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Agrology Success Stories: Increase of Strawberry Firmness

Agrology’s Success Stories demonstrate the ability of Agrology’s Specialty Plant Nutrition Products to make a difference even from the very first application!

Our aim is to show that Agrology’s Nutrition Programs are a profitable investment for the grower as their economic benefits far outstrip the cost of the complementary applications!

One such Success Story was carried in strawberry (SS 2018_8_GR) in collaboration with Lainas P. in 2018. Lainas P. is an agrodealer and part of our NutriMasters® network in Greece. Throughout the whole process, the grower benefited from the continuous guidance and support offered by both Agrology’s Technical Department, and Lainas P.

Initially the crop area was divided into two equal plots, that consisted the 2 treatments of the Success Story. One was used as the Control plot, while Agrology’s Program was used in the second. In both treatments, the producer made use of same plant protection and plant nutrition – fertilization program. Agrology’s Specialized and Innovative Nutrition and Fertilization Products application was complementary in the trial plot.

Success Story Goals

The Program included the implementation of Specialized and Innovative Plant Nutrition Product, Gravital® Force. It is important to mention the importance of application timing, that allowed producer to maximize the agronomic benefits.

The objectives of this Success Story were as follows:

  1. Increase Fruit Resistance against post-harvest rotting
  2. Increase Fruit Durability against post harvesting chain handling
  3. Improve Strawberries Firmness (reducing the “maceration” of the strawberry fruits)
  4. Reduce Total Fruit Losses in retail market
  5. Increase Strawberry Shelf-life

General Info of the Success Story

  • Cultivation Period: 2017 – 2018
  • Location: Kapeleto, Ilias
  • NutriMaster®: Lainas P.
  • Owner of the Estate: Athanasopoulos Nikolaos
  • Cultivation: Greenhouse Strawberry
  • Variety: Fortuna
  • Area of Greenhouse cultivation: 20 ha
  • Area of Success Story: 1 ha
  • Date of transplantation: 18/10/2017, 68.000 plants/ha
  • Treatments: Control & Agrology Program
  • Irrigation system: Drip irrigation
  • Plant Protection Program: Common to the whole crop
Strawberry Greenhouse
Picture 1. Strawberry Greenhouse

Special Nutrition Program

Supplementary fertigation applications with Gravital® Force. Dosage: 20 kg/ha per application.

  •   1st Application: 15 December​
  •   2nd Application: 15 January​
  •   3dApplication: 15 February​
  •   4th Application: 15 March​

Application Intervals: 1 per month

Beginning of applications: 15 December 2017 – Vegetation development till inflorescence.

Picture 2. Application Program - Growth Stage
Picture 2. Application Program – Growth Stage

Besides the above supplementary applications, the farmer applied the same Fertilization/ Nutrition and Plant protection program, in both treatments (Control + Agrology Program) throughout the growing season.

Success Story Results

Measurements during fruits shelf life revealed impressive results in the Agrology treatment. Specifically, the results were as follows:

  • Improve Strawberries Firmness (reducing the “maceration” of the strawberry fruits)
  • Reduce of the softened fruit percentage after 6 & 7 days maintenance at room temperature
Picture 3. Strawberry Samples of Control (upper row) and Agrology’s Program (Gravital® Force, down row), after non-refrigerated maintenance (at room temperature) for 5, 6 & 7 days (From left to right).
Picture 3. Strawberry Samples of Control (upper row) and Agrology’s Program (Gravital® Force, down row), after non-refrigerated maintenance (at room temperature) for 5, 6 & 7 days (From left to right).
  • Increase of strawberry Shelf-life
Picture 4. Strawberry fruit samples with Gravital® Force (left) and Control (right), after maintenance at room temperature, for 5 days after harvest. The white circles indicate areas of soft fruit pulp and/or fungal infections.
Picture 4. Strawberry fruit samples with Gravital® Force (left) and Control (right), after maintenance at room temperature, for 5 days after harvest. The white circles indicate areas of soft fruit pulp and/or fungal infections.
Picture 5. Strawberry fruit samples with Gravital® Force (left) and Control (right), after maintenance at room temperature, for 7 days after harvest. The white indicate areas of soft fruit pulp and/or fungal infections.
Picture 5. Strawberry fruit samples with Gravital® Force (left) and Control (right), after maintenance at room temperature, for 7 days after harvest. The white indicate areas of soft fruit pulp and/or fungal infections.
  • Reduction of Total Fruit Losses percentage due to post-harvest decay
Picture 6. Percentage of infected fruits from post-harvest decay, after maintaining them at room temperature for a period of 1 to 7 days.
Picture 6. Percentage of infected fruits from post-harvest decay, after maintaining them at room temperature for a period of 1 to 7 days.
Picture 7. Strawberry fruit samples with Gravital® Force (left) and Control (right), maintaned at room temperature for 7 days after harvesting. The yellow circles indicate areas of fruit infected by fungal diseases.
Picture 7. Strawberry fruit samples with Gravital® Force (left) and Control (right), maintaned at room temperature for 7 days after harvesting. The yellow circles indicate areas of fruit infected by fungal diseases.

Conclusion

Conclusion
Conclusion

Learn more about Agrology Specialty Nutrition Programs from our specialized staff  Here!

This trial was carried out under specific field conditions and should not be replicated without the guidance of an agronomist or the Technical Department of Agrology. In all cases, Agrology products and programs must be applied in accordance with the label.