INCREASE IN QUALITY AND LOWER PRODUCTION COST OF BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea L.) THROUGH BALANCED NUTRITION VIA FERTIRRIGATION

Abstract

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) is a vegetable of economic and nutritional importance due to its dietary and medicinal properties. The size of the floret is its main commercial character. Various studies have shown that the contribution of fertilizers through irrigation improves the plant’s production and efficiency. Based on this, the evolution of vegetative growth, quality, and production cost of a broccoli crop fertilized with 21N-17P-3K and fertirrigated with soluble fertilizers in balanced form was analyzed, in a commercial plot in the state of Querétaro, México. The experimental design consisted of one control and one treatment with balanced nutrition. The first had weekly applications of N-22, NPK and Ca(NO₃)₂, while the experimental one received 21-17-3 and soluble fertilizers according to the stage and nutritional demand of the plant identified through foliar analysis. The results obtained indicate that there was higher broccoli production of class I with the treatment proposed (49.7 %) versus 26.8 % for the control. For production class II, the treatment proposed obtained 50.2 % compared to 73.1 % of the control. The cost for fertilizers for the balanced nutrition treatment was 7.1 % less expensive than the control. With the results obtained it is suggested that the quality and production of a broccoli crop can be increased by using soluble fertilizers following a program of specialized balanced plant nutrition.