Effect of foliar fertilization on tomato production in greenhouses

Foliar fertilization.. As well as the different types of fertilizer used in the cultivation process, whether inside or outside greenhouses, we find ourselves in front of various methods and methods of using each type, and in this article we will discuss one of these methods, which is foliar fertilization, with an explanation of its effect. On the productivity of the tomato crop inside the greenhouse..

What is foliar fertilization?

• Foliar fertilization is one of the types and methods of feeding plants, and it is done by spraying crops with some types of solutions that contain important nutrients.
• These elements enter the plants through the cracks and stomata in their leaves.
• The ability of each plant to absorb these solutions varies according to several factors.
• For example, the age of the paper affects its ability to absorb, as well as the presence of some staples on its surface.
• The angle of inclination of the foliage and the size of the cuticle layer above it may also prevent the success of foliar fertilization.

fertilizing greenhouses

The importance of fertilization for plants

• Whether you rely on foliar fertilization or any other method of composting, this step is indispensable.
• Manure generally represents the means by which the plant obtains its basic need of nutrients.
• Fertilizers are divided into natural fertilizers taken from natural elements and crops or animal manure, and synthetic fertilizers.
• The farmer, after choosing a type of fertilizer, also needs to specify the fertilization program that he will follow, including determining the appropriate fertilizing times and quantities for each plant.

The economic and nutritional benefits of the tomato crop

• As for the tomato crop; It is one of the most important vegetable crops
• The global average per capita consumption of tomatoes is 11 kg per year, and this figure may rise to 26 kg.
• Tomatoes are also important nutrients, as they are used in salad ingredients as an appetizer.
• Citizens have also recently increased their appetite for drinking it as juice.
• It can be made into several forms, and in ways that help retain most of its basic components.

Appropriate conditions for growing tomatoes in greenhousese

Effect of foliar fertilizer on tomato yield

• Concerning the use of this type of fertilization when growing the tomato crop inside the greenhouse; An agricultural researcher conducted an agricultural experiment in two successive seasons inside a greenhouse in the Saudi Al-Kharj region.
• The purpose of this experiment was to identify the effect of using foliar fertilization on the productivity of tomato crop compared to the use of other fertilizers.
• Therefore, the researcher was keen to plant the first season using the foliar fertilization method, then in the second season he used various other methods of fertilization.

Results of foliar fertilization

Through his experiment, the researcher reached a set of results, the most important of which are:

• The increase in the quantities of foliar fertilizer used with the tomato crop during the first month of its cultivation, resulted in an increase in the quantities of crops.
• In the second month, the tomato crop reached its highest production rate with a quantity of nearly 21 tons.
• Although the production quantities decreased in the third month, they remained higher compared to the quantities of the last season, which depended on other types of fertilizers.

We conclude from this that foliar fertilization is one of the most appropriate fertilization methods used with the tomato crop, if not the best at all, and that each type of plant has an appropriate type of fertilizer and an appropriate way to use it, which the farmer needs to know well before starting farming operations.