Improving Peach Fruit Yield and Quality Using Foliar Application of Nano Chelated Zinc and Seaweed Extract (<i>Spirulina platensis</i>): A Multivariate Analysis Approach.
Dawood AI, Waheeb SA, Majeed LSA, Meftahizadeh H.
Crop Improvement
Peaches at your farmers market could be sweeter, firmer, and less likely to bruise or rot before reaching your kitchen — just by changing what farmers spray on the leaves.
Scientists tested spraying peach trees with a mix of tiny zinc particles and spirulina, a type of blue-green algae. Trees that got this spray produced more than twice as many peaches compared to untreated trees, and those peaches were noticeably sweeter and firmer. On top of that, far fewer of the harvested peaches rotted — meaning more of the crop actually makes it to your table.
Key Findings
Fruit yield per tree more than doubled (+107.5%) under the optimal treatment of 2500 ppm spirulina extract combined with 6 mL/L zinc nanoparticles.
Fruit sweetness (measured as total soluble solids) increased by 83.7% and firmness improved by 62.9%, significantly enhancing eating quality.
Post-harvest fruit decay dropped by 44.5% with the combined treatment, reducing spoilage losses after harvest.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Spraying peach trees with a combination of zinc nanoparticles and spirulina algae extract nearly doubled fruit yield and dramatically improved sweetness and firmness while cutting post-harvest rot by nearly half. This simple foliar treatment could offer peach growers a practical, high-impact tool for boosting both quantity and quality of their harvest.
Abstract Preview
The twenty-seven identical peach trees were exposed to different levels of a Nano Chelated fertilizer contain 12% Zn and <i>Spirulina platensis</i> liquid extract in a factorial experiment based on...
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The peach is a deciduous tree that bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics. Most are simply called peaches, while the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties are called nectarines. Though from the same species, they are regarded commercially as different fruits.