Effects of foliar application of organic acids on strawberry plants

The large economic costs and environmental impacts of iron-chelate treatments has led to the search for alternative methods and compounds to control iron (Fe) deficiency chlorosis. Strawberry plants (Fragaria x ananassa) were grown in Hoagland's nutrient solution in a greenhouse with two levels of Fe: 0 and 10 μM Fe(III)-EDDHA. After 20 days, plants growing without Fe showed typical symptoms of Fe deficiency chlorosis in young leaves. Then, the adaxial and abaxial sides of one mature or one young leaf in each plant were brushed with 10 mM malic (MA), citric (CA) or succinic (SA) acids. Eight applications were done over a two-week period. At the end of the experiment, the newly emerged (therefore untreated), young and mature leaves were sampled for nutritional and metabolomic analysis, to assess the effectiveness of treatments. Leaf regreening was monitored using a SPAD-502 apparatus, and the activity of the ferric chelate-reductase activity (FCR) was measured using root tips. Iron deficiency negatively affected biomass and leaf chlorophyll but did not increase FCR activity. Application of succinic acid alleviated the decrease in chlorophyll observed in other treatments, and the overall nutritional balance in the plant was also changed. The concentrations of two quinic acid derivatives increased under Fe deficiency and decreased in plants treated with succinic acid, and thus they are proposed as Fe stress markers. Data suggest that foliage treatments with carboxylates may be, in some cases, environmentally friendly alternatives to Fe(III)-chelates. The importance of Fe mobilization pathways in the formulation of new fertilizers is also discussed. •Leaves of Fe deficient plants were brushed with malic or citric or succinic acids.•Chlorosis of newly emerged leaves was attenuated by the application of succinic acid.•Root FCR activity was not elicited by foliar applications of carboxylates.•Two derivatives of quinic acid decreased upon application of succinic acid.•The importance of endogenous Fe complexing agents was highlighted.