Effects of ammonium and inorganic carbon enrichment on growth and yield of a hydroponic tomato crop

Effects of varying the proportions of NO3— and NH4+ in the growth medium on seedling growth and tomato fruit yield (Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. Trust F1) were investigated in greenhouse hydroponic experiments. The presence of NH4+ as the sole N source (11 mM) was toxic: it curtailed growth and decreased chlorophyll content of the leaves. However, at low concentration (10 % of total N), the presence of NH4+, with or without added dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), increased vegetative growth and fruit yield by ˜ 15 %, and enhanced taste/flavor of the fruits. In DIC-enriched treatment, pH was maintained at 5.8 by addition of KHCO3 or as CaCO3. The presence of NH4+, at 10 % of total N, inhibited NO3— uptake rates by ˜ 27 %. The rates of uptake of NO3— and NH4+ were comparable (13.3 and 14.2 mmol plant—1 d—1, respectively, in the presence of DIC, and 14.7 and 14.0 mmol plant—1 d—1, respectively, in the absence of DIC), despite such a large difference in their concentrations in the nutrient feed solution. A higher proportion of NH4+ (up to 50 % of total N) had no further significant effect upon early vegetative growth, but in a long-term experiment resulted in a high incidence of blossom end-rot (BER) disease, thereby severely curtailing fruit yield. The presence of even 1.1 mM NH4+ reduced Ca2+ and Mg2+ accumulation in the leaves as well as in fruits.