ISHS Acta Horticulturae 487: VI International Symposium on Processing Tomato & Workshop on Irrigation & Fertigation of Processing Tomato
SOIL CATION BALANCE AFFECTS TOMATO FRUIT COLOR DISORDERS |
| Authors: | T.K. Hartz, C. Giannini, G. Miyao, J. Valencia, M. Cahn, R. Mullen, K. Brittan |
| Keywords: | mineral nutrition, potassium, magnesium, Lycopersicon esculentum |
| 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. | |
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