On November 4, the first foliar application in tomato cultivation was carried out at the Las Palmerillas facilities (El Ejido) of UNICA GROUP S.C.A., within the framework of the Operational Group project GO BIODIF. In this action, two innovative nanomaterials were applied with the aim of biofortifying the crop: the first as a source of calcium and the second as a source of zinc. Additionally, a third control treatment was conducted using tap water, in order to have a comparative reference.
The applications were made directly on the clusters, applying an approximate volume of 40 mL per cluster, corresponding to each assigned treatment. The trial established three repetitions per variety, applying the three treatments in each of them. The treatments were carried out alternately, overlapping between varieties with the same treatment to reduce possible cross-contamination.
Two additional applications are scheduled, maintaining the same experimental design. The second application will take place on November 18, 14 days after the first, and the third application will be performed on December 2, 14 days after the second, with the aim of evaluating the evolution and possible cumulative effects of the nanomaterials on the crop. At the time of analysis, it is planned to have representation of branches that have received one, two, and three applications, which will allow for a more precise comparison of the progressive impact of the treatments on the biofortification of the tomato.
This first phase constitutes a significant advancement in the development of the GO BIODIF project, which aims to incorporate applied nanotechnology for crop biofortification, promoting more efficient, innovative, and sustainable agricultural production.
