Articles
SOIL CATION BALANCE AFFECTS TOMATO FRUIT COLOR DISORDERS
Article number
487_3
Pages
49 – 56
Language
Abstract
A survey of 140 processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fields in central California was conducted to examine the relationship between K nutrition and fruit quality for processing.
Quality parameters evaluated were soluble solids (SS), color of a blended juice sample, and the % of fruit affected by the color disorders yellow shoulder (YS) or internal white tissue (IWT). Juice color was not correlated with soil K availability or plant K status.
SS was weakly correlated with both soil exchangeable K and midseason leaf K. YS and IWT incidence, which varied among fields from 0 to 60% of fruits affected, were negatively correlated with K status of both soil and plant.
Soil exchangeable K/√Mg ratio was the measure of soil K availability most closely correlated with % total color disorders (YS + IWT). In a field trial conducted to document the relationship between soil K availability and the fruit color disorders, soil application of either gypsum or K reduced YS and total color disorders, but did not affect yield, SS or juice color.
Quality parameters evaluated were soluble solids (SS), color of a blended juice sample, and the % of fruit affected by the color disorders yellow shoulder (YS) or internal white tissue (IWT). Juice color was not correlated with soil K availability or plant K status.
SS was weakly correlated with both soil exchangeable K and midseason leaf K. YS and IWT incidence, which varied among fields from 0 to 60% of fruits affected, were negatively correlated with K status of both soil and plant.
Soil exchangeable K/√Mg ratio was the measure of soil K availability most closely correlated with % total color disorders (YS + IWT). In a field trial conducted to document the relationship between soil K availability and the fruit color disorders, soil application of either gypsum or K reduced YS and total color disorders, but did not affect yield, SS or juice color.
Publication
Authors
T.K. Hartz, C. Giannini, G. Miyao, J. Valencia, M. Cahn, R. Mullen, K. Brittan
Keywords
mineral nutrition, potassium, magnesium, Lycopersicon esculentum
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