Abstract
Information is scant on the mineral nutrition of plants undergoing partial rootzone drying (PRD). Researchers applied PRD to ‘Petopride’ tomato in a glasshouse by alternating irrigation to one side of the plant with half of the water in control (C). Roots in PRD treatment had higher magnesium (Mg) and copper (Cu) than C roots. Leaves in PRD treatment had lower P and higher K than C leaves. Minerals in leaves of C and PRD were within literature reported sufficiency ranges. Fruit of the PRD treatment had higher nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn), but lower phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn) and boron (B) than C fruit. Mineral nutrition of fruit was most affected by PRD compared to that of leaf and root. Fruit of the PRD treatment had a higher incidence of blossom end rot (BER) than C fruit. Incidence of BER notwithstanding, although PRD affected the mineral nutrition of the tomato plant, there was no evidence that the lower yield in PRD was due to poor mineral nutrition.
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