Mineral foliar nutrition in horticultural plants II - The control of blossom - end rot in tomato fruits Lycopersicuni esculentum L. cv Rossol Melorado INTA) and on proluctivityof the potato (Solanurn tuberosum L. cv Claustar)

Abstract

Ca C12 2000 ppm in a nutritive mineral solution of KH,PO4 3000 ppm, K2SO4 1500 ppm, H3B03 500 ppm, ZnSO4 500 ppm, MnSO4 4H20 300 ppm, CuSO4 5H2O 50 ppm, Na2MoO4 2H20 14 ppm and Fe and Na EDTA 15 ml/l was sprayed on foliage of tomato plants cv Rosso] Mejorado INTA on three occasions starting before blooming in the first cluster. The treatment yielded a highly significant decrease (at 0,001% level of significance) on fruits affected by blosson end rot. No significant differences were observed in the fresh weight of healthy fruits in relation to the control and the treatment with the nutrient solution deprived of Ca. This could be due to the fact trat Ca diminishes the number of growing fruís in he first cluster. In potato, three foliar sprays of a nutrient solution containing urea 3000 ppm, K2HPO4 3500 ppm, MgSO4 3000 ppm, KCI 1500 ppm, H3B03 1000 ppm, FeSO4 7H2O 1500 ppm, ZnSO4 500 ppm, Na2MoO4 2H20 100 ppm and CuSO4 5H20 50 ppm, applied on young plants at intervals of 15 days prdduced a significant increase (at 5% level of significance) in yield only in the case of a previous edaphic fertilization based on a combination of (NA4)2HP04 and (NH4)2SO4 300 kg/He each one. In this case, the increase in yield was due to a higher tuber weight.