Tomato fruit quality as influenced by calcium foliar spray

Abstract

Experiment was carried out under greenhouse condition at Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station (ZAHRS), Navile, Shivamogga during kharif 2016 to know the response of tomato fruit to different calcium sources and levels. Three sources of calcium were applied as a foliar spray [Calcium chloride (CaCl2), Calcium nitrate (CaNO3) and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN)] with three levels (0.20, 0.50 and 0.80 %, respectively). The results indicated that foliar application of calcium through different sources increased the quality of tomato significantly over the control (water spray). Treatment applied with foliar spray of 0.5 per cent CAN as recorded significantly higher fruit quality attributes like TSS (5.00 oBrix) and titrable acidity (0.23 %), lycopene content of 79.66 mg kg-1, fruit firmness (0.33 kg cm-2), PLW (0.45 to 4.57 %), over the other treatments. The Ca content and uptake (0.84 %, and 77.26 kg ha-1) was recorded highest by tomato fruits due to foliar spray of CAN @ 0.5 % compared with control. The next best alternative source of calcium for foliar spray found to be CaCl2 @ 0.8 % which shows higher quality and nutrient content of tomato fruit.