Macro-Element Nutrition of the Tomato Plant as Correlated with Fruitfulness and Occurrence of Blossom-End Rot

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Abstract
A population of 1044 plants of an inbred strain of Bonny Best tomatoes was grown in sand cultures. The effects of 44 nutrient solns. varying in the relative proportions of macro-nutrient cations and 43 nutrient solns. varying in the relative proportions of macro-nutrient anions were studied in relation to fruitfulness and the occurrence of blossom-end rot. The data were reduced and analyzed by statistical methods. In general, variations in amts. of Ca and nitrate in the nutrient medium resulted in greater differences in fruitfulness over wider ranges in concs. than did the other elements. Greatest fruitfulness occurred in treatments high in nitrate and low in sulfate and phosphate in the anion triangle, and in treatments high in Ca and low in Mg and K in the cation triangle. The % of diseased fruits on each plant increased with decreasing Ca concs. in the nutrient medium. This correlation is largely independent of Mg and K concs. and no correlation with any anion was observed. Chem. analyses of fruits produced in treatments where the rot was most severe, indicated that such fruits were low in Ca content and high in K and Mg. Occurrence of blossom-end rot was clearly correlated with Ca nutrition of the plant.