ISHS Acta Horticulturae 808: II International Symposium on Tomato Diseases
CRACKING OF TOMATO SKIN IN KUWAIT |
| Authors: | M.S. Abdal, M.K. Suleiman, R.R. Thomas |
| Keywords: | tomatoes, fertilizer, irrigation, water requirement, nitrogen, phosphate, fertilizer |
| Abstract:
Consumers of Kuwait like fresh locally grown tomato but the cracking of tomato skin is a major abiotic physiological disorder that reduces the market value of the product. Experiments were conducted to study the water and fertilizer requirements for producing better quality tomato in the sandy soils of Kuwait. The results showed that over irrigation can increase yield but affect the quality of tomato produced. Use of drip irrigation is proved to be good for better water use efficiency. Moisture within the soil can be around field capacity (7% by weight) which is important to reduce the amount of tomato cracking condition and improve the efficiency of irrigation water. Farmers of Kuwait usually over irrigate their tomato to saturation points (>20% by weight) which cause cracking and also increase the cost of producing tomato. Use of optimum amount of nitrogenous and phosphate fertilizer, sulphur will reduce the cracking of tomato. Most of the fertilizer was fixed within the soil horizons due to high amount of calcium content within the soils. Soil fertility did have effect on the quality of tomato produced in Kuwait and results showed the amount and the kind of fertilizer can be changed to improve the quality and the yield of tomatoes in Kuwait. | |
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