The response of two Cape gooseberry varieties to organic amendments on degraded soils in the Western Cape, South Africa
Date
2023-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Cape gooseberry crop has the potential to enhance food security, especially for marginalised
communities and small-scale farmers. The plant can be utilised from the roots to the fruit and has
medicinal properties such as withanolides, antioxidants and phytochemicals which are used in
pharmacology. Despite its potential benefits, there is limited published information on the
production of the Cape gooseberry plant, especially under organic soil amendments, in South Africa.
The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the effects of the organic amendments;
vermicompost (VC), and effective microbes in combination with vermicompost (EMV), on selected soil
chemical parameters, and the productivity of the Cape gooseberries. The organic amendments were
incorporated into the soil before the seedlings were transplanted and grown in a plastic tunnel.
The control treatment did not receive any soil amendment. For the VC treatment, vermicompost was
applied in each plot at a rate of 3 kg m⁻², whereas for the EMV treatment, 50 g of effective
microbes plus 3 kg m⁻² vermicompost was added to the soil. To determine the effect of organic
amendments on the productivity of Cape gooseberries, some plant growth parameters (plant height,
stem diameter, chlorophyll content, leaf area index, fruit yield, and single fruit weight) were
recorded. For standard soil analysis, soil samples were randomly collected from each plot at a
depth of 0 - 150 cm. Results show that the use of organic amendments led to plant growth and
productivity parameters which compared well with production under chemical fertilisers. Also, the
use of organic amendments led to a reduction in soil nutrients, when compared to the initial soil
status, which could be one of the reasons why fruit yield was significantly greater under organic
amendment than under the control treatment. The study findings show that organic amendments can be
a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisers in Cape gooseberry production. Vermicompost was
found to be the best option and is recommended instead of a combination of effective microbes and
vermicompost as the addition of effective microbes did not significantly improve the gooseberry
fruit yield and quality.
In addition, the study has the outcome of three post-harvest diseases in Cape gooseberries. The
diseases were caused by Rhizopus stolonifer, Botrytis cinerea, and Penicillium spp.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
Description
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
Keywords
Vermicompost, effective microbes, gooseberry, fruit decay