EFFECTS OF ACS PROGRAMME WITHOUT CHEMICAL RESIDUES ON STRAWBERRY CROP (ET-19041)
Strawberry trial, Huelva, Spain – 2020
Conducted by: Ideagro
ACS solutions were used in accordance with our global recommendations. The treatments on both the control and the ACS-treated plots were conducted under a programme aiming to achieve zero chemical residues.
OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effect of the ACS programme without chemical residues on yield and quality of the strawberry crop.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
• Locality: Villlablanca (Huelva)
• Crop: Strawberry var. Shyra
• Number of treatments: 2
• Number of repetitions: 4
• Number of plants/repetition: 40
• Plantation frame: 0.4 x 0.22 m (staggered pattern)
Results on production and health of the plants
From January to the end of March 2020, the control plants yielded an average of 140 g of first-class fruits/plant, while the treated plants had an increase of 40% at 196 g/plant. At a density of 70,000 plants/hectare, it means a potential of more than 3.9 tonnes/hectare of first-class fruits.
Note that the total yield (first- and second-class fruits) still increased by 37% at 220 g/plant versus 161 g/plant.
Salerno, Italy – 2017
The weather during the winter months in Italy has been very cold, with over 10 days of frost. As a result, many farmers lost a significant part of their production, while those who managed to keep their production were left to deal with low yields and very poor fruit quality.
Growers who have chosen to use Alltech Crop Science (ACS) solutions, however, are harvesting fruit with great colour, incredible taste (thanks to the high sugar content), longer shelf life and, last but not least, NO chemical residues.
Limburg province, Belgium – 2018
The application of ACS protocol allowed this farmer to move up from an already good average yield of 36 tonnes/hectare on his blackberry crop production to a 5 kg/m² productivity, or 50 tonnes/hectare. ACS solutions also favoured an extended productivity-window of the plants, which translated to an extra production of 2 kg/m².
Yield got up to approximately 70 tonnes/hectare in total.
Huelva, Spain – 2019
Coming from a nursery, the plants showed rooting deficiencies, hindering the root development and implantation of the crop.
The ACS treatment programme focused on improving rooting system health in the first stage and generally boosting overall performance.
Working with an average density of 75,000
Plants/hectare (varying from 54,000 plants/hectare in soil to 94,000 plants/hectare
in hydroponics), the treatment programme resulted in a 24% reduction in plant mortality.