Nitrogen application levels based on critical nitrogen absorption regulate processing tomatoes productivity, nitrogen uptake, nitrate distributions, and root growth in Xinjiang, China

The unreasonable nitrogen(N)supply and low productivity are the main factors restricting the sustainable development of processing tomatoes.In addition,the mechanism by which the N application strategy affects root growth and nitrate distributions in processing tomatoes remains unclear.In this study,we applied four N application levels to a field(including 0(N0),200(N200),300(N300),and 400(N400)kg/hm^(2))based on the critical N absorption ratio at each growth stage(planting stage to flowering stage:22%;fruit setting stage:24%;red ripening stage:45%;and maturity stage:9%).The results indicated that N300 treatment significantly improved the aboveground dry matter(DM),yield,N uptake,and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE),while N400 treatment increased nitrate nitrogen(NO_(3)^(-)-N)residue in the 20–60 cm soil layer.Temporal variations of total root dry weight(TRDW)and total root length(TRL)showed a single-peak curve.Overall,N300 treatment improved the secondary root parameter of TRDW,while N400 treatment improved the secondary root parameter of TRL.The grey correlation coefficients indicated that root dry weight density(RDWD)in the surface soil(0–20 cm)had the strongest relationship with yield,whereas root length density(RLD)in the middle soil(20–40 cm)had a strong relationship with yield.The path model indicated that N uptake is a crucial factor affecting aboveground DM,TRDW,and yield.The above results indicate that N application levels based on critical N absorption improve the production of processing tomatoes by regulating N uptake and root distribution.Furthermore,the results of this study provide a theoretical basis for precise N management.

Effects of biodegradable mulch on soil water and heat conditions,yield and quality of processing tomatoes by drip irrigation

To combat the problem of residual film pollution and ensure the sustainable development of agriculture in oasis areas,a field experiment was carried out in 2019 at the Wuyi Farm Corps Irrigation Center Test Station in Urumqi,Northwest China.Four types of biodegradable mulches,traditional plastic mulchs and a control group(bare land;referred to as CK)were compared,including a total of six different treatments.Effects of mulching on soil water and heat conditions as well as the yield and quality of processing tomatoes under drip irrigation were examined.In addition,a comparative analysis of economic benefits of biodegradable mulches was performed.Principal component analysis and gray correlation analysis were used to evaluate suitable mulching varieties for planting processing tomatoes under drip irrigation.Our results show that,compared with CK,biodegradable mulches and traditional plastic mulch have a similar effect on retaining soil moisture at the seedling stage but significantly increase soil moisture by 0.5%-1.5%and 1.5%-3.0%in the middle and late growth periods(P<0.050),respectively.The difference in the thermal insulation effect between biodegradable mulch and plastic mulch gradually reduces as the crop grows.Compared with plastic mulch,the average soil temperature at 5-20 cm depth under biodegradable mulches is significantly lowered by 2.04°C-3.52°C and 0.52°C-0.88°C(P<0.050)at the seedling stage and the full growth period,respectively,and the water use efficiency,average fruit yield,and production-investment ratio under biodegradable mulches were reduced by 0.89%-6.63%,3.39%-8.69%,and 0.51%-6.33%(P<0.050),respectively.The comprehensive evaluation analysis suggests that the black oxidized biological double-degradation ecological mulch made from eco-benign plastic is the optimal film type under the study condition.Therefore,from the perspective of sustainable development,biodegradable mulch is a competitive alternative to plastic mulch for large-scale tomato production under drip irrigation in the oasis.

Effects of nitrogen and salt on growth and physiological characteristics of processing tomato under drip irrigation

Xinjiang of China is one of the three largest planting bases of processing tomato in the world,but soil salinization has restricted the production of tomato processing.In order to study the effects of soil nitrogen,salt and their interaction on growth and physiological characteristics of processing tomato under drip irrigation,different amount of nitrogen fertilizer were added to reconcile different salt stress to explore the response mechanisms of growth and yield of processing tomato to soil nitrogen and salt contents with a two-year experiments.The results showed that the effects of soil salinity on the growth and physiological characteristics of processing tomato were significantly greater than that of input of nitrogen fertilizers.The higher soil salt content(≥5.0 g/kg)significantly inhibited the growth of processing tomato.The increase in addition of nitrogen fertilizer could alleviate the salt inhibition and promote the growth of processed tomato with the increase of soil salt content,and the maximum nitrogen application rate was 300 kg/hm2.The linear plus platform was selected to determine the nitrogen effect models of non-saline-alkali soil and weak saline-alkali soil,but the square root nitrogen effect model of moderate saline-alkali soil was selected to accurately predict the yield of processing tomato.It was suggested that the processing tomatoes should be planted in moderate saline-alkali soil to achieve higher yields due to lower input of nitrogen fertilizer,potentially reducing fertilizer costs and maximizing profits from high processing tomato yields.The results have a strong guiding significance for planting of processing tomato on saline-alkali land and appropriate fertilization to increase the yield of processing tomato.

Field performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation on tomato crop growth, yield, water use efficiency, quality and profitability

Sustainable irrigation method is now essential for adaptation and adoption in the areas where water resources are limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to test the performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation（AWDFI） on crop growth, yield, water use efficiency（WUE）, fruit quality and profitability analysis of tomato. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with six treatments replicated thrice during the dry seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Irrigation water was applied through three ways of furrow： AWDFI, fixed wetting and drying furrow irrigation（FWDFI） and traditional（every） furrow irrigation（TFI）. Each irrigation method was divided into two levels： irrigation up to 100 and 80% field capacity（FC）. Results showed that plant biomass（dry matter） and marketable fruit yield of tomato did not differ significantly between the treatments of AWDFI and TFI, but significant difference was observed in AWDFI and in TFI compared to FWDFI at same irrigation level. AWDFI saved irrigation water by 35 to 38% for the irrigation levels up to 80 and 100% FC, compared to the TFI, respectively. AWDFI improved WUE by around 37 to 40% compared to TFI when irrigated with 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Fruit quality（total soluble solids and pulp） was found greater in AWDFI than in TFI. Net return from AWDFI technique was found nearly similar compared to TFI and more than FWDFI. The benefit cost ratio was viewed higher in AWDFI than in TFI and FWDFI by 2.8, 8.7 and 11, 10.4% when irrigation water was applied up to 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Unit production cost was obtained lower in AWDFI compared to TFI and FWDFI. However, AWDFI is a useful water-saving furrow irrigation technique which may resolve as an alternative choice compared with TFI in the areas where available water and supply methods are limited to irrigation.