The source of mineral elements of our body is the consumed food. Mineral content of the fruit depends on many different factors like the quality of soil, quantity and quality of the nutrients applied, variety, growing conditions, weather conditions etc. The health-promoting properties of fruits are due to the synergistic effect of its constituents (minerals, sugars, organic acids, antioxidants, fibers, etc.), which can be strongly influenced by the growing conditions. In terms of mineral elements, strawberries are a well-known source of K, P, Mg, Ca etc. It is widely believed that organic fruits are safer, healthier, but there is still no evidence that organically grown fruits would be more nutritious. There are numerous reports comparing the macro- and microelement content of organically and conventionally- grown fruits, but the results are contradictory. In our opinion, one of the reasons for the contradictory results could be that organic, conventional and integrated fields are in different areas. Therefore, soil parameters and climatic factors (rainfall, hours of sunshine etc.) can be different, and it is difficult to separate the effect of the many complex and interacting factors. Recognizing this problem, we set up an experiment in which organic and inorganic fertilizers were applied on adjacent plots in the same area. Application of this experimental setup helps to eliminate the variance coming from the different climate conditions and soil properties. In view of the increasing importance of biostimulants in organic farming, we examined the effect of a bacterial soil inoculant and an algae-based biostimulant authorized in organic farming and widely used. A well-known effect of PGPR bacteria is helping plants in the uptake of certain mineral elements from soil. The algae-based biostimulant was included in the experiment because it can help to mitigate stress effects and might improve micronutrient supply. In the present experiment mineral element concentrations of leaves and fruits of organically versus conventionally grown strawberries were compared with or without the application of microbial biostimulants. Although our nutrient replenishment plan was prepared based on soil analysis data, some element concentrations for leaf and fruit proved to be lower than expected based on literature data, e.g. K concentration remains below expectations, suggesting that we need to use a higher input in the next growing season. The use of a bacterial soil inoculant resulted in an increase for most elements, however, it is difficult to interpret that combined use of bacterial and algae-based biostimulant resulted lower concentrations for several trace elements. The differences found in the mineral element content of fruits between the individual treatments are not significant for human nutrient intake. At the same time, we have to take into account that the concentrations of mineral elements show a positive and negative correlation with each other. As the mineral content of fruits is developing due to many mutually reinforcing and weakening complex factors (pH, ion competition, soil microbial activity, genotype, etc.): it is very difficult to separate the effect of each factor and to interpret the data. The results of our measurements suggest that the consumption of strawberries has a health protective effect, it can contribute to the intake of several important micronutrients, but based on the currently available data, it cannot be demonstrated that the microelement content of organic fruits would be higher.
ESTABLISHING LOGISTICS START-UP COMPANIES: THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS
The article examines the macroeconomic role of institutions in encouraging logistics start-up companies in the transportation and warehousing sector. It assumes start-ups succeed better in countries with high-quality institutional systems. Using comparative analysis and econometric models, the study compares statistical data of EU member states, integrating indices like the World Governance Indicator and Human Development Index to demonstrate the crucial role of institutions in fostering successful logistics ventures.
