effect of potassium magnesium chloride in the fertigation.pdfVIP

Scientia Horticulturae 99 (2004) 279–288 Effect of potassium magnesium chloride in the fertigation solution as partial source of potassium on growth, yield and quality of greenhouse tomato Bishnu P. Chapagain, Zeev Wiesman∗ Institute of Agriculture and Applied Biology, The Institutes for Applied Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel Accepted 17 June 2003 Abstract The effect of partial replacement of KCl in the fertigation by KCl·MgCl2 on growth, yield and quality of greenhouse tomato (cv. Durinta) was studied in a soil-less system. Forty-seven days after planting (DAP), three treatment solutions were applied to the plants using different K sources: (1) KNO3 , (2) KCl, and (3) KCl·MgCl2 + KCl (25%:75% in terms of K supplied). In both treatments 2 and 3, NH NO , Ca(NO ) and HNO were added as source of N. Plant height and total chlorophyll 4 3 3 2 3 were the highest in the KCl + KCl · MgCl2 treatment. Leaf Mg content was significantly lower in the KCl treatment, whereas highest in the KCl +KCl ·MgCl2 treatment. Both KCl and KCl +KCl ·MgCl2 led to a significantly higher leaf Cl content as compared with the KNO3 treatment, but no Cl toxicity was observed in either treatment. Total yield was not different among treatments. Fruit firmness and freshness of the calyx were significantly improved by KCl and KCl + KCl ·MgCl2 , and the number of rotten and blotchy fruits were significantly reduced by both these treatments. KCl + KCl ·MgCl2 also led to significantly higher levels of glucose, Mg and dry matter content in the fruit. Lower NO3 and higher Fe contents were measured in both treatments 2 and 3. Although KCl as sole K source showed lower foliar Mg level as compared to KNO3 , the use of the KC