Effects of Nitrogen Management on Biomass Production and Dry Matter Distribution of Processing Tomato Cropped in Southern Italy
2019
Domenico Ronga | Mario Parisi | Alfonso Pentangelo | Mauro Mori | Ida Di Mola
Processing tomato is an important worldwide horticultural crop. It is generally grown in high-input systems: nevertheless, plant responses to nitrogen fertilization, in terms of the effects on dry matter production and allocation to different plant organs, have yet to be investigated in depth. Moreover, information on the crop marginal net return and global warming potential (as an index of the environmental impact of crop cultivation) at different nitrogen rates is still scarce. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the effects of different nitrogen rates (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg of N ha&minus:1) on the agronomic, economic, and environmental aspects of processing tomato grown under conventional management in the Mediterranean area. The results of the two-year trials indicated 200 kg of nitrogen ha&minus:1 as the best rate, ensuring the highest values of marketable and total yields, brix ton ha&minus:1, and marginal net return and the lowest global warming potential per ton of marketable yield. However, since plants fertilized with 200 kg of N ha&minus:1 did not record the highest values of nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen uptake efficiency, our finding suggest the possibility to select better-performing cultivars for these physiological parameters by adopting specific tomato breeding programs.
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