Articles
NUTRITION OF PROCESSING TOMATOES
Article number
571_3
Pages
45 – 49
Language
English
Abstract
The relationship between crop growth and development and the NPK requirements of a processing tomato crop was examined.
Data was collected from an aeroponically produced crop grown at a low and a high level of nutrition (NFT solution at 0.7 and 2.0 mS cm-1). Close relationships between dry matter accumulation and nutrient uptake and between the partitioning of dry matter between tissues and the partitioning of nutrients were apparent.
At the high level of nutrition total dry matter increased, but yield did not.
The dry matter increase occurred from flowering through to the early fruit growth stage and was a result of increased leaf and stem growth.
Leaf K levels fell during fruit growth with the low K treatment.
It was proposed that this was due to redistribution of nutrients to the fruit and that this might be a desirable characteristic.
Although drip irrigation has considerable potential to manage water and nutrients in an ecologically sound manner, modified strategies for applying nutrients in climates with regular rainfall may be required.
Data was collected from an aeroponically produced crop grown at a low and a high level of nutrition (NFT solution at 0.7 and 2.0 mS cm-1). Close relationships between dry matter accumulation and nutrient uptake and between the partitioning of dry matter between tissues and the partitioning of nutrients were apparent.
At the high level of nutrition total dry matter increased, but yield did not.
The dry matter increase occurred from flowering through to the early fruit growth stage and was a result of increased leaf and stem growth.
Leaf K levels fell during fruit growth with the low K treatment.
It was proposed that this was due to redistribution of nutrients to the fruit and that this might be a desirable characteristic.
Although drip irrigation has considerable potential to manage water and nutrients in an ecologically sound manner, modified strategies for applying nutrients in climates with regular rainfall may be required.
Authors
K.J. Fisher, P.R. Johnstone, M.A. Nichols
Keywords
Aeroponics, dry matter distribution, nutrient uptake, nutrient partitioning, Lycopersicon esculentum
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