ISHS Acta Horticulturae 613: VIII International Symposium on the Processing Tomato
EFFECT OF POTASSIUM FERTILIZATION ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF THREE PROCESSING TOMATO CULTIVARS UNDER VARIOUS WATERING LEVELS |
| Authors: | K. Ghebbi Si-Smail, A. Benamara, Y. Dumas |
| Keywords: | Yield components, refractive index, acidity, proline, fertilization, irrigation, Lycopersicon esculentum |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.613.22 |
| Abstract:
The effects of three levels of potassium (K) fertilization and of three levels of water supply on the yield components and the behaviour of three different processing tomato cultivars (Lycopersicum esculentum) were studied in Algeria outdoors during two seasons in a factorial design with 4 replications. To better control water efficiency and K fertilization, the plants were grown in 7 l draining containers, filled up with loamy soil poor in organic matter and K, and protected against direct sun heat. Water was supplied by permanent dripping. A number of variables were measured during the trial and mainly at harvest time. The main registered results have shown that the total fruit weight per plant, mean fruit weight and shoot dry matter weight per plant were positively affected by water without restriction, while fruit juice refractive index (°Brix) and acidity, and fresh leaf proline concentration were negatively affected by increasing water supply. However, the number of stems per plant, the mean stem diameter at collar level as well as the plant height were not affected by the level of water supply. There was no significant effect of K supply on most of the measured variables. However, it seems that K fertilization may induce a regulation in stomatal transpiration of tomato plants. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
