Abstract

CARDONA, Carlos; ARJONA, Harvey  and  ARAMENDIZ-TATIS, Hermes. Influence of the foliar fertilization Ca on the blossom-end rot (BER) in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Agron. colomb. [online]. 2005, vol.23, n.2, pp.223-229. ISSN 0120-9965.

Blossom-end rot is a major problem in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production and it has been associated with Ca deficiency. Three Ca concentrations (0.05%, 0.10% and 0.15%) were evaluated at three different times (5, 10 and 15 days after anthesis) for evaluating the effect of Ca sprays on blossom-end rot and fruit quality in tomatoes. A complete randomised design was used with four replicates for each treatment and two repetitions in two different localities (Universidad de Córdoba [Unicor] and Ucrania at Montería, Colombia). The results revealed that there was no physiological disorder in locality 1 (Unicor) but an effect of the Ca sprays was observed on the fruit texture (increased firmness) and fruit Ca content. No effect was observed on soluble solids, pH and acidity. The disorder was seen to be reduced in locality 2 (Ucrania) when Ca sprays were used; however, physical and chemical characteristics were not affected except for the amount of Ca found in the fruit. The results suggest that the functional relationship between Ca sprays and amount of Ca in the fruit can be explained using quadratic models.

Keywords : physiological disorder; deficiency; mineral nutrition; chelation.

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