Resumo

PEREZ LABRADA, Fabián; BENAVIDES MENDOZA, Adalberto; VAZQUEZ BADILLO, Mario Ernesto  e  RAMIREZ, Homero. Addition of citric acid to nutrient solution of tomato cultivated in calcareous soil. Terra Latinoam [online]. 2014, vol.32, n.3, pp.251-255. ISSN 2395-8030.

Organic acids, especially citric acid, may improve the availability of nutrients for plants, and likewise improve plant and fruit quality. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of adding citric acid to the nutrient solution on the growth, yield and fruit quality of tomato grown in a calcareous soil. The addition of citric acid (CA) on tomato plants grown in calcareous soil generated positive changes in stem diameter, plant fresh weight and dry biomass. Relative to the control treatment, production of fruit increased 69% with application of 10-6 M CA. The antioxidant potential, electrical conductivity, titratable acidity and vitamin C in the fruit responded favorably to the addition of citric acid in concentrations of 10-6 and 10-4 M. Results of the study indicate that it is feasible to use the CA as an agricultural management tool for improving crop nutrition.

Palavras-chave : organic acids; oxidation-reduction potential; antioxidants.