NUTRITION AND BLOSSOM-END ROT OF TOMATOES AS INFLUENCED BY SOIL WATER REGIME

Abstract

Two cultivars of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), Moreton hybrid and Cardinal hybrid, were grown under greenhouse conditions on Riverdale clay and Oakville clay loam soils. The three water regimes used were field capacity, field capacity to 50% available water depletion, and one-half of the soil varying between field capacity and wilting percentage with the other half maintained at the wilting percentage. Increased soil water stress increased N and decreased P concentration in plant tissue. Concentrations of K, Na, Ca, and Mg were not significantly affected. The change in nutrient concentration increased with severity of water stress. Incidence of blossom-end rot increased with increasing soil water stress.