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Critical Soil Temperature for Tomato Plant Growth¹

ABSTRACT

Fireball and Kokomo variety of tomatoes were used to study the effect of root temperatures at 56°, 58°, 60° and 70°F., and of P concentration on plant growth and chemical composition. It was found that the early and late tomato varieties responded similarly to the respective root temperatures. The response to P fertilizer was between 5 and 50 ppm., with no further growth increase at 100 ppm. There was a growth increase as expressed by dry weight between 56° and 58° and 58° and 70°F., but not between 58° and 60°F. Although in all cases increasing the temperature from 56° to 58°F. increased nutrient uptake, the difference was not great enough to have any practical importance. The growth of tomato shoots was doubled by increasing the root temperature from 56° to 58°F.

¹ Journal Paper No. 2024, Purdue University Agr. Exp. Sta., Lafayette, Ind. Contribution of the Dept. of Horticulture. Presented before Div. IV, Soil Science Society of America, Ithaca, N. Y., Aug. 20, 1962.

² Present address: USDA, ARS, Wenatchee, Wash.

³ Associate Professor of Horticulture, Purdue University.

Received for publication November 26, 1962. Accepted for publication May 8, 1963.