Influence of CaCl2 on the foliar biomass and quality of tobacco leaves
2001
Ruiz, J.M. | Romero, L.
The aim of the present work was to determine the influence of different CaCl2 dosages on foliar biomass and quality of tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L. var. Tennesse 86). Plants were grown under controlled conditions and submitted to regular fertilization with macro- and micronutrients. The CaCl2 was applied to the nutrient solution at 1.25 mM (T1), 2.5 mM (T2), and 5 mM (T3). The results indicated that, under the experimental conditions of this work, the application of 1.25 mM of CaCl2 favored the growth and development of the leaves, this leading to improved biomass production in tobacco leaves. The increase in foliar biomass in treatment T1 could largely be a result of the stimulation of NO3(-) assimilation. However, this situation has negative consequences for tobacco quality, given that the T1 treatment augmented the NO3(-) concentration and the foliar concentration of nicotine (both effects being harmful for human consumption) and decreased the concentration of reducing sugars in leaves of tobacco plants compared with those of T2 and T3. Finally, a close and directly proportional relationship was found in our experiment between the parameters of foliar-biomass production, total N concentration, chlorophyll concentration, and decline in quality.
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