THE EFFECTS OF ROOTSTOCK AND WATERLOGGING DURATION ON CALCIUM ABSORPTION AND THE ROTTING OF BOTTOM FRUIT (BLOSSOM END ROT) OF TOMATO PLANT (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICON L.) CERVO VARIETIES

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of the Ca element on the blossom end rot of tomatoes which was grafted using different eggplant rootstocks. The Calcium deficiency decreases merismatic tissue growth and reduces yields. This experiment used a factorial randomized design which consisted of two factors. The first factor was grafting tomatoes of Cervo variety with different rootstocks (A). The rootstock of the eggplant was EG 203 lines (A1) and Gelatik variety (A2). The second factor was waterlogging (B), consisting of no waterlogging (B0), 2-day-waterlogging in the vegetative phase (B2V), 2-day-waterlogging in the flowering phase (B2B), 2-day-waterlogging in the fertilization phase (B2H), 4-day-waterlogging in vegetative phase (B4V), 4-day-waterlogging in the flowering phase (B4B), and 4-day-waterlogging in the fertilization phase (B4H). The total combinations of the two treatments were 14 treatments. The results of the study show that tomato plants grafted to two kinds of rootstock, namely EG 203 line and Gelatik variety which were waterlogged for 4 days, benefitted from the treatment because Gelatik eggplant roots could absorb more Calcium, so as to reduce the number of blossom end rot on the base of the tomato fruit. Furthermore, tomato plants with EG 203 line as rootstock had better ability to absorb Calcium than tomato plants grafted to Gelatik rootstock under both normal condition and waterlogging treatment for 2 days in several phases.

Keywords

• grafted tomato
• waterlogging
• calcium absorption
• blossom end rot