Effect of Acetic Acid on the pH of Iron Fertilizer Solution (Sequestrin and Nano) and Its Effect on the Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) cv. Diamant

 Iron has a significant effect on the quantity and quality of agriculture products. Factors affecting the absorption of this element increase its efficiency. Meanwhile, the pH of the nutrient solution plays an important role in the absorption of iron. Iron is one of the essential elements for plant growth and plays an essential role in chloroplasts. Due to iron deficiency, the activity of several enzymes such as catalase, cytochrome and oxidase and ferroxin is significantly reduced. The amount of iron in the soil is high, but plants only absorb two-capacity of soluble soil, which is negligible compared to the total iron. Soil environmental conditions affect the amount of iron by the plant, so it is difficult to control the uptake of iron by the plant. It has the highest ability to absorb iron and manganese at pH less than 6. For this reason, acetic acid was used to stabilize the pH of the solution. Acetic Acid is a polar solvent and an organic compound. The use of inexpensive organic acid and citric acid in agriculture, despite its positive effects on calcareous soils and their reasonable price is still not common in Iran. Acetic acid has a carboxylic group and therefore has all the properties of an acid.

 This experiment was carried out in the form of double split-split plot in a completely randomized block design on a strawberry plant of diamant cultivar in the research station of Mohaghegh Ardabili University during the years 2015- 2017. Factors included Acetic Acid (0, 1, 2 and %3), iron in two levels (Sequestrin 25gr and Nano 1gr) along with two levels of agricultural soap agents (0 and % 7/5) as foliar spraying. Foliar application of pH nutrient solution from the three-leaf stage of plant (mid-April) to the end of May a total of five times 10 days apart in both years. Two weeks after the last foliar application (June of the second year) plant growth indices including, total chlorophyll, number of fruits per plant, fruit pH, total acidity, soluble solids, fruit volume, fruit fresh weight, fruit dry weight, and leaf iron content and fruit yield per plant was measured.

 The results of this study showed that the three-way interaction of foliar application of Acetic Acid with iron with agricultural Soap on the average concentration of leaf iron and number of fruits at the probability level was %5 and in total chlorophyll at the %1 probability level was significant, the best result in the mentioned traits was the combination of treatment of Acetic Acid %2 with Sequestrin iron with soap Moyan (%7/5). The interaction effect of Acetic Acid and iron type on traits of fruit pH, fruit volume, fruit fresh and dry weight at %5 probability level and in yield at %1 probability level were significant. Fruit volume, fruit fresh weight and fruit dry weight and yield showed the best results due to treatment combination of %2 Acetic Acid with Sequestrin iron fertilizer. But for fruit pH trait, the best results were related to the treatment of Acetic Acid %3 on the leave of Sequestrin iron. The Interaction of the iron and agricultural Soap was significant on the amount of soluble solids at %5 probability level and the total acidity strawberries fruit was significant at %1 probability level. In the case of soluble soild and Acidity, Sequestrin iron treatment and agricultural soap had the best results. According to the results of this study, the combination %2 Acetic Acid with of iron fertilizer Sequesterin in combination with agricultural soap Moyan (%7/5) due to the reduction in leaf area tensions improves the obsorption of iron and the quantitative and quality characteristics strawberries.

 Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that Acetic acid %2, has better result on the absorption of iron fertilizer, along with agricultural soap (% 7/5) application than other treatments and qualitative traits of strawberry fruit. In treatment %2 Acetic acid most measured traits such as total chlorophyll, leaf iron, fresh weight, fruit dry weight and yield has shown a significant increase. Acetic acid by reducing the pH of the cell sauce and increasing the activity of the reductase enzyme increase the iron solubility and easily provides the iron to the plant. Due to the pH alkalinity of most soils in Iran, the use of Acetic acid in iron nutrient solution on the absorption of iron Sequestrin in combination with % 7/5 of agricultural soap due to having a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic with %40 to %50 increase in effective of foliar fertilizers. As a result, with more absorption it can be an advanced approach to better absorption of iron by plant and increase the quantity and quality in the product.