Goal of the trial design
The trial took place in 2 greenhouses, each with their own irrigation system. In all other aspects, like size, climate, varieties, watering frequency, watering volume, both greenhouses are analogous.
- One greenhouse was treated with Sili-Fert P once every 2 weeks.
- The other greenhouse did not receive treatment with Sili-Fert P and served as control.
The goal of this trial was to monitor the effect of Sili-Fert P on yield on the one hand, and on the quality of the fruit on the other hand.
- To monitor the effect on yield, the grower recorded the kilograms per m² and pieces per m² harvested over a 14 week period.
- To asses the effect on quality, the average fruit weight (AFW) was also recorded over a 14 week period. The shelf life was also evaluated.
For the shelf life assessment, 10 harvestable cucumbers of the same variety of each greenhouse were collected and were weighed immediately after harvest to log their initial weight. Afterwards, the cucumbers were weighed once every other day for a period of 12 days. Weight loss is directly related to water loss from fruits, making this an important parameter to measure. Furthermore, the cucumbers were evaluated visually by classifying them as firm or mushy. The evaluations were documented with photographs.
