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?