Boron and zinc foliar application enhanced the morphophysiological responses and mineral absorption in the hydroponically grown ‘Aromas’ strawberry

Abstract

Boron and zinc play a pivotal role in the fruit set, and the need for them is high at the phenological stages of plants. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of boron and zinc foliar application on the nutrient content and morphophysiological characteristics of ‘Aromas’ strawberries in the hydroponic system. A 3 × 3 factorial experiment was organized in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in the greenhouse under hydroponic system. Treatments were zinc sulfate (0, 100, and 200 mg L⁻¹) and boric acid (0, 500, and 1000 mg L⁻¹). Foliar application of the treatments was carried out in three times. The highest number (13.88) and weight (192.49 g plant⁻¹) of marketable fruits were found in strawberries treated with 200 mg L⁻¹ zinc sulfate + 500 mg L⁻¹ boric acid. The application of 200 mg L⁻¹ zinc sulfate or 200 mg L⁻¹ zinc sulfate + 500 mg L⁻¹ boric acid significantly increased the shoot biomass, K and Zn contents as well as anthocyanin compared to the control. Also, the foliar application of zinc and boron improved N and B absorption as well as shoot and root fresh weight. However, the boron and zinc foliar application have no substantial effect on the content of Mn and Cu in the shoot.

Keywords:

• Anthocyanin contents
• ‘Aromas’ strawberry
• biochemical analysis
• element uptake
• fruit yield

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University for providing the necessary facilities for conducting this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.