertilizers that produced the highest numbers of runners in both varieties used (T2: 5 ± 1 and T4: 5 ± 0 for Rubygem; T2: 14.33 ± 2.52 and T4: 14 ± 2 for Charlotte). Regardless of the variety, organic fertilizer effectively increased phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium contents. Furthermore, the response to mycorrhization was found to be variety-dependent. Indeed, in Rubygem, mycorrhizae significantly improved the protein content of the fruits and the content of pigments during flowering. In contrast, in Charlotte, it is rather the sugar and pigment contents during fruiting that have been significantly improved. Conclusion: Our findings suggest using organic fertilizer alone or in combination with mycorrhizae to improve strawberry production and quality. More investigations are required to assess this experiment under other conditions. Significance of this study What is already known on this subject? In Cameroon, strawberry cultivation is still on the rise and few strawberry growers use cultivation systems exclusively based on organic sources and fungi. It is known that organic fertilizers and mycorrhizae are important for producing organic strawberries to improve their growth, yield and quality. What are the new findings? Overall, organic fertilizers led to the highest mineral element content in the two strawberry varieties studied, as well as improved growth and yield parameters. The effects were similar, particularly in terms of growth and yield, with the application of organic fertilizer combined with mycorrhizae. However, except for the protein content in the Rubygem variety and the sugar content in the Charlotte variety, mycorrhizal fungi had a relatively minor influence on the parameters; the results were almost similar to those obtained with mineral fertilizer. What is the expected impact on horticulture? There is an expectation for the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices through the adoption of organic fertilizers, which is essential in a tropical context where soil degradation is a concern. These results could stimulate further research on the interactions between mycorrhizae, plants and organic fertilizers.

Résumé

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