Co-application Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilizer Enhances Nutrient Uptake and Quality of Hylocereus Undulatus by Changing Soil Properties in Karst Regions
摘要
It is vital to clarify the relationship between pitaya (Hylocereus undulatus) quality (i.e. nutritional value and taste) and soil fertilizer addition on sustainable development of the pitaya industry in karst areas. Pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of N, P, and K fertilizers on the nutritional value and taste of pitaya in karst soil. The results demonstrated that soil physicochemical properties were significantly affected by N, P, and K fertilizer, which, in turn, influenced the quality of pitaya, i.e., nutritional elements, soluble protein, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and soluble sugar. The application of N and K fertilizers increased the N, P, and K concentrations in pitaya by 33.7%, 31.3%, and 35.5%, respectively. Microelements, such as Mg, Zn, and Se, reached their highest levels with the N and K fertilizer input. Unexpectedly, the application of P fertilizer reduced the uptake of nutrition elements (i.e. N, P, K, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Se) by pitaya. Soluble protein concentration in pitaya decreased with the addition of N and K fertilizers, while the dietary fiber concentration showed the opposite trend. Vitamin C and soluble sugar levels in pitaya exhibited an opposite trend to the N, P, and K fertilizer input. Additionally, the dietary fiber concentration in pitaya decreased by 7.5% ~ 32.0% with N, P, and K fertilizers input. The result indicated that the input of N, P, and K fertilizers significantly affected the nutritional value and taste of pitaya by changing the soil physicochemical properties. Soil total organic carbon and soil available K, N, Zn, and Mn concentrations were identified as key factors influencing the nutritional elements and taste of pitaya.