Dynamics of nutrient availability in tomato production with organic fertilisers

Abstract

In greenhouse organic horticulture there is a great challenge in supplying the crop with adequate amounts of nutrients at the right stage of crop development. This has been identified as one of the main factors compromising yields in organic systems as compared with conventional hydroponic systems based on the use of synthetic fertilisers. In organic systems, the supply of nutrients is reliant on microbial degradation of organic complexes, a process that is dependent on factors such as temperature, soil water content and pH. Different organic fertilisers will also have different characteristics with respect to mineralisation of nutrients. In order to evaluate different strategies for organic fertilisation in long-term greenhouse crops such as high-wire tomato crops, an experiment with three different treatments was performed. The different strategies evaluated were one based on blood meal, kalimagnesia and the commercial product Baralith Enslow (composed of clay and ground lucerne), one with poultry manure and kalimagnesia, and one with solid biogas digestate and kalimagnesia. A five-month tomato crop was grown. Lysimeter samples were taken from the growing media biweekly for monitoring of plant available nutrients. The results suggested that nitrogen was likely to have been the limiting factor for plant growth, however, the biogas digestate delivered mineralised nitrogen throughout the experiment.

Concentrations Effect of Calcium Chloride on Post Harvested Physiology in Selected Varieties of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Fruit Under Storage

“…However, the tomato crop yield is rapidly declining from 12.5 tons t/ha in 2012 10 10.9 t/ha in 2018 (FAOSTAT, 2020). The tomato crop yield can be anually increased effectively if organic manure with mineral fertilizers are augmented to improve and applied to improve soil and boost crop productivity (Ayamba et al 2021 ;Bashir et al 2021;Bergstrand et al 2021) Its production accounts for 14 % of total horticultural production worldwide. The total production increase over the last years can be mainly attributed to China, world-beater for this crop which went from nearly 12 million tonnes in 1994 to 30 million tonnes in 2004.…”

Measures for Reducing Tomato Post-Harvest Losses at Farmer Level in the Lake Victoria Crescent Agro-Ecological Zone.

“…Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vegetable crop cultivated all over the world and is a good source of vitamins A, B6, C, K, and E. The fruit also contains molybdenum, copper, and potassium, and is a good source of dietary fibre (Rodríguez-Ortega, et al 2019;Bergstrand, Löfkvist and Asp (2020). Owing to its rich source of vitamins and minerals, particularly as a rich source of lycopene (60-90 mg/kg), tomatoes is an important component of the human diet (Yusufe et al, 2017).…”

Organic and in-organic fertilizers effects on the performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) grown on soilless medium

“…Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vegetable crop that is cultivated all over the world and is a good source of vitamins A, B6, C, K, and E. It also contains molybdenum, copper, potassium, manganese, and is a good source of dietary fiber. The production of tomatoes using soilless techniques has been reported by several workers 8 , 9 and cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable due to its use as a popular fresh market vegetable in salads and it is one of the most popular members of the Cucurbitaceae family 10 . Cucumbers contain phytonutrients such as flavonoids, lignans, and triterpenes, which have antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.…”