Berry fruits, high performance: the role of organic matter in fertilization

In English, they are defined as berry fruit, thanks to the presence of the term “berry” in their names: blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, blueberry, strawberry. The exception is currant.

Berry fruits are appreciated by various consumer groups, especially young people, for their ease of consumption, appealing taste, and nutraceutical properties. Their red, purple, or bluish skin color reveals the presence of anthocyanins, molecules belonging to the polyphenol family, known for their antioxidant activity. They are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Geographically, cultivation is concentrated mainly in Northern Italy, with Piedmont leading, followed by Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Veneto.

To extend the marketing calendar, growers resort to protected cultivation, alongside open-field production. Beyond fresh consumption, berries are widely used in juices, jams, ice creams, desserts, and yogurts.

To maximize yield and quality, consider that these crops:

• are sensitive to excessive heat and radiation;
• are highly vulnerable to spring frosts;
• require adequate irrigation but cannot tolerate waterlogging;
• benefit from fertilization plans that support their often generous production;
• need loose soils, rich in organic matter, with subacid to acid reaction; alkaline soils easily cause chlorosis. Irrigation water pH must also be monitored to prevent soil alkalization.

Meeting these pedoclimatic and nutritional needs ensures not only production quality and plant health, but also longevity of plantations, which can range from a few years to over a decade.

• Late winter, to support vegetative awakening, canopy and root development, and subsequent fruit growth and ripening;
• Post-harvest, to restore nutrient removal and prepare plants for winter, promoting lignification in shrub species.

Given their need for organic matter, the use of organic and organo-mineral fertilizers is highly recommended. At vegetative restart, organo-mineral fertilizers combine the immediate availability of nutrients from the mineral fraction with the gradual release from the organic fraction. Fertilizers inoculated with beneficial microorganisms can also be advantageous, especially under unfavorable weather or in marginal/high-altitude areas with suboptimal nutrient availability.

Nitrogen mainly promotes canopy growth, Phosphorus supports root development, and Potassium enhances fruit ripening and quality.

Among meso and microelements, ensure Iron availability in non-optimal pH soils to prevent chlorosis, and avoid imbalances in Magnesium, Zinc, Boron, and Calcium levels.

Biocomplex 6.8.12 is an organo-mineral fertilizer made from a mix of organic fertilizers rich in Nitrogen and Phosphorus, combined with Potassium Sulfate. It offers slow-release organic nutrients and readily available Nitrogen, thanks to free amino acids with biostimulant action synergistic with humic acids, ensuring rapid root activity recovery even under stress conditions. It also promotes intense microbial activity, improving soil fertility, and contains Magnesium, Calcium, Sulfur, and microelements such as Iron, Manganese, Boron, Copper, and Zinc.

Biosinergy is an organic fertilizer that activates the root system, based on humified organic matter, rhizosphere bacteria, and mycorrhizal fungi inocula. Its composition, rich in humic acids, stimulates rooting and symbiosis between roots and fungi, improving nutrient and water use efficiency and resistance to water and heat stress.

Fumier Sulfer, Biocomplex 6.8.12, and Biosinergy are approved for use in organic farming.