2024 年 68 巻 2 号 p. 34-44
High pH is widely acknowledged as a major soil constraint that naturally occurs in arid and semi-arid regions such as Afghanistan, and it is largely attributed to the excess presence of calcium carbonate. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable produced in Kabul Province. However, this crop is mainly grown in soils with alkaline characteristics and low organic matter content. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of pH on plant growth, yield, and fruit quality. The study involved exposing tomato plants to three different pH levels (4.5, 6.5, and 8.5) using a hydroponic system under greenhouse conditions. The highest pH level was set based on a soil analysis conducted in Kabul city, which indicated that most of the province’s soils had a pH around or higher than 8.0. Results showed that high pH decreased tomato plant height, leaf, and root length; while it increased leaf chlorophyll content, leaf electrolyte leakage (EL), root respiration rate, and fruit sucrose content. It was concluded that high pH is a characteristic for most of soils in Kabul province and this parameter influenced the tomato plant growth and fruit quality traits.
