Comparative Effects of Calcium, Boron, and Zinc Inhibiting Physiological Disorders, Improving Yield and Quality of Solanum lycopersicum

초록

Simple Summary The tomato is the 2nd major vegetable crop consumed after the potato. It is constantly grown throughout the world, and there is an increasing global demand for it in food industries. Moreover, tomatoes are nutritious vegetables and help to reduce the attack of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, it remains an economic crop and an important source of income for farmers. Hence, there is a need to meet all the requirements of plant cultivation to obtain greater productivity with good-quality fruits, such as preventing physiological diseases, i.e., blossom end rot and fruit cracking disorders, which reduce marketable tomato yield. More attention should be paid to the factors affecting production to ensure the highest productivity and highest quality. Improving plant nutrition such as calcium, boron, and zinc is one reliable strategy to increase productivity and quality.Abstract Localized calcium deficiency at the tomato flower end causes a physiological disorder called blossom end rot, resulting in yield losses of up to 50 percent. Fruit cracking is another physiological disorder of tomatoes that most often occurs when the movement of water and solutes to the tomato is protracted or rapid, but the underlying cause of fruit cracking is, again, calcium deficiency. Therefore, the present field experiment was conducted with the aim of increasing yield and reducing physiological disorders in tomatoes with a foliar application of calcium and micronutrients (zinc and boron). Four levels of calcium (0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9%), three levels of boron (0, 0.25, and 0.5%), and three levels of Zinc (0, 0.25, and 0.5%) were applied foliarly three times (starting at flowering, the 2nd application was repeated when the fruits set, and the 3rd after a period of 15 days from the fruits set). An addition of 0.6% calcium increased yield and associated traits with a decreased flower drop. Likewise, a 0.9% calcium addition increased fruit Ca content and decreased blossom end rot, fruit cracking, and Zn content. Foliar spraying with 0.25% boron (compound B) improved flowering and production while reducing flower drop and tomato fruit cracking. Similarly, an application of 0.5% B significantly increased Ca and B content with minimal blossom end rot and Zn content. Likewise, a 0.5% Zn application resulted in yield and yield-related traits with increased fruit B and Zn contents while blossom end rot, fruit cracking, and fruit Ca content were lower when 0.5% of foliar Zn was applied. Therefore, it is concluded that a foliar application of Ca, B, and Zn can be used alone or in combination to minimize the physiological disorders, increase production, and improve tomato fruit quality.

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