Effect of organic fertilizer on growth of strawberry cultivar ‘Sonata’

Abstract

Organic agriculture is acquiring increased attention in Armenia with numerous projects and initiatives prioritizing production of ecologically clean agricultural products. Application of organic fertilizers is one of the key factors supporting sustainable organic production of fruits and vegetables, which requires knowledge of fertilization regimes adapted to crop types for achieving optimum productivity. The present study evaluates the effect of the organic fertilizer “Bioklad” (Bioklad Ltd.) on growth and development of strawberry plantlets. Three concentrations of the organic fertilizer, 1:400, 1:200 and 1:100 dilutions of the concentrate were tested. Plantlets of the cultivar ‘Sonata’ were grown for nine weeks in pots under controlled conditions in a phytotron. Yield, biomass and total phenolic content were not significantly different between Bioklad application treatments. Nevertheless, the Bioklad at the intermediate dilution 1:200 was most optimal for strawberry growth. The analysis of chemical composition of leaves indicated that nitrogen content was higher in plants grown at the lowest dilution (1:100) of Bioklad. In addition, plantlets had the lowest phenolic content at this treatment. Based on the presented results of Bioklad’s effect on strawberry plantlets growth, cost/value insight of this organic fertilizer has been estimated.