Improvement of cocktail tomato yield and consumer‐oriented quality traits by potassium fertilization is driven by the cultivar

Abstract

BACKGROUND The market for cocktail tomatoes is growing continuously, mainly because of their good taste. Titratable acids (TA), total soluble solids (TSS) and dry matter (DM) contents correlate positively with good taste. So far, the impact of different potassium (K) applications on yield and consumer‐oriented quality traits has not been comprehensively described for cultivars of smaller fruits. To fill this gap, we tested the effect of different K fertilization regimes on three cultivars of small‐sized or cocktail tomatoes. RESULTS A positive impact on quality parameters (TSS, TA, DM, color and firmness) was detected by raising the K fertilizer application for the cocktail tomato cultivars Primavera and Yellow Submarine. The cultivar Resi showed no response to fertilization, except for TSS and TA. Yield increased significantly by higher K application only in Primavera, the most productive cultivar. The K concentration in tomato rose with increasing K application. CONCLUSION Because TSS and TA increased in all cultivars, whereas only one cultivar showed an increase in yield, the results of the present study emphasize the importance of the application of cultivar‐specific mineral fertilizers on yield‐ and consumer‐oriented quality traits. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Flavor and Other Quality Traits of Tomato Cultivars Bred for Diverse Production Systems as Revealed in Organic Low-Input Management

“…Genotype is an important determinant of the extent of variability in carotenoid content of ripe tomato fruits ( 12 ). The red color value (a*) of our cultivars was lower than that of the cocktail cultivars studied in Sonntag et al ( 55 ), while the color values of the red-fruited salad cultivars (“Bocati F 1 ”, “Cappricia F 1 ”, “Roterno F 1 ”) were comparable to the results of Sonntag et al ( 55 ). The red color of the tomato fruits is due to the synthesis of lycopene and degradation of chlorophyll ( 56 ), while an orange genotype accumulates high levels of β-carotene in addition to a low-lycopene content ( 57 ).…”

“…The red color of the tomato fruits is due to the synthesis of lycopene and degradation of chlorophyll ( 56 ), while an orange genotype accumulates high levels of β-carotene in addition to a low-lycopene content ( 57 ). Increasing a* value, lycopene and ß-carotene were observed during ripening of red-fruited cultivars ( 55 ). Based on heritability and genotype by environment interaction, lycopene, which accounts for more than 85% of total carotenoids in many red-fruited cultivars ( 58 ), was the most environmentally sensitive trait ( 50 ).…”

Critical Leaf Magnesium Concentrations for Adequate Photosynthate Production of Soilless Cultured Cherry Tomato—Interaction with Potassium

“…These findings may explain the influence of K supply levels on total yields and plant DWs. This result was in line with Yurtseven et al (2005) and Sonntag et al (2019), who reported that significant yield increases with increasing K application [50,51]. However, Nzanza (2006) found that none of the applied K treatments had any significant effect on marketable tomato yield [28].…”

Potassium and growth-promoting fungi improve the postharvest quality of grape tomato

“…The results shown in Table 1 and Figure 1 were somewhat expected, since (Figure 1) is due to the important role that this nutrient plays in the translocation of photoassimilates and in the activation of several enzymes. The positive influence of increasing the K rate on SS has been shown in several studies with tomato (Liu, Zhang, Tan, & Astatkie, 2011;Sonntag, Naumann, Pawelzik, & Smit, 2019). ** Significant at 1%, * Significant at 5% and Significant at 10%.…”