DOI: https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/27.1.4914

2026, 27 (1)   p. 249-260

Heidi MEDINA-MONTENEGRO, Vicente ÁLVAREZ-MARES, Pedro ROJAS-ROJAS, Lidia YÓN-REYNA, Ana UREÑA-SEPÚLVEDA, Denisse DÍAZ-CORONA, Humberto RAMOS-SOTELO, Jordi LÓPEZ-VELÁZQUEZ

Abstract

Tomato is one of the most relevant fresh crops worldwide, and its production is affected by blossom end rot (BER), a physiological disorder caused by insufficient calcium translocation into the fruit. Strategies have been proposed to mitigate BER, including foliar nutrient applications and the use of plants with improved nutrient uptake and higher biomass production; however, it remains unclear whether these approaches are effective or might exacerbate BER incidence. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of foliar Ca, Mg, B, and Zn in both grafted and non-grafted tomato plants with differential biomass production in relation to BER incidence, biomass production, and postharvest fruit quality, as well as to establish correlations between studied variables. Results showed that foliar nutrition, including calcium, did not reduce BER incidence. Instead, it led to smaller fruit size and higher total soluble solids (TSS). Grafted plants exhibited significantly higher BER incidence and biomass production than nongrafted ones, with a strong positive correlation between BER incidence and plant height (r = 0.996, P≤0.01). Treatments with the highest BER incidence produced tomatoes with reduced firmness values (r = -0.763, P≤0.01), suggesting compromised cell integrity. The results show that grafted tomato plants with high biomass production may be unsuitable for cultivation in nutrient-poor soils, as their increased growth rate may outpace nutrient availability, triggering BER. Additionally, foliar nutrient applications were insufficient to mitigate BER.

Keywords

calcium, grafting, plant nutrition, postharvest

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