Abstract
This study was done to evaluate the effects of foliar application of ammonium sulfate on growth and fruit quality of tomato plants under hydroponic culture system. Over four months of tomato plant growth, plants were sprayed once per week with different concentrations of ammonium sulfate (0, 50, 100 and 200 mM), as well as with 50 mM every second day. Foliar application of ammonium sulfate led to reductions in many growth and quality parameters, and higher ammonium concentrations exerted greater reductions. Number of leaves, fresh weight of shoots, percentage of leaf dry weight and fruit yield were negatively associated with the treatment with ammonium sulfate. However, leaf nitrogen concentration, fruit diameter and fruit length increased significantly by the application of ammonium. Fruit quality factors were also affected by ammonium sulfate spray treatments. The maximum pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids (TSS) were obtained from the lowest (50 mM) weekly application of ammonium sulfate. The results indicate that foliar application of ammonium in moderate concentrations could have beneficial effects on plant growth and quality of tomato fruit.
References
Babik I., Elkner K., The effect of nitrogen fertilization and irrigation on yield and quality of broccoli. In Workshop Towards and Ecologically Sound Fertilization in Field Vegetable Production, 2002, 571, 33-43 10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.571.2Search in Google Scholar
Britto D.T., Kronzucker H.J., NH4 + toxicity in higher plants: A critical review. Plant Physiol., 2012, 159, 567-58410.1078/0176-1617-0774Search in Google Scholar
Chaurasia S.N.S., Singh K.P., Rsi M., Effect of foliar application of water soluble fertilizers on growth, yield, and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.). Sri Lankan J. Agric. Sci., 2005, 42, 66-70 Search in Google Scholar
Claussen W., Growth, water use efficiency, and proline content of hydroponically grown tomato plants as affected by nitrogen source and nutrient concentration. Plant and Soil, 2002, 247, 199-209Search in Google Scholar
Dehnavard S., Souri M.K., Mardanlu S., Qualitative parameters of tomato fruits affected by foliar application of nitrogen in hydroponic culture. Iranian J. Seed Plant Prod., 2014, 30(2), 237-240Search in Google Scholar
Dehnavard S., Souri M.K., Mardanlu S., Tomato growth responses to foliar application of ammonium sulfate in hydroponic culture. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 2016, 40, 315-32310.1080/01904167.2016.1240191Search in Google Scholar
Forde B.G., Clarkson D.T., Nitrate and ammonium nutrition of plants: physiological and molecular perspectives. Adv. Bot. Res., 1999, 30, 1-90 10.1016/S0065-2296(08)60226-8Search in Google Scholar
Guvenc I., Padem H., Alan R., Effect of foliar application of different levels of urea on yield and yield component of tomatoes. II. Turkey Nat. Hort. Symp. Adana, Turkey, 1995Search in Google Scholar
Hahndel R, Zerulla W (2001) Effects of ammonium-stabilized N-fertilizers on yield and quality of vegetables. Act Hort., 2001, 563, 81-86 Search in Google Scholar
Heeb A., Lundegardh B., Ericsson T., Savage G.P., Nitrogen form affects yield and taste of tomatoes. J. of Sci. Food and Agri. 85(8): 1405-141410.1002/jsfa.2127Search in Google Scholar
Hoagland D.R., Arnon D.I., The water-culture method for growing plants without soil. Circular. California Agricultural Experiment Station, 347 (2nd edit), 1950Search in Google Scholar
Jones J.B., Tomato plant culture: in the field, greenhouse, and home garden. CRC Press, 200710.1201/9781420007398Search in Google Scholar
Kolota E., Osinska M., Efficiency of foliar nutrition of field vegetables grown at different nitrogen rates. In International Conference on Environmental Problems Associated with Nitrogen Fertilization of Field Grown Vegetable Crops, 1999, 563, 87-9110.17660/ActaHortic.2001.563.10Search in Google Scholar
Marschner H., Mineral nutrition of higher plants. Academic Press, London, 1995 Meyer-Aurich A., Zander P., Werner A., Roth R., Developing agricultural land use strategies appropriate to nature conservation goals and environmental protection. Landscape Urban Plan, 1998, 41(2), 119-12710.1016/S0169-2046(97)00065-0Search in Google Scholar
Mozafar A., Nitrogen fertilizers and the amount of vitamins in plants: A review. Plant Nutr., 1993, 16(12), 2479-250610.1080/01904169309364698Search in Google Scholar
Parisi M., Giordano L., Pentangelo A., Onofrio B., Villari G., Effects of different levels of nitrogen fertilization on yield and fruit quality in processing tomato. In International Symposium towards Ecologically Sound Fertilization Strategies for Field Vegetable Production, 2004, 700, 129-13210.17660/ActaHortic.2006.700.19Search in Google Scholar
Passam H.C., Karapanos I.C., Bebeli P.J., Savvas D., A review of recent research on tomato nutrition, breeding and post-harvest technology with reference to fruit quality. Eur. J. Plant Sci. Biotech., 2007, 1(1), 1-21Search in Google Scholar
Raffo A., Leonardi C., Fogliano V., Ambrosino P., Salucci M., Gennaro L., Quaglia G., Nutritional value of cherry tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Naomi F1) harvested at different ripening stages. Agri. Food Chem., 2002, 50(22), 6550-655610.1021/jf020315tSearch in Google Scholar
Sorensen J.N., Nitrogen effects on vegetable crop productionand chemical composition. In International Workshop on Ecological Aspects of Vegetable Fertilization in Integrated Crop Production, 1998, 506, 41-5010.17660/ActaHortic.1999.506.4Search in Google Scholar
Souri M.K., Effectiveness of chloride compared to 3, 4-dimethylpyrazolephosphate on nitrification inhibition in soil. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 2010, 41(14), 1769-177810.1080/00103624.2010.489139Search in Google Scholar
Souri M.K., Neumann G., Nitrification inhibition properties in root exudates of Brachiaria humidicola plants. Iranian J. Weed Sci., 2009, 5(2), 13-25Search in Google Scholar
Souri M.K., Roemheld V., Split daily application of ammonium cannot ameliorate ammonium toxicity in tomato plants. Hort. Environ. Biotech, 2009, 50, 384-391Search in Google Scholar
Souri M.K., Farhadi N., Roosta H.R., The growth characteristics of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under different ammonium to nitrate ratios. Iranian J. Hor. Sci. 2011, 42(3), 309-318Search in Google Scholar
Stopes C., Woodward L., Forde G., Vogtmann H., Effects of composted FYM and a compound fertilizer on yield and nitrate accumulation in three summer lettuce cultivars grown in an organic system. Agri. Ecosy. Environ., 1989, 27(1), 555-55910.1016/0167-8809(89)90116-3Search in Google Scholar
Van der Eerden L.J.M., Toxicity of ammonia to plants. Agri. and Environ., 1982, 7(3), 223-23510.1016/0304-1131(82)90015-7Search in Google Scholar
Villeneuve S., Coulombe J., Belec C., Tremblay N., A comparison of sap nitrate test and chlorophyll meter for nitrogen status diagnosis in broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. spp. italica). Acta Hort., 2002, 571, 171-17710.17660/ActaHortic.2002.571.20Search in Google Scholar
Westerveld S.M., McKeown A.W., McDonald A.W., Scott-Dupree C.D., Chlorophyll and nitrate meters as nitrogen monitoring tools for selected vegetables in Southern Ontario. In XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Toward Ecologically Sound Fertilization Strategies for Field Vegetable Production, 2002, 627, 259-26610.17660/ActaHortic.2003.627.33Search in Google Scholar
Xu G., Wolf S., Kafkafi U., Effect of varying nitrogen form and concentration during growing season on sweet pepper flowering and fruit yield. Plant Nutr., 2001, 24, 1099-111610.1081/PLN-100103806Search in Google Scholar
Yildirim E., Guvenc I., Turan M., Karatas A., Effect of foliar urea application on quality, growth, mineral uptake and yield of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L., var. italica). Plant Soil Environ., 2007, 53(3), 120-12810.17221/2227-PSESearch in Google Scholar
Zahran F.A., Abdoh A.E., Nitrogen fertilization of onion in sandy soils. Egypt. J. Agr. Res., 1998, 76, 903-911Search in Google Scholar
Zeidan M.S., Effect of sowing dates and urea foliar application on growth and seed yield of determinate faba bean (Vicia faba L.) under Egyptian conditions. Egypt. J. Agron., 2003, 24, 93-102Search in Google Scholar
© 2017
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.