EFEITO DA PROPORÇÃO DE K2SO4 E KCLNOS COMPONENTES DA PRODUÇÃO DO TOMATEIRO PARA PROCESSAMENTO INDUSTRIAL NA REGIÃO DO CERRADO

Abstract

Potassium (K) is the nutrient that most accumulated by tomato plants. Among its main functions in the plant is its association with stomatal opening and closing, and its direct relation to tomato quality. The main potassium sources used in tomato cultivation are potassium chloride (KCl) and potassium sulfate (K2SO4). The choice between these sources is often made empirically, with cost prevailing over fruit quality. The research investigated the application of different K2SO4 and KCl rations on the yield and quality of the industrial processing tomato variety Heinz HZ9553. The experiment was carried out in soils with built fertility, a common situation in the main production areas, over two crop cycles in different years, strictly respecting the main planting season for crop in the Brazilian cerrado. The trial was set up as a randomized complete block design with 6 treatments and 4 blocks. The treatments consisted of six different ratios of K2SO4/KCl: [0.0:0.0 (T1 - control); 1.0:0.0 (T2); 0.75:0.25 (T3); 0.50:0.50 (T4); 0.25:0.75 (T5); and 0.0:1.0 (T6)] applied at the planting line, following recommended practices for crop. For all the ratios studied, the sum of the applied potassium fertilizers provided the crop with 150 kg.ha-1 of K2O, a value estimated based on soil chemical analysis and the crop's nutritional demand. The average data obtained over the two years of cultivation allowed us to conclude that fertilization with 100% K2SO4 showed better performance in terms of yield components and fruit quality.