The organic manure-improved yield and quality in strawberries is attributed to metabolic reprogramming to increase amino acids, sugar/acid ratio, flavonoids and phenolic volatiles

Application of organic manure improves strawberry yield, but the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear.

Here, by integrating physio-biochemistry, metabolome and transcriptome analyses, we evaluated the effect of organic manure on the yield and quality of strawberry. Using garden waste and vermicompost as organic manure sources, five fertilization treatments were carried out in strawberry cultivation, including no fertilization, full inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, reduced inorganic nitrogen fertilizer (70% N), 70% N plus garden waste and 70% N plus vermicompost.

The application of organic manure increased the yield, ascorbic acid content, nutrient levels and sugar/acid ratio but decreased the organic acid content in strawberry fruits. Furthermore, the increased organic manure accelerated the synthesis of sugars, amino acids, phenolic volatiles and flavonoids in strawberry fruits by reprogramming the regulatory network of transcripts and metabolites.

This study will help to ascertain the positive effects of the application of organic manure on the quality of strawberry fruits at the molecular level.