Foliar nutrition in apple production

In order to create conditions conducive to sustainable fruit production, involving optimum utilization of all sources of plant nutrients with minimum environmental pollution, it is necessary to reorient agricultural producers to use those types of fertilization that are environmentally safe and appropriate which can also satisfy all fruit tree nutrient requirements. This gives particular importance to foliar nutrition as this model poses the lowest risk of soil and groundwater contamination with undesirable mineral elements. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive review of research papers dealing with the effect of foliar feeding on development parameters in apple trees in an attempt to obtain a more thorough insight into the advantages and disadvantages of this fertilization type and facilitate the potential use of this practice for apple producers.Keywords: Malus x domestica, foliar fertilization, nutrient, leave

Cherry tomato productivity as influenced by liquid organic fertilizer under different growth conditions

This study was carried out to examine the impact of liquid organic fertilizer Ergonfill (LFE) on the yield and quality of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Sakura F1) under different growth conditions. The experiment was set up in a randomized blocks design with four variants in three replications. Experiment variants were as follows: drought-stressed seedlings with and without LFE treatment, and non-stressed seedlings with and without LFE treatment. Exposure of cherry tomato seedlings to controlled water stress conditions significantly increased fruit quality parameters (total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, lycopene, total phenolic and flavonoids, total antioxidant capacity), but decreased yield. LFE treatment significantly increased by the all examined parameters under normal growth conditions as compared to untreated plants, and for total phenolic and flavonoids content, total antioxidant capacity and total soluble solids this increase was statistically significant. Positive impact of the LFE application on cherry tomato quality is result of fertilizer composition, as well as ability of cherry tomato plants to use bioactive substances in fertilizer for its growth and development

Zinc and Copper Dynamics in the Soil - Plant System in Intensive Strawberry Production

The term heavy metal, when related to its impact on the life of the plant, almost always implies negative connotations. However, some heavy metals like copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are essential to maintain the metabolism of plant, and without them the plant would not be able to successfully complete its life cycle. The aim of this study was to examine the dynamics of Zn and Cu in the soil - plant system in intensive strawberry plantation on pseudogley soil in Northwestern Bosnia, area of Gradacac. The content of Zn and Cu in the examined soil, leaves and fruits of strawberries was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Zn and Cu contents (means +/- SEM) were 82.06 +/- 14.07 and 8.45 +/- 2.35 in soil, 100.34 +/- 4.61 and 0.41 +/- 0.11 in leaves, 91.72 +/- 6.32 and 0.32 +/- 0.18 in fruits expressed as mg/kg dry matter (DW), respectively. Uptake, translocation and accumulation of Zn in the leaves and fruits of strawberries was at a satisfactory level in accordance with the plant’s needs for this element, which was not the case when the dynamics of Cu was studied. Some of the main reasons for that were: a low Cu content in the examined soil, low mobility of Cu in the plant, and antagonistic relationship between Zn and Cu in soil