Nutrition, yield and quality of ‘Niagara Rosada’ vine fruits using cattle slurry and plastic cover

Abstract

Abstract Plastic cover and organic fertilization for grapevine can bring synergistic benefits in yields and fruit quality. The objective was to characterize and measure the effects of fertilization with cattle slurry in systems without and with plastic cover on plant nutrition, yield and quality of ‘Niagara Rosada’ fruits. Two experiments were carried out and evaluated in contiguous areas, without and with plastic cover, each one using a randomized complete block design with 4 treatments represented by cattle slurry rates of 0, 20, 40 and 60 m3 ha-1, with four replicates. The nutritional status of grapevines was not affected by cattle slurry application without plastic cover in plants growing on fertile sandy soil. Plastic cover provides better nutrition ofprimary macronutrients and higher yield and fruit quality, even without the use of manure. Without plastic cover, cattle slurry rates above 20 m3 ha-1 and below 60 m3 ha-1 were able to balance phosphate and potassium nutrition in these systems, increasing fruit yield by 31% up to 32 m3 ha-1, respectively. However, this increment represented 64% of the average yield of fruits obtained with plastic cover without organic fertilization. Thus, the use of plastic cover on grapevine represents a conservationist soil fertility management, adding sustainability and increasing fruit yield and quality.