Designing and implementing innovative and sustainable practices in plum growing technology

In recent years, due to the growing interest of population for healthy food consumption and environment protection, fruit growers are faced with many challenges related to creation of fruit production systems, which should meet the quality criteria of chemical-free fruits with increased nutritional value. One of the possible solutions which has become increasingly important and represents a high powered chance to meet aforementioned challenges may be found in development of new biotechnological procedures and use of natural biopotentials (biofertilizers, beneficial microorganisms, etc.). Accordingly, this study is based on examination of influences of an innovative liquid product based on vermicompost enriched with selected strains of beneficial microorganisms (VCMo), developed at the Fruit Research Institute, Čačak (FRI), on morphometric characteristics (fruit weight, length and width), internal quality traits (soluble solids content and firmness) and chemical properties (total anthocyanins content, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity) of 'Čačanska Lepotica' and 'Stanley' plum cultivars during two consecutive seasons. Findings of the study indicate that implementation of this eco-friendly technology (VCMo), led to larger and firmer fruits in both cultivars and in both investigated years. The same trend has been observed in terms of soluble solids content. Higher values of the total anthocyanins, total phenols and total antioxidative activity were determined in VCMo treatment also. The study identifies liquid vermicompost enriched with selected strains of beneficial microorganisms as a suitable product that could create sustainable plum production and indicates the importance of adopting the stated growing technology as a powerful tool in orchard management.