Effects of various calcium sources and application methods on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
Paper Details
Effects of various calcium sources and application methods on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
Abstract
For millions of farmers around the world, growing tomatoes presents financial potential. Nevertheless, the sector still faces several production constraints, such as the century-old issue of blossom end rot caused by a calcium deficiency. Notably, there is a lack of locally available scientific research on how to mitigate this physiological disorder using biological calcium sources and comparing its efficacy to commercially available calcium, specifically in the Philippines. The study was conducted from February 2025 to May 2025 at SEAIT Agricultural Research Center (SARC), Tupi, South Cotabato, to determine the effect of different calcium sources (calcium nitrate, eggshell, & snail shell) and the method of application (powder and extract) on the growth, production, yield, quality, and profitability of tomato. A 4×2 factorial experiment using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and three replications was used for the study. Results of the study revealed that different calcium sources, whatever the method of application, significantly affected the plant height at 60 DAT, number of days to 50% flowering, number of flowers, number of fruits, flower abscission rate, blossom end rot rate, firmness, total soluble solids, weight of fruits, weight of marketable and non-marketable fruits, fruit diameter, and yield attributes of tomato. Furthermore, blossom end rot was less observed on tomatoes applied with organic calcium sources, specifically eggshell and snail shell, improving fruit quality and yield. The result suggests that utilizing these biological calcium sources improves tomato production outcomes and attains economic return by up to 323.97%.
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Anthony C. Laborte, Marissa C. Hitalia*, 2025. Effects of various calcium sources and application methods on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Int. J. Biosci., 27(6), 251-272.
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