Efeito da aplicação foliar de silício nos aspectos produtivos e de qualidade de frutos de morangueiro

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of foliar application of different doses of silicon on the productive and qualitative characteristics of 'Pircinque' strawberry fruits cultivated in the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Northern Santa Catarina Plateau. The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of ​​the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina, IFSC - Campus Canoinhas, and the Pircinque cultivar strawberries were grown in the conventional non-soil system, with greenhouse (greenhouse), adopting a plant space of 30 in between. plants and planting lines, with three row cultivation lines. The procedures consisted of the foliar application of five silicon doses: 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 g / 100L of water, using the commercial product Agrisil® (99% Si). As the applications were performed every 21 days, and their effect on products (number of fruits, yield, fruit mass and fresh) and qualitative fruit (% commercial, deformed and small, used, soluble, total acidity, proportion ) and firmness of pulp). The application of silicon provided a percentage increase of commercial fruits in all available doses, as well as increasing the firmness of the pulp. It is noteworthy that an application of silicon at doses of 300 g and 400 g / 100L of water has greater effects on flesh firmness, or may result in better postharvest conservation of fruits. Silicon foliar application does not influence as productive and qualitative variables evaluated by the fruits of 'Pircinque' strawberry cultivated in the Plateau Norte Catarinense.