Leaf and Fruit Nutrient Concentration in Rojo Brillante Persimmon Grown under Conventional and Organic Management, and Its Correlation with Fruit Quality Parameters

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the concentrations of the main macroelements in leaves and fruit grown following organic and conventional practices, and to relate them to physico-chemical parameters during commercial fruit harvests. Three samplings were carried out during fruit maturation. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were determined in leaves and in two fruit flesh areas: basal and apical. Weight, color, firmness, soluble tannins (ST), and total soluble solids (TSS) were also evaluated in fruit. During the study period, the lowering leaf N concentration was accompanied by its increment in flesh. Leaf P and K lowered but did not imply changes in these concentrations in fruit. N, P, and K concentrations were higher in the apical area than in the basal flesh. No changes in Ca concentration occurred in leaf, but Ca translocation from the basal to the apical area was detected in fruit. Management affected the concentrations of leaf K and Mg and the fruit N, P and Ca. The agronomic efficiency of the macronutrients in the organic crops was superior to that in the conventional crops. The Ca and Mg and the N/Ca and Ca/(K+Mg) ratios were closely related to color, firmness, TSS, and ST content.

Reducing Postharvest Losses in Persimmon. Pre and Postharvest Aspects Involved in Fruit Quality and New Strategies for Valorization

“…Accordingly, the higher firmness values observed in the present study for the conventional crop in the first season were accompanied by a higher Ca concentration in those fruit (Table 3). These results agree with our previous studies, in which a positive correlation of the Ca concentration and fruit firmness appeared for 'Rojo brillante' persimmon (Vilhena et al, 2022b). Liu et al (2023) found positive effects on Ca treatment for maintaining cell wall structure integrity and for, thus, maintaining high 'Youhou' persimmon fruit firmness values.…”

“…The lower leaf N in the organic crop in the second season could be due to lesser N input, which would result in an N concentration being at the threshold of the optimum values. These results corroborate more efficient N use in organic than in conventional fertilization (Vilhena et al, 2022b). Similarly to that observed in leaves, no differences in the N concentration of the conventional fruit were observed between seasons, and values were similar to those of the organic fruit from the first season.…”

“…Cardoso et al (2011) found higher vitamin C content in this cultivar when it was conventionally produced than those organically cultivated. Previous studies on 'Rojo Brillante' have shown that management can affect persimmon macronutrient fruit composition, which depend on both harvest moment and the evaluated flesh area (Vilhena et al, 2022b). However, more information about the mineral and nutritional composition of persimmon fruit grown in different management systems is needed.…”

Evaluation of Removed and Recycled Mineral Nutrients in Italian Commercial Persimmon Orchards

“…The discriminant canonical analysis of leaf mineral composition in summer and winter, confirm, regardless of genotype, the mobility of N, P, K and S that, at the end of the season translocated to storage organs (roots, stem and branches), as described for deciduous trees [25,26], but also for persimmon [10,27]. Other nutrients such as Ca and microelements are not involved in this process and are accumulated in leaf until abscission [10].…”

Effect of Calcium Fertilization on Calcium Uptake and Its Partitioning in Citrus Trees

“…At higher concentrations, extracellular Ca 2+ is involved in regulating stomatal aperture by directly influencing water channels to slow down aperture change [53]. Moreover, the increase in Ca-pectate content due to Ca fertilization would contribute to greater fruit firmness, since in other crops, a relationship has been observed between the calcium concentration in this fraction and fruit firmness [54].…”