Application of vermicompost extract to improve the phytochemical composition of berry fruits

Tomić, Jelena (author), Karaklajić Stajić, Žaklina (author), Pešaković, Marijana (author), Paunović, Svetlana M. (author), Rilak, Boris (author), Mikulič Petkovšek, Maja (author), Hudina, Metka (author), Veberič, Robert (author), Ebru Yaşa Kafkas, Nesibe (author), Ercişli, Sezai (author), Jakopič, Jerneja (author)

The growing market demand for environmentally friendly products for plant nutrition has led to the development of new fertilizers, particularly liquid compost-based products such as teas, extracts, and leachates. The aim of this research was to compare the effect of chemical fertilization (CF) and its combination with liquid fertilizer based on vermicompost and beneficial microorganisms (CF + VP) on the phytochemical profile of strawberry (Senga Sengana), blackberry (Čačanska Bestrna) and blueberry (Aurora). The results showed that CF + VP positively affected fruit weight (8.8 g), soluble solids (8.9°Bx), total sugars (65.5 g/kgFW), and the sum of all phenolic groups (275.12 g/kg FW) in blackberry fruits. Significantly higher fruit weight (15.5 g), total sugars (62.4 g/kg FW), organic acids (9.6 g/kg FW), and flavanones (20.06 mg/100 g FW) content in strawberry fruits were confirmed in CF + VP. The same treatment exhibited the highest effectiveness in terms of organic acids (17.3 g/kg FW) and anthocyanins (153.26 g/kg FW) in blueberry. The application of CF + VP improved all components of fruit quality in the examined species compared to CF, and the positive impact was particularly pronounced in the phenolic composition of blackberries. Taking into account the stimulating effects on the sensory and nutritional value of the fruit of the studied berry species, the usa of VP as a supplement to CF can be regarded as a sustainable practice for enhancing growing technology aimed at obtaining biologically valuable fruits.

• Language: English
• Keywords: vermicompost extract, biofertilization, phytochemical composition, sustainable agriculture, berry fruits
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 530-542
• Numbering: Vol. 49, no. 3, art. 7
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171330
• UDC: 634
• ISSN on article: 1300-011X
• DOI: 10.55730/1300-011X.3284
• COBISS.SI-ID: 245988099
• Publication date in RUL: 22.08.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Turkish journal of agriculture and forestry
• Shortened title: Turk. j. agric. for.
• Publisher: Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey
• ISSN: 1300-011X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 512342297

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: gnojila za ekološko kmetovanje, gnojenje rastlin, ekstrakt vermikomposta, jagodičevje, trajnostno kmetijstvo, biokemična sestava

Projects

• Funder: Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia
• Project number: 451-03-66/2024- 03/200215
• Name: Grant

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0013
• Name: Hortikultura