Albinism in strawberries causes white spots and insipid flavor
In a visit made to a strawberry field, we observed together with the grower, a physiopathy called albinism, where the fruit had white spots lacking its characteristic red color and its flavor was insipid
A combination of winds and low temperatures make the fruits lose water causing the plants to become stressed, making them weak and resulting in smaller fruits.
Where albinism in strawberries is most characterized is in the fields where there was a high amount of nitrogen and very continuous or frequent irrigations when the weather was cloudy quickly changing to hot or sunny.
The excess of nitrogen generates a deficiency in the concentration of sugars in the fruit. It is corrected by reducing the concentration of nitrogen and increasing the concentration of calcium and potassium. For this, it will be necessary to perform a foliar analysis to determine the concentration of calcium and potassium, and in this way avoid albinism in strawberries.
Nitrogen deficiency in strawberry decreases the vigor of the plants and their productivity but improves the organoleptic quality of the fruit. However, the excess of nitrogen increases the vigor of the plants, reduces the floral induction, delays the flowering, reduces the quality of the fruits in relation to the sugar content, texture, coloration, formations occur, and favors the attack of pests and diseases. The increase in nitrogen content generally leads to an increase in the respiratory rate and a lower concentration of total pectin in ripe fruits.
To avoid and reduce this type of problem, especially in an episode of cloudy weather with high probabilities of days with heat in the near future, it is necessary to monitor and control with greater care the applications of nitrogen, as well as the frequency of the irrigation.
Constant monitoring of nutrients, irrigation, and being attentive to sudden climatic changes is recommended to prevent deficiencies that can damage the quality of our fruit.
A good strawberry fertilizer program should be based on both characteristics of the plantation and on the data provided by the analysis of leaves, soil, and irrigation water. Tissue analysis is the most appropriate method to diagnose the nutritional status of the plantation and evaluate the availability of plant reserves. The soil analysis provides complementary information on the characteristics of the soil that affect the behavior of the fertilizers and the availability of nutrients assimilable by the plant. The analytical data of the irrigation water allow evaluating its quality and content in mineral salts.
The results of water, tissue, and soil analyses will give us a clear understanding of nutrient elements found in irrigation water and soil, elements that plants are absorbing correctly, the existence of antagonisms between ions or other interferences that impede absorptions of some nutrients.
Crop Nutritional Monitoring in strawberry fields
At AGQ Labs we have been working for more than 25 years in the continual monitoring of plant needs at any given time. In a practical and dynamic manner, throughout the growing season, we monitor the crop’s needs for water and nutrients, in order to adjust the irrigation and fertilizer regime to that demand.
Moreover, with such monitoring, we achieve a sustainable agricultural practice because there is no leaching that contaminates the aquifers or harms the soil structure. The result is:
- Minimization of environmental impacts
- Optimization of nutritive irrigation
- Better quality product
- Important savings in fertilizer costs
- Greater productivity and larger yields
To accomplish this, we have developed an internal Crop Nutritional Monitoring procedure, based on analyzing soil solutions extracted using our patented suction probes. At all times, our guarantee is based on the know-how gained by AGQ Labs over the course of our history.
Through our continual efforts, we have reached optimal reference values for the major crops. Our agronomists from around the world are experts in the interpretation of all this information, thus contributing the greatest value in matters of irrigation and nutrition.
Please visit our website for more information about the solutions to avoid albinism in strawberries.
