Organic fertilization: An intelligent approach towards improved fruit quality

Application of organic compounds is an effective strategy to lessen or eliminate the use of mineral fertilizers¹. Organic fertilization allows environment sustainability and is useful to preserve the natural resources as well as for recycling the materials. Moreover, it is environmental friendly and economically feasible activity².

Plants that belong to genus Physalis are herbaceous and shrubby and their fruits are covered by a capsule. These fruits contain significant amounts of vitamin A, B and C, in addition to minerals, tocopherol as well as carotenoids³. According to recent investigations, they also possess the antioxidant activity, chiefly due to presence of phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid⁴.

For enhancement of Physalis fruit quality, the organic fertilization can be a better alternative. Therefore, considering this situation, scientists investigated the fruit properties of two Physalis species, Physalis peruviana and Physalis pubescens cultivated in different sources of nitrogen-mineral and organic fertilizer (poultry litter), under field conditions⁶.

The experimental design used was randomized blocks, with two species, three fertilizer treatments and five blocks, being characterized as a factorial experiment (2×3) with two qualitative variables⁶.

This study revealed that the organic fertilization yields good results regarding biochemical parameters, by making sure the good quality of the fruits of both species of Physalis. Conclusively, this research can help to improve the quality of fruits in a reasonable price and by avoiding wastes. In addition to economic gains, it is significant to emphasize on the benefits that this technique possesses for the environment.

Hence, utilization of organic matter from the poultry litter is not only a better substitute of the mineral fertilization but it also pave a way for less environmental contamination, chiefly of the water sources.

Key words: organic compounds, mineral fertilizers, antioxidant activity, biochemical parameters, Physalis peruviana, Physalis pubescens, environmental contamination

References:

Barbieri, R.L. and M. Vizzoto, 2012. Pequenas frutas ou frutas vermelhas. Inf. Agropec., 33: 7-10.
Vidigal, S.M., M.A.N. Sediyama, M.W. Pedrosa and M.R. dos Santos, 2010. [Onion yield in organic system using organic compost of swine manure]. Hortic. Bras., 28: 168-173.
Hassanien, M.F.R., 2011. Physalis peruviana: A rich source of bioactive phytochemicals for functional foods and pharmaceuticals. Food Rev. Int., 27: 259-273.
Bravo, K., S. Sepulveda-Ortega, O. Lara-Guzman, A.A. Navas-Arboleda and E. Osorio, 2015. Influence of cultivar and ripening time on bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties in Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.). J. Sci. Food Agric., 95: 1562-1569.
Ana Claudia Ariati, Marisa de Cacia Oliveira, Edenes Maria Schroll Loss, Marco Antonio Bosse, Chaiane Renata Grigolo and Cristiane de Oliveira Bolina, 2017. Effects of Mineral and Organic Nitrogen on Chemical Characteristics of Physalis Fruits. J. Agron., 16: 94-100.