Summary
This controlled trial examined whether calcium chloride could ameliorate the adverse effects of sodium chloride stress on tomato production and quality. Calcium chloride at 6.8 mM enhanced tolerance to moderate salinity (44.4 mM NaCl), reducing sodium accumulation in leaves and increasing Ca/Na ratios, though higher CaCl2 doses did not confer protection under severe salt stress. The findings suggest calcium supplementation has potential to improve salt tolerance and reduce blossom-end rot incidence in tomato cultivation under saline conditions.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted under controlled conditions (likely glasshouse) using hydroponic nutrient solutions, which limits direct transferability to field conditions in the United Kingdom. However, the results are relevant to UK horticultural producers facing saltwater intrusion in greenhouse irrigation supplies or soil salinity issues, and provide evidence for calcium-based mitigation strategies that could be adapted to UK growing systems.
Key measures
Fruit yield, stem number, brix (soluble solids), juice pH, number of fruits with blossom-end rot, leaf sodium content, leaf Ca/Na ratio, leaf K/Na ratio
Outcomes reported
The study measured fruit yield, quality parameters (brix, pH), nutrient contents (sodium, calcium, potassium), and incidence of blossom-end rot in tomato plants exposed to varying levels of sodium chloride stress and calcium chloride supplementation. Key metrics included Na content in leaves, Ca/Na and K/Na ratios, and physiological responses to combined salt and calcium treatments.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Ask about this record, its theme or its relevance to UK farming and policy. Pulse AI uses selected catalogue evidence and cites the sources it draws on.