Effects on growth, yield, and fruit quality in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) using a mixture of potassium humate and farmyard manure as an alternative to mineral-N fertiliser

摘要

The effects of potassium humate (KH) mixed with farmyard manure (FYM), as an alternative to mineral-N fertiliser, on the growth, leaf mineral composition, fruit yield and quality of tomato on newly-reclaimed soil were investigated. Mixtures of KH and FYM were applied at the rates of 50 kg KH + 25 metric tonnes (MT) FYM, 50 kg KH + 50 MT FYM, 100 kg KH + 25 MT FYM, and 100 kg KH + 50 MT FYM ha(-1). No mineral-N fertiliser was included in any of these treatments. In addition, the recommended dose of mineral-N fertiliser was used as a control. Significant positive effects of 100 kg KH + 50 MT FYM ha(-1) were observed on shoot dry weight (DW) plant(-1), root DW plant(-1), leaf free proline content, leaf mineral composition (N, P, K, Fe, Mn, and Zn), leaf and fruit nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) contents, total fruit yield ha(-1), and fruit vitamin C and total soluble solids (TSS) contents when compared with the other three KH + FYM treatments. In contrast, there were no significant differences in these parameters between the 100 kg KH + 50 MT FYM ha(-1) and the recommended mineral-N fertiliser treatments, except for leaf and fruit NO2- and NO3- contents, where significant reductions occurred in the 100 kg KH + 50 MT FYM treatment. The same trends were observed over two growing seasons (2008 and 2009).