CALCIUM NITRATE APPLICATION ON TOMATOES TO INCREASE BLOSSOM END ROT DISEASE RESISTANCE Abdullah Sarijan (1*), Amelia Agustina Limbongan (1), Rosmala Widijastuti (1), Maria Lusiana Resubun (1), and Anwar (1)
1Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Musamus University
Address: Jalan Kamizaun Mopah Lama, Merauke city, Papua, Indonesia 99611
*abdsarijan[at]unmus.ac.id
Abstract
This research aimed to determine the response of tomato plants to calcium nitrate application and to investigate blossom end rot (BER) intensity in tomato plants. The study was conducted from March to June 2022 in the screenhouse, Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Musamus University. The trial was designed using a Randomized Block Design consisting of four fertilization treatments and three replications, resulting in 12 experimental units. The treatments were 0,0 g of calcium nitrate/polybag (P0), 0,88 g of calcium nitrate/polybag (P1), 1,33 g of calcium nitrate/polybag (P2), and 1,77 g of calcium nitrate/polybag (P3). Each experimental unit contained six plant populations, and all of them were considered sample plants. The results showed that fertilization affected the number of fruits infected with blossom end rot, the number of harvested fruits, and the weight of harvested fruits. However, the fertilizer application did not affect plant height and the age of the flowering initiation. The dose increased in P2 reatment resulted in the decline of the number of fruits with blossom end rot symptoms. On the other hand, the number and weight of harvested fruits increased. The highest intensity of blossom end rot is recorded in the P0 treatment (0 g calcium nitrate/polybag). While the highest number of harvested fruits and the heaviest fruit were obtained from the 1,33 g of calcium nitrate/polybag treatment.
Keywords: Tomato plants, blossom end rot, intensity, calcium nitrate, fertilization.
