Tomato Growth, Yield, and Root Development, Soil Nitrogen and Water Distribution as Affected by Nitrogen and Irrigation Rates on a Florida Sandy Soil

Effective nutrient and irrigation management practices are critical for optimum growth and yield in open-field fresh-market tomato production. Although nutrient and irrigation management practices have been well-studied for tomato production in Florida, more studies of the current highly efficient production systems would be considered essential. Therefore, a two-season (Fall 2016 and Spring 2017) study was conducted in Immokalee, FL, to evaluate the effects of the nitrogen (N) rates under different irrigation regimes and to determine the optimum N requirement for open-field fresh-market tomato production. To evaluate productivity, the study investigated the effects of N rates and irrigation regimes on plant and root growth, yield, and production efficiency of fresh-market tomato. The study demonstrated that deficit irrigation (DI) targeting 66% daily evapotranspiration (ET) replacement significantly increased tomato root growth compared with full irrigation (FI) at 100% ET. Similarly, DI application increased tomato growth early in the season compared with FI. Therefore, irrigation applications may be adjusted downward from FI, especially early during a wet season, thereby potentially improving irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) and reducing leaching potential of Florida sandy soils. However, total marketable yield significantly increased under FI compared with DI. This suggests that although DI may increase early plant growth, the application of DI throughout the season may result in yield reduction. Although N application rates had no significant effects on biomass production, tomato marketable yield with an application rate of 134 kg·ha−1 N was significantly lower compared with other N application rates (179, 224, and 269 kg·ha−1). It was also observed that there were no significant yield benefits with N application rates higher than 179 kg·ha−1. During the fall, iWUE was higher under DI (33.57 kg·m−3) than under FI (25.57 kg·m−3); however, iWUE was similar for both irrigation treatments during spring (FI = 14.04 kg·m−3; DI = 15.29 kg·m−3). The N recovery (REC-N) rate was highest with 134 kg·ha−1 N; however, REC-N was similar with 179, 224, and 269 kg·ha−1 N rates during both fall and spring. Therefore, these study results could suggest that DI could be beneficial to tomato production only when applied during early growth stages, but not throughout the growing season. Both yield and efficiency results indicated that the optimum N requirement for open-field fresh-market tomato production in Florida may not exceed 179 kg·ha−1 N.

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Yield and Quality of Carrot Cultivars with Eight Nitrogen Rates and Best Management Practices

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci15983-21 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Robert Conway Hochmuth ◽

Marina Burani-Arouca ◽

Charles Edward Barrett

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Sandy Soils ◽

Application Rate ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

N Application ◽

Winter Climate ◽

Best Management ◽

Application Rates

Carrot (Daucus carota) production has increased in North Florida and South Georgia since 2015. Deep sandy soils, moderate winter climate, availability of irrigation water, and proximity to eastern markets are favorable for carrot production in the region. Nitrogen (N) is required for successful carrot production, and the current recommended N application rate in Florida is 196 kg·ha−1. The objective of this study was to verify the recommended N rate for the sandy soils of North Florida using current industry standard cultivars and practices. Carrot cultivars for the whole carrot fresh market, Choctaw and Maverick, and cultivars for the cut-and-peel market, Triton and Uppercut 25, were direct seeded on 102-cm-wide pressed bed tops on 29 Oct. 2016 and 2 Nov. 2017 in Live Oak, FL. Eight N application rates (56, 112, 168, 224, 280, 336, 392, and 448 kg·ha−1) were tested, and all N applications were placed on the bed top. N rates were split and timed to increase N use efficiency. Regression analyses were used to determine the optimal N rate for carrots in North Florida. A quadratic plateau regression for both seasons combined indicated 206 kg·ha−1 N was the optimal rate for carrots, with marketable yield of 71.3 Mg·ha−1, regardless of cultivar. All four cultivars attained acceptable yield including Uppercut 25, which exhibited significant foliage damage following freezing temperatures. This study resulted in updated information on best management practices for carrot production in Florida, especially nutrient stewardship.

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High Tunnel and Grafting Effects on Organic Tomato Plant Growth and Yield in the Subtropics

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech04610-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 492-503

Author(s):

Craig J. Frey ◽

Xin Zhao ◽

Jeffrey K. Brecht ◽

Dustin M. Huff ◽

Zachary E. Black

Keyword(s):

Open Field ◽

Total Yield ◽

Organic Production ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Tomato Production ◽

High Tunnel ◽

High Tunnels ◽

Field Production

Although grower interest in high tunnel tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production has increased in recent years, systematic high tunnel research conducted in humid, subtropical regions has been limited. The potential of tomato grafting to mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses makes it complementary to high-value production systems in high tunnels. In this 2-year study, grafted vs. nongrafted organic tomato production in high tunnels and open fields was investigated to determine possible synergistic effects of these two technologies. In 2016, high tunnels resulted in a significant increase of total and marketable yields, by 43% and 87%, respectively, over open field production. Grafting also significantly increased total and marketable yields over nongrafted plants by 34% and 42%, respectively. Cultivar effects demonstrated greater benefits with the implementation of high tunnel and grafting technologies for ‘Tribute’ (a beefsteak-type tomato) than for ‘Garden Gem’ (a plum-type tomato), as the increase in marketable yield was 33% greater for ‘Tribute’ in high tunnels and 45% greater for ‘Tribute’ with grafting. In 2017, a delayed effective transplanting date and the lack of high tunnel summer season extension produced results that were generally cultivar specific. While grafting increased the total yield of both cultivars (by 18%), marketable yield was increased by grafting only for ‘Tribute’ in high tunnels (by 42%). Additionally, high tunnels improved marketable yield of ‘Tribute’ by 129% but had no effect on ‘Garden Gem’. This demonstrated the consistent trend of the beefsteak-type tomato benefiting more from the combination of high tunnel and grafting technologies than the plum-type tomato. High tunnels reduced fruit decay and cracking by up to 71% compared with open field production. Stink bug (Pentatomidae) damage had the greatest impact on marketable yields each season, reaching 13% and 34% of total yields in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and was unaffected by high tunnel production or grafting. This study revealed the benefits of integrating high tunnel and grafting technologies for enhancing organic production of fresh-market tomato in the humid subtropics, and demonstrated more research is warranted to establish regional planting dates and further optimize this high-value cropping system.

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INFLUENCE OF THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION ON RICE YIELD AND NITROGEN AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY WITH DIFFERENT N APPLICATION RATES

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479709007583 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 275-286 ◽

Cited By ~ 70

Author(s):

LIMEI ZHAO ◽

LIANGHUAN WU ◽

YONGSHAN LI ◽

XINGHUA LU ◽

DEFENG ZHU ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

N Use Efficiency ◽

System Of Rice Intensification ◽

N Application ◽

Application Rates ◽

Rice Intensification ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

N Rates ◽

N Use

SUMMARYField experiments were conducted in 2005 and 2006 to investigate the impacts of alternative rice cultivation systems on grain yield, water productivity, N uptake and N use efficiency (ANUE, agronomic N use efficiency; PFP, partial factor productivity of applied N). The trials compared the practices used with the system of rice intensification (SRI) and traditional flooding (TF). The effects of different N application rates (0, 80, 160 and 240 kg ha−1) and of N rates interacting with the cultivation system were also evaluated. Resulting grain yields with SRI ranged from 5.6 to 7.3 t ha−1, and from 4.1 to 6.4 t ha−1 under TF management. On average, grain yields under SRI were 21% higher in 2005 and 22% higher in 2006 than with TF. Compared with TF, SRI plots had higher harvest index across four fertilizer N rates in both years. However, there was no significance difference in above-ground biomass between two cultivation systems in either year. ANUE was increased significantly under SRI at 80 kg N ha−1 compared with TF, while at higher N application rates, ANUE with SRI was significantly lower than TF. Compared with TF, PFP under SRI was higher across all four N rates in both years, although the difference at 240 kg N ha−1 was not significant. As N rate increased, the ANUE and PFP under both SRI and TF significantly decreased. Reduction in irrigation water use with SRI was 40% in 2005 and 47% in 2006, and water use efficiency, both total and from irrigation, were significantly increased compared to TF. With both SRI and TF, the highest N application was associated with decreases in grain yield, N use efficiency and water use efficiency. This is an important finding given current debates whether N application rates in China are above the optimum, especially considering consequences for soil and water resources. Cultivation system, N rates and their interactions all produced significant differences in this study. Results confirmed that optimizing fertilizer N application rates under SRI is important to increase yield, N use efficiency and water use efficiency.

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Effects of Real-time Location-specific Drip Irrigation Scheduling on Water Use, Plant Growth, Nutrient Accumulation, and Yield of Florida Fresh-market Tomato

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci13183-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (9) ◽

pp. 1372-1378 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ibukun T. Ayankojo ◽

Kelly T. Morgan ◽

Monica Ozores-Hampton ◽

Kati W. Migliaccio

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Open Field ◽

Sandy Soil ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

The United States ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Water Savings ◽

Tomato Production

Florida is the largest fresh-market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)–producing state in the United States. Although vegetable production requires frequent water supply throughout the crop production cycle to produce maximum yield and ensure high-quality produce, overirrigation can reduce crop yield and increase negative environmental consequences. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare irrigation schedules by a real-time and location-specific evapotranspiration (ET)-based SmartIrrigation Vegetable App (SI) with a historic ET-based schedule (HI). A field study was conducted on drip-irrigated, fresh-market tomato during the Fall of 2015 and Spring of 2016 on a Florida sandy soil. The two scheduling methods (SI and HI) were evaluated for irrigation water application, plant biomass accumulation, nutrient uptake and partitioning, and yield in open-field tomato production. Treatments included 100% HI (T1); 66% SI (T2); 100% SI (T3); and 150% SI (T4). Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates per treatment during the two production seasons. In both seasons, depth of irrigation water applied increased in the order of T2 < T3 < T1 < T4. Total water savings was greater for T3 schedule compared with T1 schedule at 22% and 16% for fall and spring seasons, respectively. No differences were observed among treatments for tomato biomass accumulation at all sampling periods during both seasons. However, T3 resulted in significantly greater total marketable yield compared with other treatments in both seasons. The impact of irrigation application rate was greater in fruit and leaf nitrogen accumulation compared with that of stem and root biomass. Based on the plant performance and water savings, this study concludes that under a sandy soil condition, a real-time location-specific irrigation scheduler improves irrigation scheduling accuracy in relation to actual crop water requirement in open-field tomato production.

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Drip-irrigation Scheduling for Fresh-market Tomato Production

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.28.1.35 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 35-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

T.K. Hartz

Keyword(s):

Drip Irrigation ◽

Crop Coefficient ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Yield Reduction ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Canopy Development ◽

Canopy Coverage

Drip-irrigation scheduling techniques for fresh-market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production were compared in three growing seasons (1989-91). Three regimes were evaluated: EPK [reference evapotranspiration (ETo, corrected Penman) × programmed crop coefficients], ECC (ET0 × a crop coefficient based on estimated percent canopy coverage), and SMD (irrigation at 20% available soil moisture depletion). EPK coefficients ranged from 0.2 (crop establishment) to 1.1 (full canopy development). Percent canopy coverage was estimated from average canopy width ÷ row width. Irrigation in the SMD treatment was initiated at -24 kPa soil matric tension, with recharge limited to 80% of daily ET0. The EPK and ECC regimes gave similar fresh fruit yields and size distributions in all years. With the EPK scheduling technique, there was no difference in crop response between daily irrigation and irrigation three times per week. In all seasons, ECC scheduling resulted in less total water applied than EPK scheduling and averaged 76% of seasonal ET0 vs. 86% for EPK. Irrigating at 20% SMD required an average of only 64% of seasonal ET0; marketable yield was equal to the other scheduling techniques in 1989 and 1991, but showed a modest yield reduction in 1990. Using an SMD regime to schedule early season irrigation and an ECC system to guide application from mid-season to harvest may be the most appropriate approach for maximizing water-use efficiency and crop productivity.

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Many Fresh-market Tomato Growers in the Southeastern U.S. Use IPM

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.32.4.598d ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 598D-598

Author(s):

J.M. Kemble ◽

E. Bauske ◽

E. Sikora ◽

G. Zehnder

Keyword(s):

North Carolina ◽

South Carolina ◽

Government Regulation ◽

Management Practices ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Tomato Fruit ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

The State ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Tomato Production

IPM teams from Alabama, North Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee composed of growers, private consultants, and faculty defined IPM on fresh-market tomatoes and created a survey from this definition to evaluate the level of IPM used by growers in the southeastern U.S. The survey included three sections: cultural practices, pesticide application techniques, and specific pest management practices, and was distributed to tomato growers in the region by mail, at county meetings, and through other relevant venues. Additionally, growers were asked to identify problems (insect, disease, and nonpest, i.e., cultural) and beneficial technology or research developments. Results of the survey revealed that in North Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina more than 75% of the tomato acreage is in the medium or high IPM category. These states have met or exceeded the State IPM teams' criteria for practicing IPM and have met the Federal mandate of IPM implementation on 75% of the fresh-market tomato cropland. Tomato producers listed early blight, late blight and bacterial spot as their main disease problems; tomato fruit worm, thrips, and aphids as their primary insect problems; and poor weather conditions, government regulation, and labor issues as their primary nonpest problems. Producers throughout the region felt that the development of resistant varieties would help them increase production the most. The State IPM teams outlined a clear definition of IPM in fresh-market tomato production and the survey results established a baseline that can be used to measure the success of programs to increase IPM adoption. The results will aid in focusing the Extension/research agenda in the universities in the Southeast.

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Protected Culture Enhances Early Season Strawberry Fruit Yield and Quality in Southern California

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.40.4.1126d ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 1126D-1127

Author(s):

Oleg Daugovish ◽

Kirk Larson

Keyword(s):

Open Field ◽

Southern California ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Gray Mold ◽

Fruit Shape ◽

Fruit Rot ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Early Season ◽

Field Production

Total and marketable yield, fruit size and fruit rot were evaluated for `Camarosa' and `Ventana' strawberries grown with or without protected culture in southern California in 2003 and 2004. In both years, bareroot transplants were established on 5 Oct. using standard “open field” production methods. Fifty-five days after transplanting, metal posts and arcs were positioned over portions of the field and covered with 0.0324-mm-thick clear polyethylene (Tufflite Thermal, Tyco Plastics, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.) to create “tunnel” structures 5 m wide, 25 m long, and 2.5 m high. Each tunnel covered three contiguous strawberry beds, and experiment design was a randomized complete block with four replications, with individual plots consisting of 20 plants. In 2003, early season (Jan.–1 Apr.) marketable yields in tunnels were 90% and 84% greater than outdoor culture for `Ventana' and `Camarosa', respectively. In 2004, use of tunnels resulted in a 140% marketable yield increase for `Ventana' and 62% for `Camarosa' (Jan.–31 Mar.); however, unusually high temperatures (38 °C) in April resulted in reduced yields in tunnels thereafter. In both years, increased early production coincided with highest fresh market fruit prices, resulting in $5700–7700 greater returns per-acre compared to open field production. For both cultivars, tunnel production resulted in 37% to 63% fewer non-marketable fruit due to less rain damage, better fruit shape, and decreased incidence of gray mold. For all treatments, fruit size decreased as the season progressed and was more pronounced in tunnels after April. Overall, these studies indicate that tunnels have potential for enhancing early-season production and profitability of strawberries in southern California.

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Growing Tomato under Protected Cultivation Conditions: Overall Effects on Productivity, Nutritional Yield, and Pest Incidences

Crops ◽

10.3390/crops1020010 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 97-110

Author(s):

Paola Sotelo-Cardona ◽

Mei-Ying Lin ◽

Ramasamy Srinivasan

Keyword(s):

Open Field ◽

Growth Yield ◽

Field Conditions ◽

Leaf Miners ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Protected Cultivation ◽

Lycopene Content ◽

Growing Conditions ◽

Protective Structures ◽

Positive Effect

Tomato continues to be one of the most important crops worldwide, and protected cultivation is practiced to overcome the biotic and abiotic stresses to which the plant are exposed during growth. In this study we evaluated the effect of colored net houses on the growth, yield and nutritional values, as well as the incidence of common pests under three different light conditions: (1) colored (magenta), (2) conventional (white), and open field conditions. A colored net house led the plants to grow taller with higher lycopene content, but recorded a higher number of whiteflies, compared to the conventional net house and open field conditions. Furthermore, plants under protected structures recorded lower SPAD values, but larger terminal leaflets, lower damage by leaf miners, but more damage caused by spider mites compared to those plants grown under open field conditions. Overall, we found that the use of colored net houses provided a positive effect on tomato production in terms of improvement in morphometric parameters, however, to obtain higher yields under this production system, it is important to reduce the elevated temperature and increase the relative humidity inside the protective structures to be adapted for local growing conditions in Taiwan.

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Yield parameters of Beta beets as a basis to estimate the biogas yield

Sugar Industry ◽

10.36961/si15365 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 169-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Philipp Starke ◽

Christa Hoffmann

Keyword(s):

Sugar Beet ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Field Trials ◽

Sugar Yield ◽

Dry Matter Yield ◽

N Application ◽

Fodder Beet ◽

Biogas Yield ◽

Application Rates ◽

N Rates

High biogas yields are expected from sugar beet because of its high root yield. But it has not been analysed yet, which varieties are best suited to reach the highest biogas yield. The study thus aimed at identifying a parameter to estimate the biogas yield of sugar beet. To get a broad variation of yields and beet qualities, field trials were conducted from 2008 to 2011 at 2 sites (Göttingen and Regensburg, Germany) with different sugar beet varieties and fodder beet. Different N application rates were included and furthermore, autumn sown beets (winter beet). Dry matter composition was analyzed, biogas yield and methane concentration were determined in batch experiments. Sugar beet reached root dry matter yields of more than 20tha–1 and thereby exceeded fodder beet. Moderate N application increased root dry matter yield, whereas higher N rates only enhanced the leaf dry matter yield. But most likely, leaves will not be considered for fermentation because of their low concentration of dry matter and organic dry matter. Winter beet reached total dry matter yields of 12tha–1, but dry matter was not as easily digestible as that of spring sown beets. Biogas yield showed a close linear relation to the root dry matter and the sugar yield as well. Sugar beet varieties can therefore be assessed for anaerobic digestion by their sugar yield. As sugar yield is already the main target, breeding for biogas beets will not be substantially different from that for beets used for sugar manufacture.

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212 Effects of Plant Density on Growth, Yield, and Quality of Fresh-market Sweet Corn

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.34.3.478e ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 478E-478 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xiuming Hao

Keyword(s):

Leaf Area ◽

Plant Density ◽

Sweet Corn ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Growth Yield ◽

Plant Size ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Yield And Quality ◽

High Plant Density

In summer 1998, two sh2, fresh-market, sweet corn cultivars (`Candy Corner'—large plant size, and `Swifty'—small plant size) were grown at 5, 6.5, 8, and 9.5 plants/m2 to investigate the effects of plant density on growth, photosynthesis, biomass, yield, and quality. Biomass and leaf area per plant were not affected by plant density. Therefore, biomass and leaf area per unit area were increased with increasing plant density. Plant height, leaf chlorophyll, leaf photosynthesis, and transpiration (measured with the LI-COR 6400 portable photosynthesis system) were not affected by plant density. Total cob weight (husk off) and number of ears harvested from plants were increased with increasing plant density. However, marketable yield (number of marketable ears) was not affected by plant density and marketable cob weight (husk off) decreased with increasing plant density due to the reduction in ear size with high plant density. There was a significant increase in percentage of unmarketable ears at plant density higher than 6.5 plant/m2 with `Candy Corner'. Kernel sugar content (°Brix) in both cultivars increased with plant density. According to the results of this experiment, the optimum plant density for fresh-market sweet corn was 5 to 6 plants/m 2.

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