Nitrogen application rates for greenhouse tomato based on real-time diagnosis of petiole sap: Effects of soil nitrate contents before cultivation

Abstract

(pp. 825–831) This study was carried out to clarify the effects of soil nitrate before cultivation and amounts of basal-dressed nitrogen on additional N application rate and yields of semi-forced tomato for three years from 1998 to 2000. The amounts and timing of additional N dressing were determined based on diagnosis of petiole sap nitrate. The top-dressing was carried out with a liquid fertilizer when the nitrate concentration of a leaflet's petiole sap of leaf beneath fruit which is 2–4 cm declined below 2000 mg L−1. For standard yield by the method of fertilizer application based on this condition, no basal-dressed nitrogen was required when soil nitrate before cultivation was 150 mg kg−1 dry soil or higher in the 0–30 cm layer; 38 kg ha−1 of basal-dressed nitrogen, which corresponds to 25% of the standard rate of fertilizer application of Chiba Prefecture, was optimum when soil nitrate before cultivation was 100150 mg kg−1 dry soil; 75 kg ha−1 of basal-dressed nitrogen, which corresponds to 50% of the standard, was optimum when soil nitrate before cultivation was under 100 mg kg−1 dry soil. A standard yield was secured and the rate of nitrogen fertilizer application decreased by 49–76% of the standard by keeping the nitrate concentration of tomato petiole sap between 1000–2000 mg L−1 from early harvest time to topping time under these conditions.