Effect of Single Basal Application Using Controlled Release Fertilizer on Marketable Yield and Fruit Quality in Tomato Cultivation.

Abstract

A two-year experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to compare the effects of a single basal application (SBA) of coated urea fertilizer with that of conventional fertilization (CF) on the yield and fruit quality of tomatoes. The nitrate-nitrogen concentration in the soil under SBA was less than that under CF during the cultivation period. The total yield, rate of marketable fruit production, and average fruit weight were very similar. Although it was necessary to apply a basal fertilization and additional fertilization 5–8 times during the cultivation period under CF, a single basal fertilization only was applied before planting under SBA, reducing the working hours by 32 h/1,000 m2. In addition, the fertilization cost of SBA was lower than that of CF. Therefore, SBA could become a popular fertilization method for forced tomato cultivation.