The effects of organic and conventional nutrient amendments on strawberry cultivation: Fruit yield and quality

Jennifer C Hargreaves¹ M Sina Adl¹, Philip R Warman^2,3 and H P Vasantha Rupasinghe⁴

Abstract
BACKGROUND: The nutrition of food is increasingly important to consumers. The popularity of organic food rests partly on the assumption that these products are healthier despite a lack of conclusive evidence. The effects of organic and inorganic fertilizer amendments on parameters of strawberry fruit quality, in terms of sugar, macro and micro-nutrients concentrations, and total antioxidant capacity were compared.

RESULTS: Treatments did not affect sugar content or total antioxidant capacity. Inorganic fertilizer treatments increased S and Mn content of berries compared to organic treatments. The K and P content of berries differed among years.

CONCLUSIONS: Organic amendments did not increase the fruit quality of strawberries compared to inorganic amendments.

Source
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2008) 88:2669–2675


Author Locations and Affiliations
(1) Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4J1
(2) Coastal BioAgresearch Ltd., Boutiliers Point, NS, Canada B3Z 1V1
(3) Department of Plant and Animal, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, P.O. Box 550, Truro, NS, Canada B2N 5E3
(4) Department of Environmental Sciences, The Nova Scotia Agricultural College, PO Box 550, Truro, NS, Canada B2N 5E3


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Posted February 2009