398 Three Years of Tomato Gas Exchange Response to Nitrogen Sources at Fruiting

Abstract

The purpose of this 3-year study was to compare organic and inorganic N sources for promoting gas exchange (GE) in tomato at fruiting. Measurements of transpiration (E), photosynthesis (Pn) and internal leaf CO2 concentration (Ci) are reported. The following winter–spring fertility treatments were applied using randomized complete block design with four replications: 1) 0 N winter–0 N spring, 2) 0 N winter–90 kg N/ha spring, 3) 0 N winter–180 kg N/ha spring, 4) 0 N winter+abruzi rye–0 N spring, 5) 0 N winter+hairy vetch–0 N spring, and 6) 0 N winter+crimson clover–0 N spring. In spring of 1996, 1997, and 1999, `Mountain Pride' tomatoes were transplanted in all plots. Maximum E (14.3 μmol·m–2·s–1), Pn (22.8 μmol CO2/m2 per s), and Ci (352.2 μL·L–1) occurred in 1997, 1996, and 1999, respectively. In general, E was affected mostly by treatments 2, 3, 5, and 6 and Pn by treatments 2 and 5, while treatments 1 and 4 affected Ci the most. Results indicate that N from both legumes and synthetic fertilizer enhanced GE of tomato similarly.