Summary
The effect of K nutrition on the growth in sand culture of young tomato plants, cv. Amberley Cross, was examined and the concentrations of K in the nutrient feed and in the leaves associated with maximum flower number, fruit set and yield were determined. The distribution of K between and with-in fruit trusses of normal and K-deficient plants, cv. Amberley Cross and Moneymaker grown in peat/loam was also studied. Total dry weights of 6-wk-old plants grown in sand were maximal when the nutrient feed contained 0.53–5.03 me K+/l, although plants receiving 10.23 me K+/l retained more water in the foliage and therefore had the greatest foliage fresh weight. Both peduncle length and height of the basal truss were increased by K in the feed up to 10.23 me/l, the highest concentration used. Flower development was retarded below 0.53 me K+/l, and fruit setting efficiency was reduced below 2.03 me K+/l. Fruit ripened faster on plants receiving low concentrations of K. Maximum fruit yields were produced on plants grown in sand receiving 5.03 or 10.23 me K+/l.
The K content of fruit was closely correlated with the dry matter content, and for a given K treatment, the same equation described the uptake of K into the fruit of boty varieties. However, fruit trusses of cv. Moneymaker contained the most K, and this is attributed to their high dry matter content. The element was evenly distributed between and within trusses from normal and K-deficient plants of both varieties. More than ten times more K and five times more N and P was taken up into fruit of plants receiving 5.03 or 10.23 me K+/l. The K status of young fully expanded leaves associated with maximum dry weight production in 6-wk-old plants was 1.4±0.2 g K+/100 g dry weight in the whole leaf (1.1±0.1 in the laminae, 2.1±0.3 in the petioles). Maximum fruit yield without the production of excessive foliage was associated with 5.2±0.8 g K+/100 g dry weight in the whole leaf (3.8±0.6 and 8.1±1.1 in the laminae and petioles, respectively). re]19740619
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Besford, R.T., Maw, G.A. Effect of potassium nutrition on tomato plant growth and fruit development. Plant Soil 42, 395–412 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00010015
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00010015