Influence of zinc and iron on strawberry growth and yield

Vrtna jagoda (Fragaria x ananassa) je široko uzgajana hibridna vrsta roda Fragaria. Moderna kultivirana jagoda uzgaja se zbog svojih plodova koji su među najukusnijim i najpopularnijim među voćem. Plod je široko cijenjen zbog svojih karakterističnih aroma, jarko crvene boje, sočne teksture i slatkoće. Mikronutrijenti najčešće djeluju kao katalizatori u promociji različitih organskih reakcija koje se provode unutar biljke te su zbog toga vitalni za njen rast. Sudjeluju u enzimskim sustavima i procesima fotosinteze zbog čega nedostaci tih elemenata često ograničavaju produktivnost voćnih usjeva. Cink je ključan za regulaciju sinteze proteina i održavanje aktivnosti auksina, a željezo je nužno za stvaranje klorofila i aktivaciju nekih enzima. Za idealan rast i razvoj nasada treba brinuti o cjelokupnom unosu hranjivih tvari te raditi na njihovoj ravnoteži tijekom cijele godine. Ovim radom provest će se pregled relevantne literature te usporediti i kritički sažeti dosadašnji rezultati znanstvenih istraživanja o utjecajima cinka i željeza na rast i prirod jagode. Dodatkom navedenih metala primjenom otopina cinkovog i željezovog sulfata dokazano se povećava prirod, veličina i kiselost ploda, ali i razvoj vegetativnih organa biljke. Veća koncentracija cinkovog sulfata rezultirala je produženim vijekom trajanja plodova jagode pri sobnoj temperaturi i poboljšanjem parametara njihove kvalitete. S druge strane, veća koncentracija željezovog sulfata može imati negativno djelovanje i usporiti rast, prirod i kvalitetu ploda jagoda. Odgovarajuće koncentracije pojedinih mikroelemenata potrebno je odrediti pojedinačno za svaki kultivar te na temelju rezultata provoditi prihranjivanje nasada.The garden strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus Fragaria. Modern cultivated strawberry is grown for its fruit and is one of the most delicious and most popular fruits. The fruit is widely valued for its aroma characteristics, bright red color, juicy texture and sweetness. Micronutrients are vital for plant growth, acting as a catalyst in promoting various organic reactions that take place within the plant. They are a part of many enzymatic systems and photosynthesis processes so their deficiencies often limit the productivity of fruit crops. Zinc is key for protein synthesis regulation and maintaining the auxin activity, iron is necessary for chlorophyll production and activation of some enzymes. To achieve ideal growth and development of fruit crops it is vital to maintain a balanced plant nutrition throughout the whole year. This paper aims to conduct a review and to compare and critically summarize all previous results of scientific research on the effects of zinc and iron on the growth and yield of strawberries. The application of zinc sulfate and ferrous sulfate increases fruit yield, size, and acidity of the fruit, as well as vegetative plant growth. The higher concentration of zinc sulfate resulted in extended fruit shelf life at room temperature and a higher quality of fruits. On the other hand, a higher concentration of ferrous sulfate had a negative effect and slowed growth, yield and quality of strawberry fruit. Adequate concentrations of individual micronutrients are necessary to implement for each cultivar and conduct the plant nutrition based on the given results