ISHS Acta Horticulturae 93: Symposium on Quality of Vegetables
MICRONUTRIENTS AND THE QUALITY OF TOMATO |
| Authors: | J.E. Hårdh, E. Takala |
| Abstract:
To test the influence of Cu, Fe, Mn, and of Zn on the yields, dry-matter, sugars, acids and mineral contents of tomatoes, three commercial mixtures of micronutrients were added to the peat and bark-humus substrates: Kemira, Excello, and Radigen. The Finnish mixture Kemira contains mineral salts and the other two, produced in Germany, contain powdered metals. The trace element contents of each mixture are tabulated, and the contents of the substrate at the beginning and completion of the tests. The tests were performed in Lapland during 24 h daylength and in Viikki during maximum daylength of 18 h. The dry-matter content of the tomato was found to be somewhat greater in the north and was increased by the Kemira mixture. The mixture had no effect on the dry-matter content in southern Finland. The contents of soluble dry-matter (sugars) and of titratable acids were significantly increased by all of the micronutrient mixtures in the South, the flavour of the tomato thus being improved by the micronutrients. The influence on total yield was not significant. The Fe and Zn contents of the fruits were increased by fertilization in the North. Only sporadic information and results are available on the influence of micronutrients on the quality of tomato. Micronutrients apparently play an essential role in the enzyme activities of the plant. The acidity of the tomato | |
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