A New Calcium Vectoring Technology: Concentration and Distribution of Ca and Agronomic Efficiency in Pepper Plants
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Navarro León, Eloy; López Moreno, Francisco Javier; Blasco León, Begoña; Ruiz Sáez, Juan ManuelEditorial
MDPI
Materia
Antioxidants Blossom end rot Calcium Pepper Pectin Vectorization
Date
2022-02-06Referencia bibliográfica
Navarro-León, E... [et al.]. A New Calcium Vectoring Technology: Concentration and Distribution of Ca and Agronomic Efficiency in Pepper Plants. Agronomy 2022, 12, 410. [https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020410]
Sponsorship
PAI program (Plan Andaluz de Investigacion, Grupo de Investigacion) AGR282Abstract
Calcium (Ca) is an important macronutrient for plants, although its low mobility through
the phloem makes more difficult the translocation to growing tissues, including fruits. The blossom
end rot (BER) physiopathy occurs mainly in fruits and is associated with water stress, and especially
with low Ca levels, which has a very negative effect on the production of many crops. Currently,
through the vectoring process, it is possible to increase the transport of immobile elements to the
fruits. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of BRANDT® MANNI-PLEX® Ca, which
contains Ca with a vector (polyalcohols), provided by the company BRANDT EUROPE S.L. (Carmona,
Spain), on Ca accumulation and the production and quality of pepper fruits, both at harvest and
post-harvest stage. Pepper plants were grown in a shaded greenhouse and supplied with BRANDT®
MANNI-PLEX® Ca and parameters related to biomass, production, and fruit quality were analyzed.
The results showed that the product increased shoot biomass, photosynthesis performance, Ca
accumulation and quality of pepper fruits both at harvest and post-harvest, while reducing the
incidence of Ca physiopathies by 70%. Therefore, this study proves the BRANDT® MANNI-PLEX®
Ca efficacy in a crop with a high incidence of Ca physiopathies, such as pepper.