STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAN MARZANO® TOMATO VARIETY AT DIFFERENT DOSES OF UREA AND NPK

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a crop of high economic and nutritional importance. The San Marzano variety is known for its quality and flavor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of mineral fertilization with different doses of urea and NPK on the development of tomato plants in pots. The study was carried out at Uneal, Campus I, in Arapiraca-AL. The experimental design was completely randomized (DIC) with five treatments and four replications. The treatments included different doses of NPK and urea: T1 (control, 0g), T2 (5g of NPK + RH), T3 (6g of NPK + RH), T4 (7g of NPK + RH) and T5 (8g of NPK + RH). The plants were grown in 8L pots in a greenhouse. The results showed that mineral fertilization significantly increased tomato development and production. The NPK treatments (T2 and T3) showed a greater increase in the variables analyzed, including plant height, number of fruits, and fresh mass. The results are consistent with previous studies that demonstrated the importance of mineral fertilization for tomato development. The combination of NPK and urea proved to be effective in increasing yield and fruit quality. The optimal fertilization dose was found between 5-6g of NPK + RH.

Mineral fertilization with different doses of urea and NPK proved to be an effective practice to provide the development and production of San Marzano tomatoes in pots. Treatments with NPK (T2 and T3) stood out, showing a greater increase in the variables analyzed.