QUALITY OF GARDEN STRAWBERRY FRUIT GROWN UNDER CONDITIONS OF TECHNOGENIC POLLUTION

Abstract

The quality of fruit of garden strawberries grown on technogenically contaminated soils has been assessed. The highest level of copper and zinc in the fruit was recorded after broadcasting the recommended quantity of the fertiliser N90P60K30. Introduction of the sorbent ameliorant GREENODIN GRAY reduced the content of copper and zinc in the strawberries by 39 and 59% respectively. Researching the early-ripening strawberry cultivars Olviya and Rozana Kyivska has revealed varietal differences in the fruit’s trace element composition. Thus, it can be considered that selection of the proper cultivar is another effective method of obtaining environmentally safe products. Both strawberry cultivars under study were characterised by intense translocation of Cu and Zn into fruit. However, the Rozana Kyivska fruit contained 3 times more copper than the cultivar Olviya did. The zinc level, too, was higher in the Rozana Kyivska fruit (by 1.5 times). When introducing the recommended quantity of the fertiliser N90P60K30, the following criteria for the potential storability and transportability of the Olviya berries were recorded: resistance to phytopathogens, dense consistency of a berry, and the dry matter content 10.08%. As a result, the Olviya  berries  had the longest shelf life – 7 days, when stored in cooling chambers at 0.5°С and relative air humidity 90%. The sugar-acid index in these samples had the maximum value 6.9%, but the amount of vitamin C was at a minimum. This research has become the basis for practical application of a technology of growing strawberries of the cultivar Olviya. The technology involves broadcasting the fertiliser N90P60K30 together with the sorbent ameliorant GREENODIN GRAY (500 kg/ha) during the primary tillage, and introduction of N45P30K15 with irrigation water. The resulting Olviya berries are resistant to diseases and phytopathogenic damage during storage, have high nutritional value, and are less likely to accumulate ecotoxicants. The yield of berries in the first year of using the plantation was 6,200–6,500kg/ha. The content of nitrates and heavy metals in the berries did not exceed the maximum permissible concentration.