Haleema Bibi, Shah Syed Tanveer, Basit Abdul, Hikal Wafaa M, Arif Muhammad, Khan Waleed, Said-Al Ahl Hussein A H, Fhatuwani Mudau
Floriculture Section, Agriculture Research Institute (ARI), Tarnab 25120, Pakistan.
Department of Agriculture, Hazara University, Mansehra 21300, Pakistan.
Biology (Basel). 2024 Sep 26;13(10):766. doi: 10.3390/biology13100766.
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.
番茄花端局部缺钙会引发一种名为脐腐病的生理失调症，导致产量损失高达50%。果实开裂是番茄的另一种生理失调症，大多在水分和溶质向番茄的运输过程延长或速度过快时发生，但其根本原因同样是缺钙。因此，开展了本次田间试验，目的是通过叶面喷施钙和微量元素（锌和硼）来提高番茄产量并减少生理失调症。叶面喷施了四个钙水平（0%、0.3%、0.6%和0.9%）、三个硼水平（0%、0.25%和0.5%）以及三个锌水平（0%、0.25%和0.5%），共喷施三次（从开花期开始，果实坐果时重复第二次喷施，果实坐果15天后进行第三次喷施）。添加0.6%的钙可提高产量及相关性状，并减少落花。同样，添加0.9%的钙可提高果实钙含量，减少脐腐病、果实开裂和锌含量。叶面喷施0.25%的硼（化合物B）可改善开花和产量，同时减少落花和番茄果实开裂。同样，施用0.5%的硼可显著提高钙和硼含量，同时将脐腐病和锌含量降至最低。同样，施用0.5%的锌可提高产量及与产量相关的性状，同时增加果实硼和锌含量，而当叶面喷施0.5%的锌时，脐腐病、果实开裂和果实钙含量较低。因此，可以得出结论，叶面喷施钙、硼和锌可以单独使用或组合使用，以尽量减少生理失调症、提高产量并改善番茄果实品质。
