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Plant Nutrition’s Impact on Produce Quality
Women Managing the Farm Conference - February 14, 2020
Sara Segovia
Content Layout
• Importance of Produce Quality
• Plant Nutrition’s Role in Ag
• Plant Nutrition: the Basics
• Plant Nutrition and Produce Quality
• Identifying Plant Nutritional Needs
• Preparing for Success
• Q&A
Goal: Share plant nutrition knowledge as another tool to increase marketable yield.
The Importance of Produce Quality
• Quality defined as “fitness for the purpose”
• Where does quality fit in the market?
Quality Requirements Throughout the Market
Producers Retailers Consumers
High yields Appearance Appearance at sale
Good appearance Firmness Flavor
Ease of harvest Shelf life
Endurance during transport
The Importance of Produce Quality
Increase in demand
Traveling longer distances
Year round produce
Changes in diet
Increase in efficiency
Increase in consistency
The Importance of Produce QualityMultiple Approaches to Enhance Quality
GENETICS
AGROCHEMISTRY
DIET
The Importance of Produce QualityMultiple Approaches to Enhance Quality
GENETICS
AGROCHEMISTRY
DIET
PLANT NUTRITION
Plant Nutrition’s Role in Ag
• The industry is becoming more
– Prescriptive
– Accurate
Right
Source
Rate
Place
Time
The 4 R’s
Plant Nutrition’s Role in Ag
Right
Source
Rate
Place
Time
The 4 R’s
• Precision Ag
• Nanotechnology
• Biologicals
• Delivery methods
• PGRs
• User safety
Plant Nutrition – The Basics
1. Get to know the nutrients
2. Learn what affects plant nutrient availability
3. Learn how nutrients can be most effective
4. Plan for the best timing
5. Identify nutritional needs in the field
Plant Nutrition – The Basics
Essential Nutrients Beneficial
Non-Mineral Nutrients
MacroNutrients
MicroNutrients
C N Ca Fe B Na
H P Mg Mn Cl Co
O K S Zn Mo Si
Cu Ni Se
How to use Plant Nutrition to improve Produce Quality?
Plant Nutrition – The Basics
• Soil pH
• Soil organic matter
• Soil texture
• Nutrient source
• Soil water retention
Know what affects nutrient availability.
Plant Nutrition and Produce Quality
Physiological
processes
Physical quality
Microbial activity
Nutrients serve many functions in crop development.
Plant Nutrition and Produce QualityP
hys
iolo
gic
al p
roce
sses
• Ethylene production
• Cellular respiration
• Sugar storage/transportation
• Amino acid
Ph
ysic
al q
ual
ity
• Marketability
• Turgor and vigor
• Fruit firmness
• Moisture loss
• Flavor/aroma
Mic
rob
ial a
ctiv
ity
• Mitigate disease opportunity
• Increase plant immune functions
• Decrease premature degradation
Plant Nutrition and Produce Quality
N, P, Mg, Fe, Cu, S, Cl, Mn
Ca, B, Zn, K, Mn, P
N, P, Mg, Mn, Si, B, Ca
ENERGY PRODUCTION
FRUIT DEVELOPMENT
PLANT STRUCTURE & ROOT GROWTH
FLOWER/FRUIT SET
Ca, B, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni
Plant Nutrition and Fruit Quality
Germination
• N, P, K, Mg, Mn, Zn, Ni
Vegetative
• N, Ca, Mg, B, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu, Si
Flowering
• Ca, B, Mg, Zn, Ni, Mo
Fruit Development
• Ca, B, Co, P, Zn, Mn, Si
Seed Formation
• N, S, P, K, Zn, Ca, B, Ni
Maturity Senescence
• B, Cu, P, K, N
Identifying Plant Nutritional Needs
Zippering
• Abnormal development in flower bud/pollination
• Boric Acid, Sodium Tetraborate
• Copper Chelate, Copper Sulfate
Blossom End Rot
• Calcium deficiency
• Calcium Nitrate, Calcium Gypsum, bone meal, compost, CaChelates, CaChloride
Catfacing
• Abnormal development in flower bud/pollination
• Boric Acid, Sodium Tetraborate
• Cooper Chelate, Copper Sulfate
• ZnSulfate, ZnChelate, ZnOxide
Cracking
• Fruit expands too quickly, cuticle can’t keep up
• Calcium Nitrate, Calcium Gypsum, bone meal, compost,
• Boric Acid, Sodium Tetraborate, Solubor
Blossom Drop
• Insufficient pollination
• Boric Acid, Sodium Tetraborate
• Copper Chelate, Copper Sulfate
Yellow Shoulder
• Imbalanced K+, less sugar available
• Potassium Nitrate, Sulfate of Potash, Potassium chloride
Identifying Plant Nutritional Needs
Deformed Fruit Bud
• Potential Boron deficiency
• Boric Acid, Sodium Tetraborate
Poor Fruit Set
• Potential Zinc and Boron deficiency
• Boron and Zinc Chelates, Zinc Sulfate
Easy Bruising – Poor Firmness
• Reduced cuticle size/cell wall integrity
• Potassium Silicate, Calcium Nitrate, Iron Chelate, Iron Sulfate
Yellowing
• Nitrogen deficiency or Iron deficiency
• Manure, Urea, Iron Chelates, Iron Sulfate
Tipburn
• Potential calcium deficiency/cell wall breakdown
• Calcium Nitrate, Calcium Gypsum, Calcium Chloride, and Calcium Chelates
Purple Leaves
• Potential phosphorus deficiency
• Manure, compost, Rock Phosphate, monoammonium phosphate
Photo credit: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/strawberry-boron-b-deficiency
Preparing for Success
Reproductive Stage
• Cell wall formation
• Cell elongation
• Sugar transport
• Seed production
• Hormonal regulation
Vegetative Stage
• Cell division
• Root/shoot growth
• Protein synthesis
• Hormonal regulation
• Cell wall formation
Why is having adequate supply of Calcium, Boron, and Zinc important?
Ca, B, & Zn
Preparing for Success
QUALITY PARAMETERS
High yields
Good appearance
Ease of harvest
Endurance during transport
Know our soil, know our crop.
Be balanced, be timely.
Plant Nutrition’s Impact on Produce Quality
• Better genetics, automatic harvest equipment, big data,
– these factors will continue to influence the ag industry and enhance produce quality
• However, nutrition will always remain essential.
Thank you!
Any questions?