Summary
This controlled hydroponic experiment tested whether exposing half of a tomato plant's root system to high ammonium concentration whilst the other half received nitrate could enhance growth and yield without inducing ammonium toxicity. Using a split-root design with four fertilisation treatments (pure nitrate, 3:9 and 6:6 nitrate-to-ammonium ratios, and pure ammonium to the split roots), results showed that nitrate-ammonium ratios significantly affected most growth and quality variables, suggesting the split-root approach may offer an alternative to uniform fertilisation regimes in commercial hydroponics.
Regional applicability
Findings are directly applicable to United Kingdom protected horticulture and commercial hydroponics operations, though the study was conducted in Mexico. The split-root technique and nitrogen ratio optimisation principles could inform UK glasshouse tomato production systems, though local environmental conditions, cultivar selection, and water quality would require adaptation.
Key measures
Plant height, stem diameter, root volume, root length, fruit yield per plant, polar and equatorial fruit diameter, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, and shelf life
Outcomes reported
The study evaluated effects of different ammonium-to-nitrate ratios on tomato plant growth, yield, and fruit quality in a split-root hydroponic system. Plant height, stem diameter, root morphology, fruit yield, and fruit quality metrics (diameter, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and shelf life) were measured.
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