Paper Details

Mineral uptake by tomato cultivars as affected by organic and inorganic potassium amendments

Arshad Ali Khan, Muhammad Sajid, Abdur Rab

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.12692/ijb/5.10.1-9

Int. J. Biosci. 5(10), 1-9. November, 2014. (PDF)

Abstract:

The study was conducted to investigate the response of various combinations of potassium from organic and inorganic sources on the mineral profile of two tomato cultivars i.e. Falcon and Rio Grande for two years. The response of tomato cultivars was assessed to six combinations viz. 0-0, 100-0, 75-25, 50-50, 25-75 and 0-100% of poultry manure (PM) and Sulphate of Potash (SOP). All the factors (K source, cultivar and year) alone and in combination significantly (P≤0.05) affected the mineral profile of tomato fruit. The lowest mineral content of potassium (28.13 g kg-1), zinc (19.20 mg kg-1), copper (10.97 mg kg-1), boron (16.39 mg kg-1) and iron (206.03 mg kg-1) was examined in Falcon cultivar in control treatment during 2009. However, lowest Ca content (453.28 mg kg-1) was recorded in fruits of Rio Grande in control treatment during 2009. The treatment 75-25 resulted in highest contents of Ca (590.50 mg kg-1) and Cu (15.12 mg kg-1) in Rio Grande cultivar during 2010. Similarly highest concentration of K (44.27 g kg-1), Zn (29.20 mg kg-1) and B (28.02 mg kg-1) was recorded for Rio Grande at treatment 50-50 of PM and SOP respectively. Whereas, the highest Fe (293.25 mg kg-1), was recorded in cultivar Rio Grande at a treatment of 100-00 of PM and SOP. It was concluded that a combination of PM and SOP at 75-25 and 50-50 ratio may be used as an optimum fertilization dose for obtaining higher mineral contents of tomato crop.