Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System Assessment of the Nutrients Limiting and Nutritional Status of Tomato

Abstract

Tomato is an important field crop, and nutritional imbalances frequently reduce its yield. Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS), uses ratios for nutrient deficiency diagnosis instead of absolute concentration in plant tests. In this study, local DRIS norms for the field tomatoes were established and the nutrient(s) limiting tomatoes yield were determined. Tomato leaves were analyzed for nutrients, to identify nutritional status using the DRIS approach. One hundred tomatoes fields were selected from Chatter Plain Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Sheikupura Punjab Pakistan. The first fully matured leaf was sampled, rinsed, dried and ground for analyzing P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP AES). Plant tissue N and S were measured by the combustion method. The tomatoes yields were recorded at each location. The data were divided into high-yielding (≥3.79 kg/10 plant) and low-yielding (