Integrated Nutrition Management in Chilean Fruit Species; A Soil Management to Improve Beneficial Effects on Soil Properties and Fruit Quality.

Integrated Nutrition Management (INM) is novel approach for conventional agriculture in which organic matter (OM), compost and/or  humic substances, together with microbial inoculant, as biostimulants, and,  an adjusted fertilization program are used  to improve soil quality in order to increase yield and fruit shelf-life. This type of program was evaluated in table grape, pear and cherries using, grape pomace compost (C), mineral fertilizer (MF), Humic substances (HS) and microbial inoculants (MI) in different treatments compared with a traditional management (mineral fertilizer) and absolute control. Physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological soil parameters, as well as agronomic and fruit quality parameters were measured, including: pH, electrical conductivity, available nitrogen, extractable phosphorus (PO₄-P), dehydrogenase, β glucosidase and acid/alkaline phosphatase, concentration of yeast and bacteria in soil, root density and fruit quality. General results indicated that P and N availability increased with compost and compost/mineral fertilization application, while the potential enzymatic activity of dehydrogenase and β glucosidase, as well as yeast concentration, increased in treatments with organic matter (compost or humic substances) and microorganisms. The potential activity of phosphatase showed an increment in pear and grape experiments (p<0.05), but not in cherry. In all cases, Integrated Nutrition Management, increased root density and root and fruit dry weight (p<0.05). Plant condition as measured by the NDVI index NDVI, increased and the instantaneous water infiltration rate decreased in treatments with organic matter, compost and microbial inoculant (p<0.05). . Among soil parameters evaluated, INM improve enzymatic activities and nutrient availability.

Key words: Integrated Nutrition Management (INM), organic matter, microbial inoculants, mineral fertilizers